You live in the United States. You’re vaccinated (but your younger kids are probably not!) And you want to visit Iceland. Do you need a Covid test before you leave? While you’re there? Is your CDC card enough proof of vaccination? Will your children have to quarantine?
Final update June 10, 2022: No more Covid restrictions for visiting Iceland!
Here’s the update we’ve all been waiting for. As of June 12, 2022, you no longer need a Covid test to return to the US. Iceland also no longer has any restrictions. That means you don’t need to do ANYHTING Covid-wise to visit Iceland. No tests before or after your trip, no proof of vaccination, nothing. Any other information (including lots of stuff below) is now outdated!
Major update February 24, 2022: Iceland is removing all Covid restrictions effective on February 25, 2022!
Here’s an article about it. That means that arriving in Iceland will be just like it was before Covid was a thing. You won’t have to present a negative Covid test, or proof of vaccination or anything else. (Don’t forget to still bring your passport!)
Iceland COVID-19 and Tourism, UPDATED June 10, 2022
Can I visit Iceland? Will I have to take a COVID-19 test? Will I have to quarantine? Do I need to be vaccinated? Can I visit Iceland from the United States or Canada? So many things are changing with Coronavirus in Iceland, but here is the latest and greatest information.
Major update February 24, 2022: Iceland is removing all Covid restrictions effective on February 25, 2022!
Here’s an article about it. That means that arriving in Iceland will be just like it was before Covid was a thing. You won’t have to present a negative Covid test, or proof of vaccination or anything else. (Don’t forget to still bring your passport!)
You may still need to present a negative Covid test to go back home. These rules are not from Iceland, but rather from your home country. But as of June 12, 2022, the US no longer requires a Covid test. Travelers from the US do not need to do anything differently because of Covid. No tests, no proof of vaccination, nothing. But check your country’s rules to see if they require a test to return back home.
[Outdated] Rules for vaccinated travelers visiting Iceland
But starting July 27th 2021, you must present a negative Covid test before boarding your flight to Iceland. This applies to all fully vaccinated travelers, but NOT to children.
Bring your vaccination card. You must now be 14 days past your final vaccine dose to be considered fully vaccinated. The most well-known vaccine brand are all acceptable: Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson (which is sometimes also called Janssen.) See the official rules for proof of vaccination here Updated January 2022: Effective February 1st, 2022, your most recent shot must have been in the last 9 months (270 days.) If not, you’ll need to get a booster.
Bring proof of a negative Covid test. This can be a PCR test or a rapid test, but it cannot be self-administered. This is only for adults (travelers born in 2005 or earlier.)
Figure out if your country of residence requires a Covid test to return home. The Unites States does require this; see our post about Covid rules in Iceland for United States residents for the details.
You not need to test at the border. You don’t need to quarantine. You do currently need to wear a mask in places where social distancing can’t be maintained. (You will still need a mask on the airplane if you’re coming from some countries, including the United States.)
Your unvaccinated children are allowed to travel with you. As long as the parents they are with are all fully vaccinated, children get the same treatment as those vaccinated parents. Actually, even better, since children don’t need to show a negative Covid test upon arrvival. But this only applies for kids born in 2005 or more recently. If you have a 16-year-old born in 2006, they will need to be fully vaccinated!
[Outdated] Rules for unvaccinated travelers visiting Iceland
The rules are much stricter if you are not fully vaccinated. Many unvaccinated travelers from outside of Europe are simply not allowed to enter Iceland at all! You’ll need to look over this very confusing document to figure out if you have an exemption. As of June 24th, 2021, being a resident of the United States now qualifies as an exemption. Canada is also now on the approved list.
Even if you have an exemption, you’ll still need to follow the rules here. That means you need to:
Pre-resigter as above
Present a negative PCR test upon arrival. (Not a rapid test!)
Get tested at the border. I assume this still happens at the airport, but I don’t know. Most travelers won’t be tested at the airport as of July 1st.
Things are changing quickly for tourists visiting Iceland in the age of Covid. Finally, as of early April, it seems like we have a clear set of rules for vaccinated travelers looking to visit Iceland.
The new rules for vaccinated Iceland tourists in April 2021 say:
Vaccinated individuals visiting Iceland must have a Covid test at the border. You must wait for the results at your first night’s lodging. So you can pick up a car (or take the Flybus), head to your hotel or apartment … and then wait for the results to be sent to your phone.
Those unvaccinated children must be born in 2005 or later. Older children MUST be vaccinated; the Pfizer vaccine is approved for anyone 16 and older in the United States.
