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Iceland Covid-19 Regulations

February 08, 2021 | Shauna Cook

Iceland COVID-19 Regulations – info updated 08 February, 2022

ALL Visitors entering Iceland MUST register at http://visit.covid.is/ 72 hours prior to arrival in Iceland. It cannot be filled out and sent until 72 hours prior to your arrival in the country.

Requirements for entry to Iceland from Canada and the United States:
No testing or quarantining are required on arrival in Iceland if you can provide proof of being fully vaccinated and present a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of your flight.

These regulations apply to passengers who are fully vaccinated and can provide proof with a vaccination certificate. Fully vaccinated means 2 doses of an approved vaccine (mixed doses of approved 2-dose vaccines are accepted) or a single dose of Johnson and Johnson/Jansen, plus a 14-day waiting period from the date of the final dose. A vaccination certificate is only valid if no more than 270 days have elapsed from the completion of primary vaccination. Primary vaccination is considered complete after two doses of vaccine or after one Janssen injection. A booster dose cancels this expiration date.

 

ALL Visitors entering Iceland must present a negative COVID-19 test result, no older than 72 hours. PCR or Rapid Antigen tests are acceptable. If taking a connecting flight, the 72 starts from the time you board your first flight.

Must provide proof of vaccination with a vaccine authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), or the World Health Organization (WHO). Accepted vaccines as of July 1st, 2021:
– Tozinameran-COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (Comirnaty®; BNT162b2) Pfizer/BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH.
– COVID-19 Vaccine (Vaxzevria®; ChAdOx1-S) AstraZeneca AB.
– COVID-19 Vaccine (ChAdOx1-S) AstraZeneca/SK Bio (SK Bioscience Co. Ltd).
– COVID-19 (ChAdOx1-S) Vaccine AstraZeneca (Covishield™ Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd).

– COVID-19 Vaccine (Ad26.COV2-S) Janssen-Cilag International NV.
– COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna (mRNA-1273), Moderna Therapeutics.
– SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine BIBP (Vero Cell) (Sinopharm/Bejing Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd.)

 

Certificates may be in paper or electronic format. Border control will evaluate whether a certificate is valid and will consult a representative of the Chief Epidemiologist (health care worker) as needed. The final decision of whether a certificate is valid is at the discretion of the Chief Epidemiologist. If a passenger presents a document that is deemed invalid, ie. if any of the necessary requirements are missing, the passenger must, as other arrival passengers, undergo double testing with quarantine between tests and stay in a designated quarantine facility if applicable.

 

A vaccine certificate is required to include the following:
– Be in Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, English, or French. A document in another language can be valid if the original document accompanied by a certified stamped translation in one of the languages required.
– First name and last name (as in travel documents).
– Date of birth (or national ID).
– Name of disease vaccinated against (COVID-19).
– Where vaccination(s) was/were performed (country or city).
– Date(s) of vaccination(s).
o Vaccination must be complete.
– Issuer of the certificate (supervising clinician/administering centre/facility).
o The International Certificate of Vaccination (WHO yellow card) must also have signature and stamp.
– Vaccine or vaccines administered.
– Manufacturer
Please note that although these certificates are accepted at the Icelandic border for exemption of border measures on arrival due to COVID-19, the same does not necessarily apply in general for entry to other countries/territories.

 

Covid Restrictions in Iceland:
Domestic restrictions in Iceland may be applied to include:
– Maximum number for gatherings in the same location is 50 people, with large events having a capacity limit of 500 people (with restrictions)
– 1 metre distance limit must be ensured
– Face masks must be worn whenever the 1 metre social distancing rule cannot be kept between individuals who are not closely linked
– Face masks must be worn in public transit, shops, and other services where ventilation is not sufficient, including, but not limited to tours, transfers, taxis, airplanes and ferries
*Children born in 2016 or later are exempt from wearing face masks in public settings.
Further information be found here: http://covid.is/english and https://www.covid.is/sub-categories/effective-restrictions
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website also contains some useful information and is updated frequently: www.mfa.is

 

Testing in Iceland prior to flights returning to Canada and the United States:
At this time Canada requires ALL passengers to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to departure from Iceland. This test must be a PCR test, Antigen tests are not accepted by Canada.
At the moment the United States requires ALL passengers to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours prior to departure from Iceland. The US accepts both Antigen and PCR tests.

There are two possibilities for booking tests prior to your flight back to North America.
Option #1: On http://travel.covid.is/, which you registered on prior to your arrival in Iceland. There are two locations: Reykjavik and Akureyri. PCR tests (required by Canada) are available, and results take up to 36-48 hours to be delivered to you from time of testing. Rapid Antigen tests (accepted by the US) are available and results may take up to 1 hour to be delivered to you. Please plan accordingly.

