Iceland visa requirements for Chinese citizens

VFS Global under the Embassy of Iceland in Beijing (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Xi'an, Wuhan, Chengdu and Chongqing); in Hong Kong, the Consulate General of Finland

The Embassy of Iceland in Beijing handles applications directly where Iceland is the main destination of the trip, and it does so through VFS Global centres spread across ten cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Xi'an, Wuhan, Chengdu and Chongqing. They all report to the same embassy, so you pick the centre nearest to you. Hong Kong is the separate case within the same country: there Iceland is represented by the Consulate General of Finland, also through a VFS centre, so a Hong Kong resident lodges the file in the Finnish network rather than the Icelandic one. Before assuming this route, remember the general Schengen rule: the application goes to the country where you will spend the most time, and only if that country is Iceland does this route apply.

Official application site →

What the visa centre can and can't do →

Fee

€90

The €90 is the short-stay Schengen visa fee, set by Article 16 of the Visa Code (Regulation (EC) 810/2009) as amended by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415, in force since 11 June 2024. It is not a fee set by Iceland: the same amount is paid at any Schengen consulate. Children from the age of 6 and under 12 pay €45, and children under 6 are exempt. Travellers entering without a visa pay no fee at all.

Processing time

Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• A valid visa, if your nationality requires one. It is not needed if you hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen State (Art. 6(1)(b))
• Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay: an accommodation booking or a declaration of invitation from your host, and a return or onward ticket (Art. 6(1)(c) and Art. 6(3), which points to the non-exhaustive list in Annex I)
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole stay and for the return to your country of origin, or of being in a position to acquire such means lawfully. They are assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay, by reference to average prices for board and lodging in budget accommodation (Art. 6(1)(c) and 6(4)). Cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards and declarations of invitation or of sponsorship all count as proof (Art. 6(4))

How much money you need to show

ISK 8,000 per person per day, with a minimum of ISK 40,000 per entry

If someone else covers the cost of your stay, the daily figure is halved.

What each Schengen country asks for →

Source: European Commission, Annex 25 to the Practical Handbook for Border Guards (reference amounts notified by each State), version of 8 June 2026. Checked on 1 November 2026.

Health insurance

Mandatory to apply for the Schengen visa: minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).

Which policies meet the €30,000 requirement →

When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓

How long you can stay

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area (Iceland applies the same regime even though it is not an EU member).

Calculate your available Schengen days →

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →