Iceland Wants to Open Its Doors for Vaccinated Tourists

Have you ever dreamt of enjoying an unforgettable holiday in Iceland? If yes, an anti-COVID-19 vaccine is your ticket to this northern country. The country’s government decided to allow fully vaccinated tourists to enter without any need for quarantine or testing. The new rules have become valid starting from March 18. This means that everyone with proof of certified vaccination is welcome in Iceland. No PCR testing or self-isolation is mandatory for such tourists.

Initially, only tourists coming from the EU/EEA area were eligible for simple entry to Iceland without any testing or quarantine. However, everyone can apply today and provide proof of vaccination. Note that the vaccine must be certified by the European Medical Agency. Full requirements can be found in the guidance provided by the Chief Epidemiologist of Iceland. If the vaccine is validated by the WHO (World Health Organization), this international certificate (the International Certificate of Vaccination or the Carte Jaune/Yellow Card) is also accepted by Iceland’s government.

Additionally, tourists who can provide proof of the previous infection are also eligible for exemptions. However, this proof must be valid and in line with the requirements issued by the Chief Epidemiologist. Citizens outside the Schengen area (the USA and the UK included) can also use this exemption. It feels like that dream hotel in Reykjavik and a visit to geysers have become one step closer!

Iceland was previously offering exempts for EU/EEA citizens with prior infection and vaccinated guests. They could avoid all border measures. Today, a year after the global quarantine, our lives slowly go back to normal, and people want to travel for leisure and business purposes. Iceland understands this and wants to open its borders for a maximum number of people. Their experience, as well as medical studies, proves that individuals with prior COVID-19 infection get immunity against the disease. These people and people who got vaccinated are at low risk of spreading the disease so there is no medical reason for preventing them from traveling and entering Iceland.

Starting from May 1, Iceland will use the ECDC risk code. Tourists coming from low-risk countries (green and yellow) will no need to undergo a quarantine lock if they have a negative PCR test. At the moment, 30 individuals are hospitalized in Iceland due to the infection, and additional 24 people are in quarantine because they interacted with sick people. No one is hospitalized due to COVID-19.