When you registered at http://travel.covid.is/ prior to arrival in Iceland, this registration allows you to access information on testing sites, their hours of operation and to book a test. Many labs have limited operating hours, so you will need to have some flexibility. Click on “Order a Test Here” to see the lab locations, choose a date and time that fits best into your itinerary. Remember to still take into account the test is done within 72 hours of your departing flight and that PCR tests can take up to 36-48 hours and Rapid Antigen tests take up to 1 hour). Note: test results are taking longer than they were previously, so it’s best to check updated regulations 3 days prior to your departure from Iceland, in case your test appointment needs to be revised.
After you have booked your test, a barcode will be issued to you with the date/time to present yourself at your selected lab for testing. These barcodes do not expire and can only be used once. If your travel plans change, you can choose another time without needing to register again.
Note: you will need to have a mobile phone that can receive SMS messages in Iceland or an iPad/laptop that you can access emails on in order to retrieve your barcode and test results.

Tests must be booked and paid for in advance at the above website http://travel.covid.is

Option #2: for US entry only
 Öryggismiðstöðin, book at https://www.oryggi.is/is/covid-19. There are two locations in Reykjavik and one just off-site near Keflavik Airport (suitable for those with a rental car). Only Rapid Antigen tests are available (OK for the US, not accepted by Canada). Results are usually available in 25 minutes or less. Please plan accordingly.

Please note: The information provided is subject to change without notice by the government agencies of Iceland, the US and Canada. We cannot be held responsible for any expenses incurred due to changes in testing requirements either before or during your travels.

 

Who can visit Iceland?

Passengers fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or recovered from a previous COVID-19 infection.

Can you visit Iceland? Yes. From April 6, 2021, all travelers – regardless of origin – are welcome to visit Iceland if they can show either:
– certificate of full vaccination against COVID. Read what certificates are accepted on the official Directorate of Health page. (Mixed vaccinations are accepted ie. Astra Zeneca & Pfizer, Astra Zeneca & Moderna, Pfizer & Moderna. As long as the vaccine is listed on the Directorate of Health page as being acceptable.
– certificate of previous COVID infection. Read what certificates are accepted on the official Directorate of Health page.

Please note: Iceland is welcoming vaccinated visitors from outside the Schengen zone, but further travel from Iceland to the rest of Europe and the UK may not currently be permitted for non-Schengen residents.

Do you need a PCR test? As of July 27, 2021 you will once again require a negative antigen or PCR test, taken within 72 hours of your flight departure.

Is there arrival testing and quarantine? No, if you hold an appropriate full vaccination certificate or certificate of recovery from a previous Covid infection and a negative antigen or PCR test, you do not have to undergo any Covid-19 testing upon arrival in Iceland.

Passengers not vaccinated against COVID-19 and not previously infected.

Can you visit Iceland? New restrictions from April 27, 2021: there is a ban on unnecessary travel from high-risk areas. Foreign nationals are unauthorized to travel to Iceland if they are arriving from or have stayed for more than 24 hours in the last 14 days in a high-risk region or country (with some exemptions, for example for citizens and residents of Iceland).

Visitors holding a passport (or valid residency) from low-risk EU/EFTA countries are welcome to visit Iceland, with testing and quarantine regulations to adhere to. There are restrictions for other nationalities, including travelers from the UK, US and Canada.

The list of high-risk countries is regularly reviewed.

See Who can visit Iceland? below for more detailed information.

Do you need a PCR test? Yes. You require a negative PCR test before boarding an aircraft to Iceland, taken within 72 hours of departure. See information under Do I need a negative COVID-19 test to board a flight to Iceland?

Is there arrival testing and quarantine? Yes. Arriving, unvaccinated passengers must present a negative PCR test (see above), be tested on arrival and quarantine until a negative result is received and take another test on day 5 of their trip. This is in addition to any test required to return to their country of residence. People arriving from lower-risk areas are allowed to quarantine at their home or at suitable accommodation if certain requirements are fulfilled; travelers from high-risk countries must stay in a government-run quarantine hotel. See information under Do I need to have a COVID-19 test when I enter Iceland? and Do I need to go into quarantine when I enter Iceland?

Do you need to stay in a quarantine hotel? If you are arriving from a high-risk country it is mandatory to stay in a quarantine facility (without charge). Those who cannot quarantine at home and/or prefer to stay at a quarantine facility may stay there without charge. See information under Do I need to go into quarantine when I enter Iceland?

Further information be found here: http://covid.is/english

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website also contains some useful information and is updated frequently: www.mfa.is

Icelandair’s website also offers easy to understand information:

https://www.icelandair.com/en-ca/blog/iceland-is-open-faq/

https://www.icelandair.com/en-ca/support/pre-flight/covid-19-entry-requirements/

We will discuss the most up to date entry requirements with you, according to your vaccination status, at the time of your inquiry.