Covid-19 Update

This page was last updated on 04.09.2021.

Latest update: Iceland's government decided to accept valid vaccination certificates or certificates confirming antibodies for passengers entering the country from countries outside Schengen. Thus, those who are vaccinated against the coronary virus in, for example, the United Kingdom and the United States may enter the country.

Your safety and health during travel continue to be top priorities for us at Adventures.com. The latest news about Covid-19 in Iceland and Canada will keep you informed and up-to-date. Below find important travel details, answers to all your health questions, and how to stay safe during your travels. 

Thanks to its large-scale testing and contact tracing, Iceland has successfully contained Covid-19. In fact, the country held the final scheduled pandemic press conference and lifted the state of emergency on May 25. The island has just a handful of coronavirus cases at the moment of writing and now relaxing Covid-19 restrictions. 

This means you can already start planning your trip to the Land of Fire and Ice.

Iceland is open to all citizens and residents of the EU/EEA, Schengen, and UK as well as their families.

UPDATE: Iceland's government decided to accept valid vaccination certificates for passengers entering the country from countries outside Schengen. Thus, those who are vaccinated against the coronary virus in, for example, the United Kingdom and the United States may enter the country. Travelers who provide a vaccination certificate will still have to be tested at the airport for COVID-19. These travelers must then go to their accommodation to wait for the test results but do not have to quarantine beyond that. Follow updates at the Directorate of Immigration’s official site.

As of January 2021 until April 31st, 2021 all travelers who enter Iceland must take two COVID-19 tests and quarantine themselves for five days in between. (Those who present certificates of vaccination or certificates confirming antibodies do not have to go to sampling or quarantine or present a certificate of negative PCR testing at the border)

On May 1st Icelandic border control begin implementing the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control color-coding system. 

• Passengers arriving from red countries will still need to get tested twice, once upon arrival, with a five-day quarantine in between.
• Passengers arriving from orange and green countries can enter with a recent negative COVID test followed by a single test at the border - with no second test or quarantining after needed after their arrival.

For the latest map under the new color system click here.

The only individuals exempt from border testing under the new May 1st rules are:

• People who are certified as having had COVID-19 and recovered.
• Those who have certification of vaccination.

Under the new protocol individuals with extenuating medical circumstances will still have the option to choose a 14-day quarantine instead of testing.

To ensure the safety of both travelers and the local community, Iceland is taking all the necessary precautions. Here’s what you need to know about traveling to Iceland:

1. Before traveling to Iceland you're required to fill out a pre-registration form that you can find at COVID 19 Official page. The form asks you to provide your contact details and travel information to make testing at the airport faster and easier.
2. Submit a certificate of a negative PCR-test for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) before boarding an aircraft or ship to Iceland and again upon arrival. The negative test result must have been collected no more than 72 hours before departure (on the first leg of the journey). Rapid antigen tests are not valid. The certificate must be submitted in either Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or English. Certificates in other languages are not considered valid. The results of the test must be pre-recorded. The fine for violating the rule requiring a negative PCR test is 100,000 Icelandic Krónur (ISK) for residents and Icelandic nationals. Non-citizens and non-residents without a negative PCR tests will be refused entry at the border.
3. Take two tests to screen for the presence of COVID-19 after arrival in Iceland, with a mandatory 5-6 day quarantine between each test. Sampling is free of charge. Note exceptions to the rule below.
4. Complete quarantine with a negative result (no virus is found) following the second screening.
5. We recommended that all travelers download the "Rakning C-19" app. This app is intended, among other things, to communicate negative results from COVID-19 screenings and assists the health authorities with the tracing of infections when necessary.
6. Travel directly to the quarantine station after arriving at the border stop, by airbus, taxi, rental car, or a private vehicle that has been left for you at the airport. Travelers are advised to stay overnight at a guesthouse near the border station if they are tired from their journey or in the case of unfavorable weather conditions.
7. Persons who are unable to demonstrate an adequate isolation/quarantine location are required to stay in a quarantine facility. Those who are diagnosed with a variant of the virus that is more contagious and/or leads to a more serious illness are unconditionally required to stay in a quarantine facility.

Children Born in 2005 and Later

• If the children are traveling with a parent/guardian, they are taken into quarantine with the parent/guardian but are not required to submit to sampling.
• If a child travels without parents/guardians, the child must undergo a 5-day quarantine and submit to a second sampling. If the result is negative, the quarantine is concluded.
• If a child travels with a parent/guardian who has a certificate of exemption at the border, then the child must undergo a 5-day quarantine and submit to a second sampling.

Exemptions from border screening and quarantine rules do not provide exemptions from travel restrictions.

• Passengers arriving from Greenland who have not stayed outside Greenland for the past 14 days.
• Travelers with connecting flights, who do not leave the border crossing point in question, are not required to submit to screenings and quarantine.
• Passengers on connecting flights who stay in Iceland for less than 48 hours have the option of quarantining instead of submitting to sampling.
• Those who are able to submit proof of a prior COVID-19 infection with a PCR test or an antibody test issued by an EEA/EFTA country. Note that a positive PCR test must be at least 14 days old.
• Those who have a valid certificate of full vaccination issued by an EEA/EFTA country with an approved vaccine against COVID-19.
• Those presenting a valid full vaccination certificate with an approved vaccine against COVID-19.

Enjoy your trip while staying healthy and safe!

