Getting to Iceland

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS - 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. Nonetheless, we always recommend travelling with your passport.

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 and, if needed, locations of embassies that can issue visas. In most instances, Danish embassies can handle visa applications on behalf of Iceland.

Citizens of Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand do not need visas to visit 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 is an ever-growing number of direct flights from European and North American cities to Keflavik International Airport in Iceland. Please note that some flight routes are seasonal, so we recommend checking with the airlines for flight availability and timetables.

Approximate flight times are 3 hours from London, 5.5 hours from New York and 7.5 hours from Seattle.

Airlines serving Keflavik International Airport (KEF) year-round:*

• Icelandair: from numerous cities in Europe and North America
• SAS: from Copenhagen and Oslo; SAS is also a codeshare partner with Icelandair
• KLM: from various European cities; KLM is also a codeshare partner with Icelandair
• Norwegian: from London, Oslo and Madrid
• British Airways: from London
• EasyJet: from London, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and Belfast
• Wizz Air: from London, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Riga, Vilnius and multiple cities in Poland
• Finnair: from Helsinki
• Atlantic Airways: from the Faroe Islands

In addition, these airlines may offer a limited number of seasonal flights to KEF:*

• Delta: from various cities in the U.S.
• United Airlines: from Newark
• American Airlines: from Dallas
• Air Canada: from Toronto and Montreal
• Lufthansa: from various cities in Germany
• Edelweiss Air: from Geneva and Zurich
• Austrian Airlines: from Vienna
• Transavia: from Paris and (from July 2019) Amsterdam 
• Vueling: from Barcelona
• Air Baltic: from Riga
• Czech Airlines: from Prague
• Eurowings: from various cities in Germany
• Iberia Express: from Madrid
• S7: from Moscow
• TUI Airways: from UK

For clients travelling on an Iceland-Greenland combo tour, flights to Greenland depart from Reykjavik Airport, the main hub for domestic flights in Iceland. This small airport is just a 5-minute taxi ride from downtown Reykjavik.

Airlines serving Reykjavik Airport (RKV):*

• Air Iceland: domestic flights and direct flights to Greenland
• Eagle Air: domestic flights in Iceland
• Air Greenland: direct flights to Greenland

*List last updated March 2019. Please note that this list may not include all possible airlines or flight routes.

ARRIVING IN ICELAND

AT THE AIRPORT
The Leifur Eiríksson International Airport in Keflavik is small by international standards and easy to navigate.

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 located around the country. There is also a fine selection of Icelandic candies and other goods at reasonable prices.

AIRPORT TRANSFERS
Most Nordic Visitor tour packages include transfers via private shuttle from the airport to accommodations in Reykjavik. Travellers are greeted in the arrivals hall by a driver holding a Nordic Visitor sign with the customer’s name. The ride to Reykjavik takes about 50 minutes.

Most customers travelling on Nordic Visitor self-drive tours pick up their vehicles after the first overnight in Reykjavik. However, customers who choose to pick up their rental car at the airport will be given instructions from their travel consultant before arrival. See more information about rental cars.