UPDATE: as of 15 June the COVID test at entry will no longer be required for vaccinated passengers
Iceland entry requirements have changed since my first visit in March of this year. Quite a bit, actually.
Here’s an update for you, based on my experience while on my First Date Trip to Iceland.
Entering Iceland
Entering Iceland has changed since March. When I was the first American to enter Iceland under the new vaccination rules, I handed the customs agent my CDC card and walked through, no testing needed.
That has changed.
Here’s what you’ll need to do, even if you’re vaccinated:
- Download the Rakning C-19 app
- No earlier than 72 hours before your arrival in Iceland, pre-register your trip at visit.covid.is (I did it in the airline lounge at JFK before our flight left for KEF). Select how you’re entering from the options they give you (if you’re vaccinated, you’ll enter under the vaccination exemption from a 5-day quarantine)
- After you pre-register, you’ll receive an email with a barcode. Screenshot this barcode, just to be sure. Delta will check that you have the barcode before you’re allowed to board, just so you’re aware
- When you arrive at KEF, you’ll go to customs, they will check your passport, and then you will get a COVID test. Yes, even if you’re vaccinated. They will scan your barcode and test you, it takes like 10 seconds and is free.
- Until you get your test results you are required to quarantine. This doesn’t mean you have to wait at the airport, though. You are allowed to take a bus or taxi to Reykjavik and are allowed to get a rental car and begin driving to your destination. It took us about 4 hours to get our results and they showed up in the Rakning C-19 app
If you’re vaccinated, once you receive the above you’re released from quarantine.
Getting tested in Iceland for your flight home
I previously wrote that I had a bit of a tougher time in Akureyri getting a COVID test for my flight home. Had I gone through Reykjavik it wouldn’t have been a problem at all, and it would’ve been much cheaper.
- Go to travel.covid.is and book your COVID appointment. You’ll prepay in advance (it runs $55ish)
- With your confirmation you’ll receive another barcode, similar to when you entered the country
- All testing in Reykjavik is done at the same testing centre, fairly close to the town center
That’s really it. Once you get the test, you’ll receive the results a few hours later (via email this time) along with the certificate you’ll need to print out for your flight home. You will need to do this at least 24 hours before your flight home just to be safe.
Iceland is going to be really popular this summer, so make sure you know the procedures before you go! Drop any questions in the comments and I’ll help however I can!
Hello, when you got tested in Akureryi, what was the availability like? By that I mean the time of day that they are doing the testing.
It was a very limited window, from 1000-1100 I believe, and I had to email the clinic directly to get a barcode. I detailed out everything I did here: https://andystravelblog.com/2021/03/28/covid-test-iceland/
Will the testing on arrival in Iceland still be in effect after June 15? Apparently it may not be? Just want to be prepared.
Based on my latest reading of the information, a test on arrival will not be needed after June 15.
Great succinct guide for this, so thank you. I’m headed there in August and am hoping the need for the US re-entry test will be gone. But definitely bookmarking this in case it’s not.
I’m likely going back in July and hope for the same but I predict the testing scheme will be in place through the summer travel season
Thanks again for all the helpful info here. I know you said that getting tested for U.S reentry should be easy in Reykjavik. I’m wondering if you know if tests can be done on Saturdays or are there any limitations on clinic hours.
We will be staying in Reykjavik on Saturday night after a Ring Road trip, departing out of KEF on Sunday late afternoon. We can certainly prioritize getting our test done but would prefer not to use up a large chunk of our time if it’s possible.
So how did you print your certificate for the flight back to US?
My hotel printed it for me
Just curious if you had problems with the app. I downloaded it since I’m leaving this week but can not get it to send me a verification code. Have tried several times and won’t work. When I read reviews in the App Store saw lots of similar comments from US based reviewers. Also, thank you so much! Timing was perfect. I was a little worried about how all this was going to work.
I used the website to generate the barcode, not the app
Vaccinated travelers will not need to be tested on arrival after June 15
https://www.icelandreview.com/travel/iceland-to-stop-testing-vaccinated-travellers/
Woohoo, thanks for sharing Mike! I’ll update the post.
