It’s official: nationals from outside the Schengen Area will be allowed to enter Iceland on and from July 1st, RÚV reports.
As reported, come Monday, June 15th, “EU/EEA, EFTA or UK nationals”, to quote the Icelandic government itself, will be able to come to Iceland freely. Starting on July 1st, however, nationals from outside of the Schengen Area will be permitted to come to Iceland as well—even if other Schengen Area member states keep their borders closed.
There are some exceptions in this regard. As the Directorate of Immigration (ÚTL) states, apart from the aforementioned EU/EEA, EFTA or UK nationals, other folks who will be able to come to Iceland from June 15th are “[i]ndividuals with a valid residence permit in Iceland or any of the Schengen Member States” and “[f]amily members of Icelandic or other EU/EFTA citizens, in particular spouses, cohabiting partners, direct descendants and dependent direct relatives in the ascending line.”
Between June 15th and July 1st, those from outside of Schengen who wish to come to Iceland must prove that their travel is essential if the above exceptions do not apply. ÚTL defines essential travel as “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 and diplomats, international organization staff, members of armed forces traveling to Iceland for duty, or humanitarian aid workers.” Such travellers are advised to “contact the Member State they are traveling to for a written confirmation of their permission to enter the respective state’s territory. Without such a confirmation, such Foreign Nationals cannot be authorized to enter the Schengen Area in Iceland.”
These exceptions aside, a handy shorthand to bear in mind is that if you are a legal resident or citizen of a Schengen Area country, you can come to Iceland on and from June 15th. Everyone else will have to wait until July 1st. Again, the aforementioned exceptions apply.
You would also do well to know what to expect upon your arrival in Iceland, which handily detailed here.
Further, if you are concerned about how to even get here, do note that Icelandair has added new destinations, and several other airlines will be coming here, too. Check your preferred airline for more updated information.
Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
