Guidelines for Iceland Visa

The natural wonderland, and the meeting place of cultures in the middle of the beautiful Atlantic ocean… What better words can you find for the unique island Iceland anyways? 

Iceland has its place when it comes to traveling and vacation. However, do you know if you need to get a visa to see this beautiful island? Well, let’s take a look if you need one and what you should do to reach there.

Do you need a visa to travel to Iceland?

Yes, and no! This is a totally subjective question and today we will help you figure out if you need a visa to travel to Iceland. Since Iceland is a member of the Schengen Area, if you are a citizen of a country that does not have a mutual agreement with the European Union, then you are going to need to get a Schengen visa.

Here’s a list of countries that needs to get a Schengen visa:

Afghanistan, Gabon, North Korea, Algeria, Gambia, Northern Marianas, Angola, Ghana, Oman, Armenia, Guinea, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Guinea-Bissau, Papua New Guinea, Bahrain, Guyana, Philippines, Bangladesh, Haiti, Qatar, Belarus, India, Russia, Belize, Indonesia, Rwanda, Benin, Iran, Sao Tome And Principe, Bhutan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bolivia, Jamaica, Senegal, Botswana, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Kazakhstan, Somalia, Burma/Myanmar, Kenya, South Africa, Burundi, Kosova, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Kuwait, Sudan, Cameroon, Kyrgyzstan, Suriname, Cape Verde, Laos, Swaziland, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Syria, Chad, Lesotho, Tajikistan, China, Liberia, Tanzania, Comoros, Libya, Thailand, Congo, Madagascar, Timor-Leste, Cote D’ivoire, Malawi, Togo, Cuba, Maldives, Tonga, Dem. Rep. Of Congo, Mali, Tunisia, Djibouti, Mauritania, Turkey, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Ecuador, Morocco, Uganda, Egypt, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Vietnam, Eritrea, Nepal, Yemen, Ethiopia, Niger, Zambia, Fiji, Nigeria, Zimbabwe

Which countries are visa-exempt from the Iceland Schengen Visa?

There are a number of countries that are considered to be visa-exempt from entering Iceland. If you are a citizen of one of the Schengen Area countries, you have the visa exemption to travel to Iceland. Furthermore, if you are a citizen of one of the non-Schengen countries that are listed below, you are also visa exempt from entering Iceland.

Grenada, Guatemala, Vatican City State, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Serbia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, St Kitts And Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent And The Grenadines, Trinidad And Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States Of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, United Kingdom

How about the United Kingdom?

If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom, you do not need to get a visa to enter Iceland even after Brexit. Simply, British citizens will keep their visa exemption after Brexit.

Can you travel to other European countries?

Yes! As Iceland is a member of the European Schengen Area, you can travel to any country that is in the Schengen Area with your Iceland visa. It’s always advised to enter Iceland first and then travel to other Schengen countries to avoid possible hassles at the airport.

What type of Iceland visa should you apply for?

There are a number of Iceland visa types available which you can apply for. However, firstly you should ask yourself the purpose of your visit and the duration of stay in Iceland which is planning. The list below indicates the type of visa for Iceland which you can apply for:

• Iceland Transit Visa: If you are traveling to a non-Schengen country but you need to transfer to an Iceland airport, then this is the type of visa you need.
• Iceland Tourist Visa: If you are planning to travel to Iceland for touristic purposes, then you should apply to Iceland Tourist Visa only if you are planning to stay for a period of shorter than 90 days.
• Iceland Business Visa: If you are traveling to Iceland for business purposes then this visa type will allow you to stay in Iceland for up to 90 days.
• Iceland Cultural, Sports, and Religious Event visa
• Iceland Medical Treatment Visa
• Iceland Long Stay Visa

What should you do for the Iceland Visa Application?

According to the given list at the top of this post, if you are obligated to have an Iceland visa before your travel, you should keep in mind that there are some certain steps you need to follow for your application. 

Iceland visa requirements are made simple and clear. Here’s a list of steps you should follow:

1. Learn about when you should be applying for the visa for Iceland
2. Search for the place where you will be going for the application
3. Fill in the Iceland visa application form
4. Collect the necessary documents
5. Schedule a visa interview appointment
6. Go to your visa interview on the date you have set
7. Pay the visa application fee during your appointment

What should you fill in the Icelandic Schengen Visa application form?

