Guide to Iceland Visa Requirements

Despite being one of the two non-European Union members which are part of the Schengen area (other being Norway), Iceland also requires a Schengen visa for travellers. That’s why, Iceland Visa requirements is no way different compared to any other Schengen Visa. Applying for a Schengen Visa is a bit stricter than many other visas, but you have the advantage of travelling to any other Schengen country from Iceland without any restrictions with a single visa in hand. After all, when visiting Europe, who would want to miss out on the fun travelling across, at least a couple of European countries on your rented car?

If you’re seeing yourself enjoying the holidays in Iceland anytime in future, here’s everything that you need to know about the Iceland Visa requirements. There are a lot of mandatory documents as well as supporting documents that are needed to get yourself through the application process. We know that you would love a hassle-free visa application, and this article is an attempt to help you through your application. During the visa application process, if you need assistance regarding anything, such as getting a travel insurance or flight reservation for visa, which you’ll likely find difficult to arrange alone, we’re here for you!

BASIC ICELAND VISA REQUIREMENTS:

Before applying for a visa, you need to plan out the duration of the stay. This is because, if you’re planning for a short stay, it cannot be more than 90 days. Longer stay durations require special visas like the Iceland Student Visa or Iceland Working (Employment) Visa. If you need more information about long-term visas, we have comprehensive articles that you can look up on our blogs.

Generally, the short-term visas are for either tourist or business purposes. Still, the Iceland visa requirements stay the same for both. Here are some of the mandatory requirements for a visa to Iceland:

1) Passport Validity: Your passport is one of the most important document whenever you travel abroad. So, before applying for a visa, you need to check whether it is still valid or not. The validity of your passport should extend till a minimum of 90 days after returning from your international trip. We recommend you to keep it for 6 months, just to be sure. Also, remember that your passport should be one that has been taken in the past 10 years.

2) Covering Letter: In the covering letter, you need to explain all the details about your trip. It can also include your itinerary for the places you intend to visit and the countries you’ll be visiting apart from Iceland.

3) Blank pages in Passport: Ensure that you have at least two pages of the passport still blank, as part of the Iceland Visa Requirements. This is for allowing the necessary stamp upon arrival and departure.

4) Filled Visa Application form: Fill your Iceland visa application form with all the necessary information and check again to see if you’ve left out any mandatory fields. Also, don’t forget to duly sign the application before submitting. Our recommendation is that you fill the application online, take a printout of it, and then sign it before submitting.

5) Photographs: Your photograph should have the dimensions of a standard passport size photograph, which is 35 x 45 mm. Iceland Visa requirements for photographs also include 80% face coverage and the background with white matt finish.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS AND OTHER ICELAND VISA REQUIREMENTS:

1) Flight Itineraries: Embassies don’t have any responsibility in case your visa application is refused or cancelled. So, if you’re wondering how you can book a flight before even confirming your visa, here’s the good news for you. Embassies accept travel Itineraries, without actually purchasing a flight ticket beforehand, which could be an expensive deal if your visa is refused. Whether you want to buy a flight ticket or you need to prepare a flight itinerary for visa application, you can it booked from a reputed travel agency, such as Visa Reservation Services. When you choose your package for flight reservation at our agency, our friendly and experienced support crew can assist you throughout each stage of your application, so that you don’t miss out any important Iceland Visa requirements when the pressure bogs you down.

2) Proofs of accommodation: Most probably, you’d either stay at a paid accommodation like a hotel or stay at your friend’s/relative’s place when you’ll be visiting Iceland. Either way, you’ll have to show proofs of your accommodation to the Immigration officer. If it is a hotel that you’re staying in, the hotel reservation vouchers will be a valid proof. In case, you’ll be staying at a relative’s or friend’s place, you’ll need an invitation from them, along with the proof of sponsorship.

3) Proof of subsistence: The proof of subsistence, simply, means a proof that you have a healthy income and a good financial stability. For this, you’ll need to submit some documents, including:

1. Income Tax Returns papers for the last three years OR Form 16
2. Bank Statements for the past three months with the seal and signature from the same bank.
3. You can submit your salary slips for the past three months if you’re employed or your pension orders, if you’re retired, as additional non-mandatory Iceland visa requirements.

4) Medical insurance for the travel: During your travel, there are always chances that you can get sick or injured. That is why, the travel insurance is given such importance during the visa application to Ireland as well as any other Schengen country. When you opt for a travel insurance policy for visa, ensure that it covers expenses up to 30,000 EUR, and is valid in all the Schengen countries.

5) No Objection Letter from employer or institution: Iceland Visa requirements also includes getting a No Objection Letter from your employer or educational institution (if you’re a student), which includes the statements from your employer/educator that they don’t have any objection against you going abroad. They also need to reaffirm that you have adequate approved leaves for the trip.

After submitting the application for the visa, you need to appear for an interview at the Embassy of Iceland in person. Remember that you can’t send your travel agency or anyone else to appear on your behalf. This is particularly important since you’ll be providing your biometric data, which includes fingerprinting and digital photograph, for verification at the Embassy.

Once you’ve fulfilled all these Iceland visa requirements, you can fly to your dream destination without any further struggles. Also, since we provide all the assistance you need during the application process, you can always contact our amazing support crew through our Contact Us page to choose your package for your hotel reservations for visa or a dummy flight reservation. Just be sure that we can make your fun trip to Iceland much easier and stress-free!