NordicVisitor

Getting to Iceland

VISAS & PASSPORTS

CITIZENS OF SCHENGEN AREA: The countries that participate in the Schengen Agreement are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Malta.

Travel between these countries is, in principle, without border checkpoints and controls.

CITIZENS OUTSIDE SCHENGEN AREA: All other visitors are required to have a passport or other travel document accepted by Icelandic authorities that is valid for at least three months beyond the intended stay.

VISAS: Please consult with the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration for countries that are exempt from visa requirements or locations of embassies that can issue visas. In most instances, Danish embassies can handle visa applications on behalf of Iceland.

VACCINATIONS: Special vaccinations are not required for travelling to Iceland. For more detailed information on passports, visa requirements and Schengen area regulations, please visit the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration website.

FLIGHTS TO & WITHIN ICELAND

There are several flights, many on a daily basis in summer, from a number of major European and North American gateways to Keflavik International Airport in Iceland. Please note that some flight routes are seasonal; check with your airline for flight availability and timetables.

Flight times are approximately 3 hours from London and about 5 hours from New York.

Airlines serving Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
• Icelandair: flights from selected gateways in Europe and North America; also offers expanded network of connections between USA/Caribbean and Iceland/Europe via partnership with JetBlue (bookable only through Icelandair)
• Iceland Express: low-fare flights from selected gateways in Europe
• WOW Air: (NEW in 2012) low-fare flights from selected gateways in Europe
• SAS: flights from Copenhagen (DK), Oslo (NO) and Stockholm (SE); SAS is also a codeshare partner with Icelandair

In addition, these airlines offer a limited number of seasonal flights to Keflavik Airport:
• Delta: from New York City (USA), June – September
• EasyJet: from London (UK), April – October
• Norwegian: from Oslo (NO), June – October
• Lufthansa: from selected cities in Germany, May – September
• Germanwings: from Stuttgart and Cologne (DE), June – September
• Primera Air: from Billund (DK) and selected cities in Spain, April – September
• Edelweiss Air: from Geneva and Zurich (CH), June – August
• Travel Service: from Budapest (HU) and Prague (CZ), April – May
• Air Berlin: from selected cities in Germany, May – September
• Niki Lufthart: from Vienna (AT), June – August
• Austrian: from Vienna (AT), June – August
• Transavia: from Paris (FR), May – September

Direct flights are also available to Greenland and the Faroe Islands from the Reykjavik Airport, the main hub for domestic flights in Iceland.

Airlines serving Reykjavik Airport (RKV)
• Air Iceland: domestic flights and direct flights to Greenland
• Air Greenland: direct flights to Greenland
• Atlantic Airways: direct flights to the Faroe Islands

ARRIVING IN ICELAND

AT THE AIRPORT: The Leifur Eiríksson International Airport in Keflavik, located about 50 minutes by car from Reykjavik, is small by international standards and easy to navigate.

On arrival, passengers arriving to Iceland from outside the Schengen area (i.e. North America, Britain, etc.) will need to pass through another security check before continuing to customs and baggage claim. This is in accordance with Schengen security regulations.

While waiting for your luggage, we recommend visiting the duty-free store right next to the baggage claim area if you wish to purchase alcohol to consume during your stay in Iceland. Due to high taxes on alcohol, it is much cheaper at the airport than at the state liquor stores elsewhere. There is also a fine selection of Icelandic candies and other goods at reasonable prices.

AIRPORT TRANSFERS: Most Nordic Visitor vacation packages include private transfer from the airport on arrival. Those receiving a private transfer to their accommodation will be greeted in the arrivals hall by a driver holding a Nordic Visitor sign with the customer’s name.

Those without private transfer are advised to take Flybus, the main airport shuttle service that offers scheduled departures to the BSÍ bus terminal in central Reykjavik in connection with flight arrivals. Tickets can be purchased from the Flybus information desk in the arrivals hall.

Nordic Visitor customers who are picking up a rental car at the airport will be met in the arrivals hall by a car rental agent who will take care of all rental agreements and answer any questions about insurance and other car-related issues. See more information about rental cars here.