I strongly recommend you bring a birth certificate with you for any unvaccinated children. A second set of rules that applies to travelers from the United States says: “Relatives are permitted to travel to Iceland with their children (considered minors) who have not reached the age of 18 on arrival to Iceland. The condition is set that the relative and the child are travelling together and can provide proof of familial relationship.”
The below information is now outdated before it ever took effect!
On March 17, 2021, Iceland announced the biggest change in tourism rules since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Starting March 18th [UPDATE: Delayed until April 1st], If you are vaccinated, you are allowed to visit Iceland with no quarantine rules! Here’s the summary from Visit Iceland:
From 18 March [now April 1st], everyone who can provide proof of a certified vaccination will be allowed to travel to Iceland without being subject to PCR testing and quarantine.
Visitors who can provide valid evidence of prior infection are also exempt from border measures.
This exemption will apply to citizens outside the Schengen area, including the UK and USA.
Everything below this point is likely outdated information!
The 2 [old] criteria for visiting Iceland
This confuses a lot of people, because you have [had] to go to 2 different sources to understand both criteria. But it’s fairly simple, once you know where to look:
You have to be a resident of country that Iceland is allowing visitors from
You have to either get tested in Iceland (twice) or bring proof that you have COVID-19 antibodies
Let’s look at each of these. [Again, this is outdated information!]
You have to be a resident of country that Iceland is allowing visitors from
The latest list can be found here. As of December 20th, 2020, the list of countries that you can visit from are:
Iceland (duh)
Any country in the European Union
Liechtenstein (since it’s in the EEA)
Norway (since it’s in the EEA)
Switzerland (since it’s in the EFTA)
Australia
Japan
New Zealand
Rwanda
Singapore
South Korea
Thailand
You have to either get tested in Iceland (twice) or bring proof that you have COVID-19 antibodies
There are two options here that exempt you from testing in Iceland:
Bring proof of COVID-19 antibodies with you. This is NOT a negative COVID-19 test. This is only for people who have either already had Covid-19 (and can prove it) or who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 (and can prove it.)The way to prove you have already had Covid-19 is with a PCR antibody test conducted in an EU or EFTA state (a country in one of the first 5 lines listed above.) Here is information on which certificates will be accepted.
Bring proof you’ve had a COVID-19 vaccination. Here you need an international vaccine certificate. See the details of what’s accepted here.
If you don’t qualify for one of those 2 exemptions, then you need to do the following once you arrive in Iceland:
No.You need to meet both of these criteria separately. You cannot travel from the United States to Iceland, even if you have been vaccinated. You will be turned away at the border.
When will these rules change?
We are expecting more countries to be added on May 1st. The Iceland tourism folks say: “On May 1 cautious steps will be taken to ease restrictions at the boarders, based on the epidemiological situation at the passenger’s point of departure.”
In other words, if your country is not currently on the list, but your country gets its Covid-19 act together before May 1st, you may be able to visit Iceland over the summer.
Everything below this point is old news, and is likely outdated. Read past this point at your own risk!
Iceland began re-opening to tourists on June 15th. Many people are asking us really good questions about exactly how the process will work. I haven’t seen good answers all in one place, so this is my attempt to create such a place. Ask us more questions in the comments and we can add answers!
Last update: August 14, 2020.
Iceland re-opened on June 15th
Actually, you were able to visit before June 15th … but you needed to immediately quarantine for 14 days. Not the best choice for a 7 day vacation! Beginning on June 15th, you now have 3 options:
1. Be exempt from testing:
1a: Present proof of a recent negative Covid-19 test EDIT: at first this will NOT be an option. The new document says: “At this time, the Icelandic health authorities cannot accept proof of test results.”
1b: Present older proof of a positive Covid-19 infection. EDIT: at first this will also NOT be an option, unless you were tested in Iceland: “Those with a previously confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in Iceland are exempt from quarantine upon their return from travel abroad.”
1c: Be a child born in the year 2005 or later. Children are exempt from testing.
Option 1a for visiting Iceland: Prove you don’t have Covid-19
THIS IS NOT CURRENTLY AN OPTION! See below for how it will work once it is up and running.
If you bring proof with you of a recent negative Covid-19 test, you won’t need to take a test at the airport. Here’s the (translated) language from the order:
“I believe that if individuals can submit an official certificate from their home country of the negative result of a PCR test no older than 4 days old then they should be exempted from further restrictions on arrival here.”
Remember, the language here is the Epidemiologist’s proposal, but it has been accepted by the Health Minister. So you can remove the “I believe” part, and read this as “Individuals can submit an official certificate …”
The test needs to be from the last 4 days, so you’d need to schedule a test for right before your trip. Remember that your overnight flight will use up one of those 4 days! As for what PCR is , this should be the most common type of Covid-19 test. I don’t know if there are any other kinds, but it might be a good idea to check before you are tested at home. “PCR is a well-used tool in the laboratory and medical testing.”
Option 1b for visiting Iceland: Prove you have already had Covid-19
THIS IS NOT CURRENTLY AN OPTION! Unless you tested positive in Iceland. See below for how it will work once it is up and running.
This may not apply to very many people yet. But if you’ve already had Covid-19 and you can prove it, that’s also sufficient to avoid testing when you arrive in Iceland. Here’s the language:
I believe tourists should be given the option of presenting a certificate of prior illness, due to COVID-19, which would exempt them from further restrictions at Icelandic borders. The illness would have to have been confirmed with a PCR test, and the diagnosis would have to have been made at least 14 days prior to arrival. Such certificates would have to be presented upon arrival in the country, stamped and certified by appropriate parties.
You cannot show an antibody test to prove prior exposure:
However, Þórólfur warns that antibody tests are not as reliable as other forms of testing, so may not be allowed as evidence that a traveller has recovered from the virus.
Option 2 for visiting Iceland: Take a Covid-19 test at the Keflavik airport.
Starting on June 15th, if you don’t choose option 1a or 1b above, most of you will have to take a Covid-19 test at the airport. Unless you want to quarantine for 14 days. Here’s the topic header in the document:
PCR assay [test] for anyone who comes to this country and is unable to present a recent PCR assay, is unable to demonstrate a residual COVID-19 infection and will not quarantine.
Here are answers to the most frequent questions about this option:
Are any countries exempt from the Covid-19 testing?
The report of the working group also asserts that test results can be delivered in approximately 5 hours from testing during the day, while the results of tests performed outside of office hours will be ready the following day
And language in the latest document is similar: “Passengers can expect to receive their test results within 24 hours, usually on the same day, or the following day for those arriving later than 5 PM.”
Do I have to stay in the airport until I get my test results back?
No. “Passengers do not need to self-quarantine until they receive their test results, but should take preventive measures to protect themselves and others from infection. Passengers will receive their test results through the app (Rakning C-19), or through text message. Passengers who test positive will receive a phone call notifying them. To ensure they receive their test results, all passengers are required to provide reliable contact information on their pre-registration forms.”
In other words, if you think you might have COVID-19, but you can’t get tested, come to Iceland and we’ll test you for free. But hurry! This offer only lasts two weeks.
Beginning July 1st, you will have to pay for the coronavirus test. Speculation was that the cost could be up to 50000 ISK per test, which is $345 US (€320.) That’s per person! But the actual cost is just 11000 ISK, or around $80US. And if you pay in advance, it’s only 9000 ISK ($66 US.) Given that children born in 2005 or later do not need to be tested, testing will cost much less than we feared.
Do children need to be tested?
The Icelandic Tourism Board says: “Children will be exempt from testing” and the new document confirms this: “Children born in 2005 or later are exempt from these measures.”
Do I need a second test?
New in August: If you stay longer than 10 days, you need a second test. If you are staying longer than 10 days, make sure you download the Iceland Covid-19 app. You’ll receive instructions there about getting you second test. There are options for taking that second test in several cities throughout Iceland.
They were only able to get to 2000 tests per day with the help of deCODE Genetics, a private company. For a while they stopped helping with the testing, which meant capacity went down to only at about 500 samples per day.
In order to alleviate the pressure on the hospital’s virology department, deCODE will resume analysis of samples taken at the border just weeks after the company withdrew from the project following a political row.
deCODE has offered its assistance to the virology department until they can improve their testing capacity.
What happens if more than 500 (or 2000) tourists from-high risk countries arrive in a day?
We don’t know. But the quote above implies they will work to make sure fewer than 2000 people arrive each day. That may involve last-minute flight cancellations. Or, more countries may be removed from the high-risk list, which would mean fewer visitors would need to be tested.
If a passenger tests positive, they may be offered to undergo further tests to determine whether or not they have an active infection. In the case of an active infection, the passenger must self-isolate.
It sounds likely that you will be forced to quarantine in Iceland for 14 days.
What does quarantine look like?
