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 1, 2021, UK nationals have the status of third-country nationals.
Only Greenland is considered a safe area but all other countries are risk areas.
Rules at the border are in force until August 15, 2021.
Rules at the border
All travellers must pre-register before arriving in Iceland and confirm their departure day, if available.
Present 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.
Travelers must undergo testing upon arrival to Iceland.
Quarantine and second testing: Everybody must quarantine for five days and go for another test at the end of quarantine. Please note that a new day begins at midnight. People may quarantine at home provided that their accommodation meets certain conditions. If not, they need to stay at the government’s 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. Travellers are advised to stay overnight at a guesthouse near the border entry point if they are tired or the weather is bad. Border guards can provide information on such matters.
Testing and quarantine of children: Children born in 2005 or later are not 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 is neither tested nor needs to present a negative PCR certificate upon arrival.
Children born in or before 2004 need to undergo testing at the border, quarantine for 5 days and have a second test, unless they have a certificate of full vaccination. Children who have not reached the age of 18 are permitted to travel to Iceland with their parents, given the parents are exempt from travel restrictions to Iceland.
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 quarantine hotel 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.
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 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 Emergency Line 24/7.
Principal information on the rights of travellers as regards to COVID-19 can be found on the website of Ferðamálastofa.
Privacy Statement – Infection Control Measures upon arrival to Iceland.
