IcelandVisits and short stays

Iceland tourist visa (Schengen C visa)

Schengen short-stay visa (C visa) for tourism

In short

Visa-required nationals need a Schengen visa to visit Iceland as tourists. Iceland has embassies in only a few countries, so in many places you lodge the application with the embassy of another Schengen state that represents Iceland, often through a VFS Global centre. The fee is €90, the visa allows up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and waiting times vary by mission.

checked 24 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the whole Schengen Area.
Validity
Single or multiple entry. Multiple-entry visas run from 6 months to 5 years and are rarely issued on a first application.
Fee
€90Standard Schengen fee published by the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs; €45 for children aged 6 to 12. An external service provider adds its own service fee. Not refunded after a refusal.
Processing time
Normally within 15 calendar days, up to 45 if further checks are needed. Appointment waits and backlogs vary by mission.
Work
No. A tourist visa does not allow paid work in Iceland.
Family
Each traveller, including each child, needs a separate application and their own passport.
Where to apply
The mission that handles Icelandic Schengen visas in the country where you legally live: an Icelandic embassy or the embassy of a Schengen state representing Iceland, often through an external service provider.

Main destination and residence rules

Apply for an Icelandic visa only if Iceland is your main destination, meaning the Schengen state where you will spend the most days; with equal time in several states, it is the one you enter first. A trip combining a week in Iceland with two weeks in Norway belongs to Norway.

You must normally apply in the country where you legally live, at the mission the Icelandic government lists for that country. Arrangements differ: in one country Iceland may be represented by Denmark, in another by Norway, Sweden, Finland or France.

Documents for a tourist trip

Besides passport, form, photo and €30,000 insurance, Iceland’s basic list asks for proof of funds, hotel and tour bookings, and evidence that you will return home: a job letter confirming you are expected back, property records or family ties in your country of residence. The full checklist is published by the mission handling your application, which may ask for more after you lodge.

Required documents

Identity

  • Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area, with at least two blank pages

Travel

  • Return or round-trip flight reservation
  • Hotel bookings and any tour bookings covering the stay in Iceland

Money

  • Recent bank statements showing enough money for the stay and the return journey

Work

  • Employer letter, student certificate or retirement document showing your situation at home

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen states for the whole trip, minimum cover €30,000

Other

  • Completed and signed application form and one photo of 35 x 45 mm taken within the last 6 months

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Other

  • Title deeds, vehicle registration or other proof of ties to your country of residence

Who handles Iceland visas

Where Iceland has no embassy, the representing Schengen state's embassy receives and examines applications on Iceland's behalf under the common Schengen rules. Many of these missions require you to lodge the file at an external service provider such as VFS Global, which takes your fingerprints and photo and forwards the file.

The embassy can decline to examine a file it considers is not for Iceland or the embassy’s own country as main destination; it then returns the passport, refunds the visa fee and names the state it considers competent.

  1. Check that Iceland is your main destination and that your passport meets the 10-year and 3-month rules.
  2. Find the mission that handles Icelandic visas in your country of residence and book an appointment there or at its service provider.
  3. Prepare the documents on the mission’s checklist, including €30,000 travel insurance and hotel bookings.
  4. Attend the appointment, pay the €90 visa fee and any service fee, and give fingerprints unless they were taken in the last 59 months.
  5. Wait for the decision; the passport comes back through the place where you applied.
  6. Check the visa sticker as soon as you receive it and carry funds, bookings and insurance for the border check.

When to apply and how long it takes

You may apply up to 6 months before travel. Files reaching the embassy less than 15 calendar days before departure can be declared inadmissible. The 15-day (or 45-day) target counts from registration at the embassy, not from your visit to a service provider, and some missions have long backlogs, so apply as early as the rules allow.

Extending a visa in Iceland

Since May 2026 the Ministry for Foreign Affairs handles extensions by email at visa@utn.is. A visa can be extended only if it was issued for less than 90 days and force majeure, humanitarian reasons or serious personal reasons keep you from leaving. Force majeure and humanitarian extensions are free; extensions for serious personal reasons cost €30 if approved.

If the visa is refused

A refusal by another Schengen state’s embassy on Iceland’s behalf is appealed under that state’s rules, following the instructions in the refusal letter; it does not go to the Icelandic authorities. Only refusals issued by the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs itself go to the Icelandic Visa Appeals Board, within 30 days, with a €300 fee.

Frequently asked questions

What if there is no Icelandic embassy in my country?

Then another Schengen state usually represents Iceland for visas. The Icelandic government lists the responsible mission for each country, and that mission decides on applications lodged with it or its service provider.

How long does an Iceland visa take?

Decisions are normally taken within 15 calendar days, or up to 45 when further checks are needed, but appointment waits and backlogs vary by mission, so apply early.

Can I enter Iceland on a visa issued for Denmark?

Yes, a uniform Schengen visa covers Iceland. Denmark warns, however, that using a single-entry Danish visa to go first to another Schengen state can lead to refusal of entry or revocation.

Can I ask the embassy to speed up my tourist visa?

Not for holiday plans. Missions generally make exceptions only for urgent reasons such as official meetings or serious illness of close family.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Iceland

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

  • Business visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the whole Schengen Area.

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: Granted for up to one year, renewable a year at a time with satisfactory study results.
  • Au pair visa Maximum stay: As long as the au pair agreement, never more than one year; renewable once for a further year.

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: Up to one year for the first permit, or the length of a seasonal or clearly defined project; renewable for up to two years at a time.
  • Skilled worker visa Maximum stay: Usually one year at first, up to four years at a time, never beyond the work permit.
  • Working holiday visa Maximum stay: Up to one year.

Family

  • Spouse and partner visa Maximum stay: Usually one year at a time, at most two years, and never longer than the sponsor’s own temporary permit.
  • Family reunification visa Maximum stay: Usually one year at a time, at most two years, and never longer than the sponsor’s temporary permit.

Residence

  • Residence permit Maximum stay: A continuous stay of up to 180 days; days in other Schengen states count as days in Iceland.
  • Permanent residence Maximum stay: Unlimited right of residence; the card is valid for five years.

Protection

Iceland visa guide