“Foreign nationals who are required to self-isolate and do not have access to a suitable location where they can isolate will be given accommodation at a specialised isolation centre at no cost to them. Infected individuals must provide information to the contact tracing team on who they have come in close contact with during two days prior to the onset of their symptoms. Further information on isolation requirements can be found here.
What happens if the person next to me on the airplane tests positive, but I test negative?
I fear you’ll be at the mercy of Icelandic authorities:
“The contact tracing team interviews those who have been in close contact with a confirmed active case during two days prior to the onset of symptoms, e.g. been within 2 meters of an individual for more than 15 minutes, or those who have sat close to an infected individual on an airplane (usually within two seat-row radius). They might be required to self-quarantine for two weeks from the time of last contact. A negative test result does not guarantee that an individual will not later be required to self-quarantine if they have been exposed to infection, e.g. on the flight to Iceland.”
So you may very likely have to quarantine as well.
Can tourists from any country visit Iceland?
Not yet. Iceland was willing to let everyone in starting June 15th:
“The Government has today announced that all passengers arriving in Iceland from 15 June can choose to be tested for COVID-19 (free of charge for an initial two-week period) or quarantine for two weeks.”
Please note that Iceland will continue to implement the travel restrictions imposed for the Schengen Area, which are currently due to remain in place until 15 June 2020. These restrictions may be extended until 1 July, but this remains to be decided by Schengen member states. While these restrictions are in place, foreign nationals, other than EU/EEA, EFTA or UK nationals, are generally not allowed to enter Iceland.
Minister of Justice Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir expressed wishes to open Iceland’s borders entirely on July 1st, regardless of whether other countries in the Schengen region do the same. “I’ve sent a letter to the directorship of the EU, to determine the process we could take given our special position as an island, that we could maintain surveillance for the Schengen Area even though we let people in, and that’s what we’re aiming for,” She told RÚV.
Residents of any EU country
Andorra
Australia
Japan
Monaco
New Zealand
Rwanda
San Marino
Singapore
South Korea
Thailand
The Vatican
Uruguay
Note that several countries were removed from the list in November from July, including Canada. The United States was never on the list.
The Icelandic government says: “The list of countries exempt from travel restrictions will be reviewed at least every two weeks.”
Iceland’s new Covid-19 form
“Passengers are required to fill out a pre-registration form (on www.covid.is)before arrival, which requires passengers to provide their personal details and contact information, flight information, travel dates and address(es)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 of COVID-19, whether they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 before their arrival,or if they have been in close contact with an infected individual. ”
Iceland’s Covid-19 contract tracing app
If you visit Iceland before June 15th, you needed to quarantine for 14 days. You also needed to download an app on your phone that tracks location data. (You can read more about the app on that link; it sounds like location data is never shared with authorities unless needed.)
Tourists are “encouraged” but not required to download the app. I think you should if you will have a cell phone with data in Iceland. You will get your test results via the app if you have it. (Read about getting your cell phone working in Iceland. You will need to have a access to a phone to receive your rest results.)
We discussed this more in our monthly Iceland update. If you visit Iceland, you’re taking the risk that you test positive and end up in quarantine. Or that you are on a plane with someone who tests positive … and you may also end up in quarantine. If you simply cannot afford to get stuck in Iceland for 2 weeks, I wouldn’t go.
If you’re willing to take those risks, Iceland should be less crowded, cheaper, and almost completely Coronavirus free. Make sure your health insurance will cover you while you’re in Iceland, and have a great trip!
We’ve said this before, and we’ll say this again: Iceland has done an incredible job of handling the coronavirus. Here’s a graph of the number of new Covid-19 infections by day in Iceland:
There are almost no new cases in Iceland: They are finding about 1 new case every other day. That’s data from Iceland’s Covid19 web site. With coronavirus basically eliminated from Iceland, they are getting ready to re-open to tourists. But that presents a new risk. There are over 100,000 new cases of Covid-19 diagnosed across the world every day. An influx of infected tourists could lead to a second outbreak in Iceland. Let’s look more closely at what’s happening in Iceland right now.
Iceland is slowly re-opening, without tourists
Because there is no longer community spread if Covid-19 in Iceland, life in Iceland is starting to return to normal, except for the lack of tourists. I love this headline:
You can still quarantine for 2 weeks. But who’s going to choose that?!
You can be tested for Covid-19 when you arrive at the airport, and also download a contact tracing app on your phone. More on this option in a minute.
You can bring proof of a negative Covid-19 test with you. There are very few details about what type of proof will be required, and how recent the test has to be.
Þórólfur’s proposal indicates that travellers who can show proof that they have tested negative for COVID-19 up to four days before travelling will be exempt from quarantine. However, Þórólfur warns that antibody tests are not as reliable as other forms of testing, so may not be allowed as evidence that a traveller has recovered from the virus.
In other words, if you think you might have COVID-19, but you can’t get tested, come to Iceland and we’ll test you for free. But hurry! This offer only lasts two weeks.
After June 30th, you will have to pay for the coronavirus test. It costs 50000 ISK per test, which is $345 US (€320.) That’s per person! The price will hopefully come down as they do more tests. At the beginning, they will only be able to handle 1,000 tests per day (at most.)
Update June 3, 2020: It sounds likely that if you test positive, you’ll be forced to quarantine in Iceland for 14 days! See this comment on Reddit were I try to translate the document that outlines the process. Here’s the relevant section of the order, translated by Google:
“It is also important to note that, in most cases, the travelers identified here with the virus need to stay here for at least an isolation period of at least 14 days and travelers who may have been exposed / infected need to stay here in quarantine for up to 14 days.”
I worry that if anyone on your airplane into Iceland tests positive, you might be forced to quarantine for a least a few days, and up to 14 days!!!
Icelandair worries, and Play’s Persistent Plans
If you plan to head to Iceland soon, Icelandair is the most likely airline to get you there. Icelandair hasn’t been making much money recently; no airline has. And now there are concerns that they could go out of business:
Icelandair comprises the lion’s share of flights to and from Iceland. Since last March, however, they have had to drastically cut back the destinations they fly from. They’ve laid off about 95% of their crew, and the remaining flight attendants are fighting for higher wages. The company is, in fact, on the brink of bankruptcy.
Discount Icelandic carrier Wow Air went out of business last year. A new airline, Play is trying to emerge from Wow’s ashes. But they’ve been trying for a while, and still haven’t flown any flights. Play’s web site still says they will start selling tickets “soon” but they’ve been using the word soon for more than 6 months. Here’s an old screenshot from last fall:
There is talk that Play could swoop in and take over as the main national carrier from Icelandair. But Play hopes to have just a single plane flying, and not until this fall. So that doesn’t seem like a likely transition right now, unless they take over operations from Icelandair.
The good news is that Icelandair is still flying, and flights aren’t overly expensive, though prices are creeping up. Still, prices are at the lower end of the typical range, and you can find nonstop flights for under $600 from the United States. Here’s a flight from Chicago (ORD) in August:
Tourism Costs Within Iceland are Falling
If you can get to Iceland, costs should be lower this summer compared to the last few years. First, the Icelandic currency is worth about 10% less than it was a year ago, though the gap is closing. That means your money buys more Icelandic Krona. Here’s how many Icelandic Krona 1 US dollar buys you:
Also, many hotels are offering discounts; 25% off for the summer seems typical. (Here’s an example at Íslandshótels which has 17 hotels in Iceland.)
And tour companies are starting to offer discounts as well. For example, Láki Tours is offering free whale watching trips for anyone 15 and under:
Should you Visit Iceland this Summer?
Should you visit? That’s a tough question. I don’t think it’s as simple as deciding to go on vacation for a week. There’s a real chance that could get stuck in Iceland for a little while. Not a huge chance, but a bigger chance than you would think with most vacations. You could test positive for coronavirus, and be forced to quarantine for 2 weeks. In Iceland! Or you could come into contact with someone who tests positive, either in Iceland or on the airplane. We don’t yet know what needs to happen after that.
And, Icelandair could stop flying. I don’t think this is likely, but I also didn’t think Wow Air would go out of business! When Wow shut down last year, there was no warning, and travelers scrambled to find flights home.
Also, if you don’t get to Iceland in June, the Covid-19 testing will cost hundreds of dollars, or thousands of dollars for a family. That negates any of the cost savings I cited above.
And if you’re in a country that has community spread of Covid-19, traveling to Iceland introduces a whole new set of risks. You’re in close quarters with a lot of other people in line for security, and at the gate, and in the airplane.
On the other hand, it’s likely that Iceland is safer than your home country. Iceland runs more tests than just about any other country, and the way they’ve handled the outbreak has won praise around the world. You’d get to experience a less-crowded and still-amazing country with little risk of contracting Covid-19 while you were in Iceland.
When we published our last Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Iceland post in mid-March, the situation was so bad that things were pretty clear. Travel bans were piling up, and you shouldn’t visit Iceland, even if you were allowed to. Within a few weeks, no one was allowed to visit anyway.
It seems the world is slowly reopening. Now, in mid-May 2020, we’ll ask the question again. Should you visit Iceland once you’re allowed to? And when will you be allowed to?
Edit: Soon after I published this post, Iceland announced a plan to allow visitors after June 15th. This would involve testing nearly all travelers at the airport upon arrival, a possibility I quickly dismissed below. I’ll add updates as they happen.
Update May 18, 2020: Here are more details about how visiting Iceland will work this summer:
– Starting June 15th, you can visit Iceland (if you can get there!) You will be tested for Covid-19 at the airport, and you should receive results the same day.
– The test will be free for the first 2 weeks. But starting in July, you must pay for the test. It costs 50000 ISK per test, which is $345 US (€320.) That’s per person!
The only way to avoid the test and the fee is to bring your own test with you, proving you tested negative for Covid-19. don’t know how recent the test needs to be.
“In other words, if you think you might have COVID-19, but you can’t get tested, come to Iceland and we’ll test you for free. But hurry! This offer only lasts two weeks.”
Iceland has done a world-class job handling coronavirus
I don’t think that there is any argument here: Iceland has done an incredible job handling the pandemic. Perhaps the best out of any country in the world. Here’s some evidence. First, Iceland has almost completely stopped the spread of Coronavirus. Take a look at this chart from Iceland’s Coronavirus web site (click that link for the updated data):
The blue bars are active Coronavirus cases. There are 18 active cases, and only 2 new cases in the last week. Iceland ran 3,789 tests between May 3 and May 9, and found 2 new cases. That’s a clear sign that there is almost no spread of the Coronavirus in Iceland.
Iceland has been a world leader in mitigating the threat from COVID-19, the unique and potentially lethal disease caused by the novel coronavirus that’s causing a global pandemic. It’s nearly quashed the virus within its shores thanks to a robust regimen of testing, contact-tracing and isolation, as well as genetic sequencing of the virus.
On a per-capita basis, no country has done more testing.
Iceland, under the leadership of Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, is offering free coronavirus testing to all its citizens, and will become a key case study in the true spread and fatality rates of COVID-19. Most countries have limited testing to people with active symptoms. Iceland is going whole hog. In proportion to its population the country has already screened five times as many people as South Korea has, and instituted a thorough tracking system that means they haven’t had to lock down or shut schools.
Stefánsson told Meg Tirrell during an interview on CNBC that what is different about Iceland’s response to COVID-19 is both that they started screening very early and that they are testing the general population in addition to people at high risk. It is the combination, he asserts, of broad-based screening, vigorous tracking of contacts of the infected, followed by isolation of the infected and quarantining of their contacts that seems to have “brought this epidemic under some sort of control.”
[V]arious ways of reopening Iceland to tourism are being discussed by members of the Icelandic government and officials and specialists in the health care sector. One of the options under discussion is whether traveling should be allowed on certain conditions. There is great emphasis on ensuring that there won’t be a setback in the fight against COVID-19.
Is it possible that Iceland will re-open to tourists after May 15th? Probably not. In the article above, the Foreign Minister is asked whether an August re-opening is possible, and he says he doesn’t know. So May 15th seems unlikely.
Iceland probably won’t re-open yet, but some people may be able to visit in the fall
Late summer seems like a plausible guess to me. I don’t think Iceland will re-open unless there is an extremely low probability that a visitor has coronavirus. Otherwise, they would need to have rigorous testing in place, which could mean testing every single person entering through Keflavik Airport. Iceland has the means to do this, but this may not work logistically. If one person on a flight tests positive, does the entire plane load of people get sent back home? Or quarantined for 14 days? Who’s going to visit Iceland with that risk?
“Our attention focuses mainly on tourists who have booked trips to Iceland in late August and this fall and haven’t canceled yet.”
Sadly, I’m not sure if the United States will be one of those low-risk countries. I took a look at new COVID-10 cases for the countries that send the most tourists to Iceland. I took the country list from the Icelandic Tourism Board. Here is a chart of the number of new cases of COVID-19 per million people for May 11th:
The UK and the USA have the third and fourth highest rates of new infections. And the article above talks about the possibility that “travel to Nordic countries might be allowed in August.” Sweden is higher than the other Nordic countries, but Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, and Finland are all much much lower than the US and the UK.
Summary: When will Iceland re-open?
This is pure speculation right now. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Iceland re-opens in late August or early September … but not to visitors from the United States or the UK.
If coronavirus cases start to increase again in the fall and winter, visitors from the US and UK might not be welcome in Iceland until spring or summer 2021.
If you have a vacation planned to Iceland in the next month or two, should you still go? Will Iceland let you in? Will they let you out? Will you be able to return home?
(This post is mostly focused on travelers from the United States, though the advice would be similar for people from other countries!)
Iceland has coronavirus cases, like almost every other country
First, let’s look at where Iceland is with the outbreak. As of today (March 15, 2020) Iceland has 161 cases of Coronavirus. That’s a big number for a country of about 365,000 people. The rate of coronavirus in Iceland infection is 44 per 100,000 people. If the United States had that rate of infection, there would be nearly 145,000 cases.
The United States “only” has about 3,000 cases identified right now. At first glance it sounds like Iceland is in much worse shape. But I don’t really think that’s true. The US might actually have 145,000 cases. Or more: An official in Ohio estimates that there could be 100,000 cases there.
In related news, chief epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason announced yesterday that the possibility is being explored of having tourists visiting Iceland go into an immediate 2-week quarantine. This measure is already required of Icelanders returning home from abroad.
Jóhannes Þór Skúlason, the managing director of the Icelandic Tourist Board, expressed misgivings at the idea telling reporters that this would effectively make the country as good as closed, as no one visits Iceland just to go straight into quarantine.
Here is what I wrote in March, which is still technically true for visitors from the EU region.
—
On the one hand, Iceland has been very clear that they are welcoming tourists. I would argue that they are bending over backwards to welcome tourists; hopefully infected tourists aren’t increasing coronavirus cases in the country.
Airlines are cancelling flights at a rapid pace. The new United States travel ban includes Iceland, which means that only US Citizens are allowed to fly from Iceland to the United States. So Icelandair and other airlines can still fly from Iceland to the US, but those planes are going to have many fewer people on them. Icelandair has cut its US service down to only 4 cities: New York, Seattle, Chicago, and Washington DC.
Airports around the country were thrown into chaos Saturday night as workers scrambled to roll out the Trump administration’s hastily arranged health screenings for travelers returning from Europe.
It sounds awful, at least right now:
This is the scene at O’Hare airport. The traveler who took the photo said it’s a 6-hour wait for bags then on to customs for 2-4 more of waiting in shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Police are handing out water and disinfectant wipes. @fly2ohare#ord#coronavirus#COVID19pic.twitter.com/UTx9E0nj1s
— Brooke Geiger McDonald (@BrookeGMcDonald) March 15, 2020
The decision was made to impose this ban now, since some cases of the virus can no longer be traced, and the number of cases keeps rising. The main purpose of the ban is to protect groups that are at risk, due to underlying conditions or old age, and to reduce the load on our healthcare system to make sure it has the capacity to attend to those who need care.
I don’t think you should visit Iceland right now
I feel bad saying this, since Iceland relies on tourism dollars to support its economy. (And, selfishly, I’d love for you to buy my book!)
But you shouldn’t travel to Iceland right now. (You probably shouldn’t travel anywhere right now!) If you already have a trip planned, you should be able to change your flight date: Icelandair is temporarily waiving change fees. Of course, they may have already cancelled your flight!
Let me know (comment below or e-mail) if you’ve canceled your trip, or if you’re still planning to visit Iceland!
Hi everyone! Spring is getting here slowly, but you wouldn’t know it from the recent weather! Let’s dive in to what’s new in Iceland.
NOTE as of April 2021: This is a post from March of 2020, the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Look how quaint the map is, with 88 total Covid cases in the United States and 3 total in Iceland! Feel free to read to get a historical overview as of this point in time. Or, check out our more recent coverage of rules for visiting Iceland in 2021, and even Iceland’s newest volcano! Also a quick plug: We’ll help you plan your vacation to Iceland! Back to our March 2020 article. Enjoy!
(Edit: Here’s the latest information from March 3rd: 9 cases in Iceland now. Er, make that 11. Now 16. 34) So what does that mean? Well, I have no idea. On the one hand, Iceland is a small country, and as an island they can easily control people coming in and out. This time of year I think the only ways in and out of the country are the big international airport, and a weekly ferry from the Faroe Islands. (Late spring brings flights from Greenland into the Reykjavik City airport, and lots of cruise ships docking at Akureyri, Seyðisfjörður and other ports.) And Iceland is pretty good at tracking where people are. (Did you know that Iceland has a new location-based text messaging system in place for emergency situations?)