For pre-registration you need to give a phone number. I do not have an Icelandic phone number. If I use my US phone number, it will be be useful in Iceland. I will buy a SIM for Iceland and get a phone number for there. Can you use a US number for pre-registration and change the phone number later so you can be contacted in Iceland?
I have no idea if this will work or not, I used my US number the entire time I was in Iceland.
Thanks for this update! Are you pretty sure that we need to print out the return test results? I was planning on getting tested in Selfoss and then wouldn’t be staying at a hotel before my return flight. Ideally I could just show the results on my phone.
The CDC website says paper or electronic copy. I personally haven’t tried just having an electronic copy so ymmv but the CDC says electronic is ok.
Hi Andy, thank you for all this information. We’ll be going there next month and I want to know if it will be a good idea to set one hotel (Marriott) near the Keflavik Airport? Or not? Thank you!
I don’t think you need to book a hotel that close to the airport, it’s not THAT far away from Reykjavik, where there are nicer hotel options.
Regarding fully vaccinated travelers needing a test prior to travel/entry into the US–seems like the good ‘ol US CDC has been quick to tout how effective the vaccines are on TV interviews encouraging vaccinations but fails to practice what they preach by maintaining this requirement.
We are in Akureryi now and wondering if we should get tested here tomorrow (within 72 hours of our flight home) or wait until we get to Reykjavik. I’m leaning toward the latter but by the time we get there it will be less than 24 hours before our flight. What would you do? Why did you have to go to a second clinic to get the results and how far away was it?
I’d personally wait until you got back to Reykjavik, it was a much easier and cheaper process there and the certificate was emailed to me instead of having to go to the second clinic to pick it up.
Andy, your post is a life saver. Question Рdoes the covid-19 Ag Rapid (antigen) Test qualify for the re-entry to U.S.A? Also how many hours did it take for you to get your test results at Su̡urlandsbraut (Reykjavik)? Did you take the PCR test or the rapid antigen test?
The government order indicates a viral test, which I interpret to mean PCR, but I don’t know for certain. I got the brain tickle test in Reykjavik and the test results were in my inbox 6 hours later.
Everything I’m reading it appears that the cheaper Rapid Ag test is sufficient. What did you find out Lily or do you have an update Andy?
I did a rapid test a few days ago and it was fine.
Andy, when you say you had to go to a second clinic to pick up your test, how long was the wait between you getting tested and when you could obtain the paper copy? How far was it from the original test site?
It wasn’t too far away from the site but now I know that an electronic certificate is fine so that step wasn’t necessary.
Andy, you printing out the results that your receive via email, correct? Or is there a separate location that you need to pick this up at? Just a bit confused.
Electronic copies now work fine
Travelers will still need to be tested on or after June 15. The requirement states the testing will go away on July 1st 2021.
Thanks Andy. Is the paper CDC vaccination card a valid proof of vaccination when arriving in Iceland? I’m not sure it contains all the information required by the Europeans. What options are there if this is the case? I also don’t see where a WHO “yellow card” or other electronic “passport” is available?
Yep, paper CDC form is fine.
My vaccination card says CDC in the upper right corner, but it doesn’t give a location of administration other than Walgreens. It looks like Iceland is requiring the city or county be included on the card. Will simply “Walgreens” be sufficient for location? Also, all of the info on my card was handprinted by the pharmacist, is that acceptable or will it not be official enough?
Thanks.
That should be ok, but if you’re close to that Walgreens you might want to swing by and see if they can add the location for you.
Thanks!
Note that that Iceland is changing it’s entry requirements. the Iceland Monitor has an articles that even fully vaccinated tourist must get tested for COVID starting July 26. https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2021/07/19/vaccinated_travellers_must_show_a_negative_test_sta/
Good morning. How long did it take you to get through passport control and out of KEF airport when you arrived? Did you rent a car? If so, how long did that take? We are trying to plan a Blue Lagoon trip shortly after arriving and want to hit the right time (not too early, not too late). Thank you.
The most recent time I went it took about an hour to get through customs and about 30 minutes to get my rental car