Requirement for testing and quarantine after travel:
- Current rules require all travellers arriving in Iceland from risk areas Opnast í nýjum glugga for COVID-19 to present a certificate of a negative PCR-test and undergo screening at the border and again 5 days later and quarantine in between tests. If the second test is negative then quarantine is lifted. Currently, all countries and territories except Greenland are defined as risk areas.
- All arriving travellers need to pre-register at covid.is Opnast í nýjum glugga.
- Children born 2005 and later need to quarantine with their parent/guardian but are exempt from screening. If they are travelling alone, or if parent/guardian has an exemption, they need to undergo testing after 5 days of quarantine after arrival. Children 2 years old and younger are exempt from testing but not from quarantine. Children are exempt from presenting a certficate of a negative PCR-test.
- See details at covid.is Opnast í nýjum glugga.
Certificates accepted at the border for exemption of presenting a negative PCR-test, screening and quarantine:
- Confirmation of vaccination against COVID-19: See requirements here Opnast í nýjum glugga.
- Certificates of previous COVID-19 infection that fulfil the requirements set forth by the Chief Epidemiologist. These requirements are stated later in this document.
A valid certificate of a prior COVID-19 infection means documented results from a laboratory (or a confirmation from the Chief Epidemiologist in Iceland). Clinical diagnoses are not valid.
Certificates may be in paper or electronic format. Border control will evaluate wether 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, i.e. if any of the necessary requirements are missing, the passenger must, as other arrival passengers, undergo double testing with quarantine in between.
The following certificates are considered a valid confirmation of a previous COVID-19 infection. Certificates are accepted whether they originate from countries within or outside the EEA-area:
- Positive PCR-test (RT-PCR) results for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 that is older than 14 days.
- Presence of antibodies (IgG) against SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 measured by ELISA serologic assay*.
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are not accepted (antigen or antibody tests).
A certificate of previous COVID-19 infection is also required to include the following details:
- The certificate should be in the Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish or English language. A document in another language can be valid if the original document is accompanied by a certified stamped translation in one of the languages required.
- First name and last name (as in travel documents).
- Date of birth.
- When test was performed (date).
- Where test was performed (country/city/address).
- Name of laboratory/issuer of certificate.
- Date of certifcate.
- Phone number of laboratory or responsible authority (at least enough information, such as a website, to be able to verify the results).
- Type of test performed (PCR-test or antibody test with ELISA/serologic assay*).
- Result of test (PCR-test positive for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 or antibodies (IgG) present).
*EIA, ECLIA, ELFA, CMIA, CLIA, CLMIA are equivalent tests to ELISA
Please note that although we accept these certificates at the Icelandic border for exemption of border measures upon arrival due to COVID-19 that does not necessarily apply in general in other countries.