Trevor KucheranLast Updated
Iceland has reopened the country's borders to tourists from June 15, 2020.
When Iceland first opened in June, passengers arriving into Iceland had a choice: They either choose to be tested for Covid upon arrival (15000 ISK/ $110 USD) or to go into quarantine for two weeks.
Now as of August 19th, the entry requirements have changed, due to a surge in cases. We cover all the updates below.
article last updated August 18
Now, as of August 19, all arriving passengers must choose between: a 14-day quarantine -or- a double testing procedure along with a quarantine for 5-6 days.
The testing procedure along with the 5-6 day quarantine has been named the ‘Double Border-Screening Procedure'. Here is how it works:
Double Border-Screening Procedure
The double border-screening procedure requires all passengers arriving in Iceland to undergo two PCR-tests: one upon arrival and another 5-6 days later to minimize the risk of a false negative causing infection to spread in the community.
During this period, all arriving passengers must stay in quarantine for 5-6 days in case of a possible infection. Those who test negative in the second PCR-test (on day 5-6) are no longer required to take special precautions. Those who test positive must self-isolate.
Children born in 2005 and later are exempt from the double border-screening procedure.
New border-screening measures will take effect in 🇮🇸 on 19 August. All arriving passengers can choose between a 14-day quarantine or a double testing procedure along with a quarantine for 5-6 days. Detailed information from the Directorate of Health 👇https://t.co/hpmq0dwiWv
— MFA Iceland 🇮🇸 (@MFAIceland) August 17, 2020
Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir announced in an official statement:
“Given the uptick in infections worldwide and the widespread effect that a small infection can have on the functioning of our society, the Government has decided to strengthen our border-screening measures to further limit the number of infections entering the country. These measures will be reviewed and revised according to how the situation develops, both domestically and internationally, however, we know that there is no way of eliminating the risk of infection. We are confident that our well-established measures of testing, tracing, and isolating, will continue to serve an important role, along with effective early treatment of all patients.”
Which Countries Can Travel To Iceland?
As of July 15, 2020 residents of the EU/ EEA/ EFTA and Schengen nations, as well as pre-approved third-party nation can visit Iceland (Full country list below, accurate as of August 18)
EU/EFTA/Schengen and Third-Party Nations that can visit Iceland:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Georgia
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Rwanda
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- United Kingdom
- Uruguay
- Vatican City
Reviewed every two weeks
The list of countries exempt from travel restrictions will be reviewed at least every two weeks.
Other exemptions
Immediate family, spouses, and other exceptions MAY be made by the Icelandic government for entry. All family/relationship exceptions can be found here
Is entry into Iceland based on nationality, residency, or location?
Both residency and location. Iceland will only accept the above list of passengers traveling from an approved country and also being a resident of one of the approved countries. Residency can be proved with documents like a drivers licence, residence permit, work permit, etc.
What else to know before you travel to Iceland:
In addition to knowing about the testing done upon arrival, eager tourists should know there are some things they need to complete BEFORE boarding their plane.
The PRE-Registration Form
Passengers are required to fill out this pre-registration form before departure to Iceland, which requires passengers to provide their personal details and contact information, flight information, travel dates and address during their stay in Iceland. The form also includes a declaration of health and passengers are required to provide information on countries they have visited before arrival, whether they have any symptoms or have had contact with anyone who has.
“When travelers return to Iceland we want to have all mechanisms in place to safeguard them and the progress made in controlling the pandemic,” said Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir, minister of Tourism, Industry and Innovation, as per Lonely Planet.
“Iceland's strategy of large-scale testing, tracing, and isolating have proven effective so far. We want to build on that experience of creating a safe place for those who want a change of scenery after what has been a tough spring for all of us.”
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Disclaimer: Iceland’s reopening news is ever-changing and being updated constantly. We do our best to keep this article up to date with all the latest information, but the decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling.