People living in Iceland are strongly advised against unnecessary travel to risk areas due to COVID-19, except being fully vaccinated. Special rules apply when travelling to Iceland. Here you can read more regarding travel restrictions to Iceland as a result of COVID-19.
Travel restrictions do not apply to other EEA/EFTA-citizens and citizens of Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican.
Third-country citizens are still not authorized to travel to Iceland unless exemptions apply. Note: As of January 1st 2021, UK nationals have the status of third-country nationals.
Passengers travelling to Iceland that don´t have a certificate of vaccination or a certificate that they have had COVID-19 need to follow different rules when arriving depending on where they travel from.
Only Greenland is considered safe areas but all other countries are risk areas.
NOTE: After 31 May, 2021, and until further notice, there will not be a requirement to stay in an official quarantine facility based upon country risk-areas. Quarantine facilities will continue to be used for individuals in quarantine who do not have a place to stay in Iceland or who are unable or unwilling to isolate themselves in housing on their own.
Rules on the borders are in force until july 1st 2021.
Information on the rules on the border can be found here:
All travellers must pre-register before arriving in Iceland and confirm their departure day, if available.
Presenting certificates for a negative PCR test certificate against COVID-19. Rapid antigen tests are not valid. The test must have been taken within 72 hours before departure on the first leg of the journey.
Everybody must undergo testing on arrival to Iceland, even children.
Testing and quarantine: Everybody must quarantine for five days and go for another test at the end of quarantine. People may quarantine at home provided that their accommodation meets certain conditions. If not, they need to stay at the governments quarantine facility during their quarantine. Here is a list of accommodations that accommodate guests in quarantine.
Go directly to the quarantine location from the border entry point by airport bus, taxi, rental car or private car. Travelers are advised to stay overnight at a guesthouse near the border entry point if they are tired or the weather is bad.
Testing and quarantine of children: Children born in 2005 or later are tested at the border. They are exempt from the obligation to present a negative PCR certificate upon arrival. If a child travels with a person who is required to be quarantined, the child stays with them and is released from quarantine if the second test from the companion is negative. If the companion is exempt from double screening and quarantine, so is the child. A child travelling alone must be quarantined until a negative result is obtained from border testing.
The second testing is done at health centres around Iceland. A bar code is sent to a mobile phone the night before testing. Please note the different opening hours for testing.
A positive result will always result in isolation, and in such cases, the instructions on home isolation must be followed. If an individual is diagnosed with a variant of the virus that is more contagious and/or causes a more serious illness, the person in question is unconditionally required to stay in a quarantine hotel. Isolation in the epidemic house is free of charge, and referral is in the hands of the infection tracing team and the COVID Outpatient Department at Landspítali.
It is recommended that travellers download the Rakning C-19 app. It is used, amongst other things, to communicate negative testing results and helps to trace infections if necessary.
Third-country citizens (not EEA/EFTA) are still not authorized to travel to Iceland unless exemptions apply.
A tourist is obliged to pre-register a departure date from Iceland if it is available. If the length of stay is shorter than the required time in the quarantine, it will be examined separately, as there is a risk that the person in question will not follow the rules on quarantine.
Please note that violations of quarantine or isolation rules are subject to fines and the involvement of the authorities to prevent violations.
Other important information
It is recommended that individuals who are travelling familiarise themselves with the travel advice of the authorities as regards to COVID-19.
Icelanders and residents of Iceland needing assistance to travel home, can submit queries to the Consular Services of the MFA by e-mail at hjalp@utn.is and through Facebook. Requests are dealt with during office hours.
In emergencies, Icelanders abroad can call the Consular Services 24/7.
Principal information on the rights of travellers as regards to COVID-19 can be found on the website of Ferðamálastofa.