HELPFUL LINKS

• The most up to date information about Covid-19 and traveling to Iceland: Icelandic Help Page.
• For the latest Icelandic government travel advice: Directorate of Health
• World Health Organization recommendations regarding Covid-19: World Health Organization

Isavia, Iceland’s airport operator, reports that currently there are flights to and from Reykjavik from 21 destinations in 15 countries.

As of June 15, Icelandair, the flag carrier of Iceland, operates daily flights from key destinations in Europe, such as Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam, Zürich, Frankfurt, Paris, and Oslo. Check out the latest flight schedule on Icelandair official website.

Such airlines as Delta, Wizz Air, Air Baltic, EasyJet, Czech Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, and Transavia are also offering flights to Iceland from various destinations. You can find the full list of airlines flying to Reykjavik and their destinations on Isavia's informational web page.

Swimming pools, gyms, bars, and restaurants are wide open to tourists. So you’ll easily find a place for a traditional Icelandic dish or a relaxing swim!

Stores, museums, hotels, and other facilities provide hand sanitizer and do additional cleaning on frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, and reception desks.

What about social distancing? People are asked to maintain a two-metre social distance whenever possible. However, this rule became optional as of May 25, 2020.

To ensure everyone’s safety, Adventures.com works according to the guidelines provided by the Icelandic Directorate of Health. Our tour guides try to maintain a distance of two meters between people whenever possible. We also clean our vehicles thoroughly after every tour and provide hand sanitizer on all buses.

You’ll find printed instructions on how to avoid infection in both our operational bases and vehicles. Your safety always comes first.

Huts and campsites used in our trekking tours have implemented social distancing and enhanced cleaning procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Huts:

Hand sanitizer and sanitizing sprays will be accessible inside all huts, with instructions on how to use them. Only one person from each group is allowed to cook in the kitchen at a time. Common contact surfaces should be sanitized before and after food preparations. After cooking, all equipment (dishes and cutleries) should be thoroughly cleaned with hot water and soap. 

There is a limitation on how many people can use the toilet facilities at the same time, and people are encouraged to sanitize contact surface areas, like door handles and tables, afterward.

Campsites:

Each campsite will be divided into sections, and each section will accommodate 200 people max according to recommendations from the Directorate of Health. Groups are encouraged to keep a distance of 2 meters from each other. 

There is a limitation on how many people can use the toilet facilities at a time, and people are encouraged to sanitize contact surface areas afterward. 

In the case of suspected coronavirus infection, Adventures.com will follow strict emergency procedures. These procedures are based on guidelines issued by the Icelandic Directorate of Health. If there is a high probability of infection, health workers will be contacted and the appropriate measures taken.

To protect the safety of all our travelers, we ask our tour participants to frequently wash your hands and cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing.

If you have cold-like symptoms, you should self-isolate and instantly contact the Health line 1770 (+354 544 4113). Do not visit hospitals and clinics without being directed first.

Iceland has one of the most advanced healthcare systems in Europe. For insured travelers, healthcare services and in-patient hospitalization is free and for as long as necessary.

Am I entitled to medical services in Iceland? If you're an insured EEA citizen, you’re entitled to medical care in Iceland. Just don’t forget to bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or other confirmation of insurance. For non-EEA citizens, it’s recommended to purchase travel insurance. 

Canada has 104,271 confirmed coronavirus cases at the moment of writing and introduced a number of travel restrictions in response to Covid-19 pandemic. Though the country’s new coronavirus cases continue trending downward and provinces and territories begin to reopen their economy, foreign travel remains limited to essential trips. 

Currently, the Canadian authorities are not allowing most foreign nationals into Canada. The Canada-U.S. border will remain closed until June 21. International travel restrictions will last until June 30 and these travel restrictions might be extended if the public health situation deems it necessary.

At the moment, only essential travel is advised. The following groups are allowed to enter Canada:

• Canadian citizens 
• Canadian permanent residents
• Immediate family members of Canadian citizens
• Foreign nationals who are coming for an essential purpose and are exempt from from the travel restrictions 
• You can find all the exemptions to the travel restrictions on Canada’s official government page.

The Canadian government is evaluating the situation weekly. It is yet to be decided when the country will reopen to international travelers.

Some Canadian provinces remain open, allowing Canadians to explore their beautiful country. However, Canada is big and traveling rules differ across the country.

These are the current travel rules between Canadian provinces and territories: 

• There are no travel restrictions from British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
• Saskatchewan hasn’t closed its interprovincial borders but restricts all non-essential travel into and out of northern communities in the province.
• Manitoba has information checkpoints at provincial border crossings to inform travellers of risks of COVID-19.
• Quebec has started removing roadblocks across the province at the beginning of May.
• Atlantic Canada remains closed to non-residents for the time being.
• Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut prohibit non-essential travel from the rest of Canada.

Adventures.com's passion to explore the world hasn’t diminished a drop. We still operate some of our Canadian tours with departure dates through 2020. Our expert guides work according to the official health guidelines and go the extra mile to give you the best possible experience.

However, due to the current situation with Covid-19 and travel restrictions in Canada, we’ve decided to reschedule some of our tours for 2021. You’ll find available tour departures on our tour pages. If you can’t find information you need, feel free to contact us any time.

We remain committed to providing you with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Let’s keep our shared wanderlust alive!