Travel News

Iceland has announced that beginning 18 March 2021, everyone who has been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to travel to Iceland without being subject to PCR testing and quarantine.

Travellers must provide proof of full vaccination with a vaccine that has been certified for use by the European Medical Agency such as the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as requirements defined by the Chief Epidemiologist of Iceland and Icelandic regulations.

The exemption also applies to UK travellers who can provide valid proof of prior infection. Documentation on prior infections must be in accordance with the requirements defined by the Chief Epidemiologist.

The announcement comes after Iceland successfully keeping the pandemic under control with no recorded cases of domestic Covid-19 transmission for weeks, and managing to keep dangerous new variants out, without shutting the borders.

“We are excited to safely reopen our borders to fully vaccinated British citizens, as well as those who are no longer susceptible to the virus,” says Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, Head of Visit Iceland. “Tourism is a very valuable industry for Iceland, as it contributes to our economy and culture. With the support of approved vaccines, the targeted measures taken by Icelandic officials, experts, scientists, and the general population to continuously keep the infection rate down, as well as a focused reopening plan designed to keep the Icelandic people and tourists healthy, we are now able to safely extend an exemption to UK travellers.”

Previously, only citizens of the EU/EEA were allowed to enter the country with the following requirements: a negative PCR test prior to their departure to Iceland, a negative PCR test at the border followed by a five-day quarantine, and a third negative test after quarantine. Iceland has also maintained a policy of exempting those who have presented proof of vaccination or prior infections issued in the EU/EEA.

“Our experience and data so far indicate that there is very little risk of infection stemming from individuals who have acquired immunity against the disease, either by vaccination or by prior infection,” says Thórólfur Gudnason, Chief Epidemiologist, in a statement issued by the Icelandic government today. “When people are protected against the same disease, with the same vaccines that are produced by the same companies, there is no medical reason to discriminate on the basis of the location where the shot is administered. Our experience shows that the risk of infection from vaccinated individuals is very small or negligible.”

For more information on Iceland please visit https://visiticeland.com/. Additional information for travellers regarding COVID-19 measures and guidance in Iceland is available at www.covid.is and www.government.is/.