You will be asked some specific personal questions when filling your Iceland Schengen Visa application. Make sure you answer these questions below correctly and leave nothing unanswered or unclear.

• Name and surname
• Date and place of birth
• Nationality
• Sex and marital status
• National Identity number
• Passport number
• Home address and email
• Purpose of your trip
• Question regarding previous trips to Schengen, if you have any
• Intended date of arrival in Iceland, and the intended period of stay
• Cost of traveling and staying, or sponsorship

What is the Iceland Visa fee?

The Iceland Visa fee depends on a number of factors such as age, the purpose of your entry, and the intended period of stay. 

In general, if you are an adult who is applying for a short stay visa, then you need to pay 80€. On the other hand, children who are under 12 years of age have a reduced price of 40€. Children under 6 years of age are not obliged to pay visa fees.

Lastly, the long-stay visa fees are around 56€.

How much time are you supposed to wait for your Iceland visa?

The amount of time you should be waiting for your Iceland visa depends on the visa type you’re applying for and the current number of applicants at the time you are doing your application. In most cases, you should be expecting a waiting period of 15 days to get your Iceland visa.

What are the restrictions to enter Iceland due to Coronavirus?

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Iceland has taken many precautions just like any other country in the world. The restrictions are changing rapidly, so it is important to check the Iceland government announcements. Currently, the citizens of Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay are not banned from traveling to Iceland.

However, if you are a third-world country citizen, you should be providing a formal document that shows that you are traveling to Iceland for an essential purpose. You may be asking yourself what are these essential purposes?

Here’s a list of essential purposes stated by the Iceland Government:

• Passengers in airport transit,
• Health and care workers on professional travel,
• Transportation crews (airlines and freighters),
• Individuals requiring international protection,
• Individuals traveling because of acute family incidents,
• Diplomats, international organization staff, members of armed forces traveling to Iceland for duty, or humanitarian aid workers,
• Students, please note that it must be demonstrated that the purpose of the stay is to participate in an organized educational program,
• Individuals who need to travel for jobs that are considered to be economically significant and cannot be carried out later or abroad.

What should you do if your Iceland visa application is rejected?

Your Iceland visa application can be rejected due to various reasons. What you should do at this point is to write an appeal letter and reapply for the Iceland visa. However, it is always good to take into consideration that most visa rejections are due to some missing documents in your application. So, make sure you have all the necessary documents when you’re applying for the Iceland visa.

For how long is your Iceland visa valid?

If you have applied for the short-stay Iceland visa, then your visa will be valid for up to 90 days. However, the long-stay visas are longer than this and your visa expiration date is stated on your visa stamp. Also, be careful about the entry type that is written on your visa stamp. A single-entry visa allows you to enter Iceland for once, and a multiple-entry visa allows you to enter and leave the country without a limit.

Can you extend your visa during your stay in Iceland?

Under certain conditions like humanitarian reasons, you can extend your visa while you are in Iceland. However, you should be well aware that the legal process for this may not be as easy as you think. It is advised to plan your stay in Iceland before you actually travel to Iceland.

Can you travel to other countries with your Iceland visa?

Yes, you can! You have the privilege of traveling to other Schengen countries along with some other non-Schengen countries when you have the Iceland Visa in your passport.

Here’s a list of non-Schengen countries where you can travel with your Iceland visa:

• Albania
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Belarus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Colombia
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Georgia
• Gibraltar
• Kosovo
• North Macedonia
• Montenegro
• Romania
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Serbia
• Turkey

What about the long stay Iceland visas?

If you are planning to stay in Iceland for a longer time, then it will be in your best interest to apply for a long-stay visa for Iceland. You should bear in mind that the processing time for long-stay Iceland visas can take up to 14 days. Rest assured, within this time frame, your visa will be extended even in the process of you collecting the necessary documents.

If you cannot present the purposes below which gives you the right to withhold a long-stay visa in Iceland, your visa application will be rejected:

• You provided incorrect information about your criminal records.
• You don’t satisfy the necessary reasons to stay in Iceland for the long-term.
• You’re seen as a threat to Iceland's society.
• Your documents are shady and Icelandic authorities are suspicious about your documents.