On the other hand, this may be a virus that we can’t really stop without extreme measures. We take it as a given that we can’t prevent the flu every season– we can only slow it down or make the symptoms less severe.
Here’s a scary Iceland headline: “Closing the Country Still and Option.” But that’s from a study group, not the Icelandic government. It’s possible Iceland will limit visitors from countries with high levels of coronavirus, as the United States and other countries have done. If that happens, I imagine it will happen in the next few weeks. I don’t think your summer 2020 trip is at risk (and might be less expensive!), but I don’t know much more than you do!
Keep an eye on Icelandic news sites like Iceland Monitor for the latest information.
A winter of many storms
Coronavirus has taken over the headlines in Iceland, but for months it was nothing but winter weather. A series of severe winter storms pounded Iceland, creating many stuck travelers and many cancelled flights. Here’s my non-comprehensive summary, starting from late December. Nearly all of the articles cited below are from the Reykjavik Grapevine newspaper.
January 8, 2020: I can’t even tell what happened here. I think the same storm headed north (and got worse), but then there was a new warning for a new storm the next day, on January 9th? Here’s the story from the 9th: More stormy weather on the horizon.
The trouble started around 5pm on Thursday, when police in South Iceland were notified that a car had gotten stuck in the snow on the bridge over Jökulsá á Sólheimasandi glacial river, blocking all other traffic. By the time police arrived, many other vehicles had queued on either side of the bridge while heavy snow continued to fall. In the end, ICE-SAR had to transport passengers from 45 vehicles to temporary overnight accommodations, either at a hotel in Skógar or a shelter that the Red Cross opened in Heimaland.
That’s a lot of storms! Does that mean you should never plan a winter trip to Iceland? Not at all. While that is a long list of storms, 14 storms in 70 days still leaves a large number of days where you can travel just fine. (Still always make sure to check road.is, safetravel.is, and en.vedur.is every day!)
My biggest takeaway is this:
When in Iceland, you have to be willing to change your plans!
You probably have lodging booked, and you may have a tour booked as well. If there’s a yellow alert in the area where you plan to be, I would cancel. Even if it means losing some money. (Hopefully the company would be willing to work with you.)
There’s currently a debate in Iceland about whether companies should cancel tours when a yellow alert is issued. “A yellow weather alert does not automatically mean that organized trips in Iceland must be canceled, according to Jóhannes Þór Skúlason, CEO of SAF, the Icelandic Travel Industry Association.”
That’s fine … but I’m not showing up!
If you’re in Iceland during the winter, be careful, go slow, and be ready to change your plans.
New (but very old) caves to explore
It isn’t all coronavirus and winter storms in Iceland. You can now take a guided tour of some ancient, man-made caves. Complete with wall carvings and carved seats! And it looks amazing:
These caves could have been constructed 1,000 years ago … or even longer ago! The Grapevine says: “The caves feature drawings and carvings on the walls as well as carved seats. Many have wondered if they are the handiwork of the Celts, or whether the caves were a place of worship. Currently a restoration project is underway, supervised by the Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland. The goal of the restoration is to eventually open more of the caves to the public, and all income generated from those that are currently open will go to this end.”
A new restaurant in Reykjavik and a reclaimed Michelin Star
There are two new restaurants in Reykjavik. First is Flame, which opened at the very end of January. It looks like an upscale Japanese steakhouse, with chefs cooking on expansive grills right in front of you:
It’s a pricey place, but there’s is at least a nice kid’s menu that could help to lower the cost a bit.
For exactly a year, Iceland had no restaurant with a Michelin star. Dill Restaurant earned a star in 2017, and then lost it in 2019. Now in 2020, Dill reclaimed that star! It’s fun for me to follow the gain and loss of a star, but for the chef involved there’s a whole lot of fretting and stress:
When Dill lost its Michelin star last year, Gunnar Karl was living in New York. He decided to return home to Iceland and work to regain the star, whatever the cost.
Both of the above articles have stock photos of snakes, just in case you’re not a big fan of snakes. With or without snakes, we like the Reykjavik Zoo and Family Park. It’s not very expensive, and there are lots of other things to see nearby (if you can get out to this part of town.)
We published a new edition of Iceland With Kids!
One last piece of “news”: We published the second edition of our travel guide book in February. You can buy the book on Amazon. Or follow us on Facebook or Instagram to see some of the new places we cover in the new edition!
Looking for more help with your trip? Itinerary planning, or maybe even a personal tour guide? We’re considering offering new services for Iceland travelers. E-mail us if you’re interested; since we’re just getting started, it will be cheaper than you think!
