I enjoyed all the feedback I received on My Experience Entering Iceland with only a CDC Vaccination Card! It was a wonderful trip and I was sad to come home. Lots more pictures to come, like the one below, but I wanted to address a really big question I was asked over and over again on that post.
How did I get my COVID test to re-enter the United States?
The USA still requires a negative COVID test within 3 days of departure to board a flight. Even if you’re vaccinated. Yes, that’s annoying. But oh well, gotta do what you gotta do.
Here’s what I did:
- I went to the Icelandic COVID testing website: https://www.landlaeknir.is/um-embaettid/greinar/grein/item42633/covid-19-border-testing
- I found the city in which I was staying (Akureyri)
- I called the health clinic listed on the website. It took a few times until I found the right person, but I let them know what I needed. It took them a while to understand what I meant, but I just explained that I needed to pay for a COVID test for border control in the USA with the certificate in English
- The lady took some information from me and I received a text message with a barcode
- I showed up at the testing center (where photos weren’t allowed) with a mask on and my barcode
- The wait in line was short, efficient, and an attendant scanned my barcode and I went into the testing room
- I got a brain poke via the nose and a throat gag test thing. I’ve been COVID tested before, no big deal
- I showed up at another health clinic 4 hours later, paid for the test (approximately $190), and picked up my test results
It wasn’t that big of a deal
Like many things in Europe, there’s a process. You have to go through the process. It did not seem like you could just show up at a random place and get a COVID test, you need to go through one of the official clinics and get a barcode.
Hope this was helpful! Iceland was incredible and I’m already planning my next trip back to this amazing place.
If you’re vaccinated, have a documented positive test that’s older than 14 days, or have a positive antibody test, there has never been a better time to come to Iceland!
We’re considering going in July because we’ll be vaccinated. We’d have about 6 nights there. We’d want to strike a balance between seeing a lot and not having to change hotels 6 times. Is there an itinerary you would recommend?
Working on a post about that right now!