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.

What the visa centre can and can't do →

Authorization system

None operational yet (ETIAS delayed)

Iceland is part of the Schengen Area (though not the European Union) and therefore of the future ETIAS system (a travel authorization for nationalities exempt from a Schengen visa). As of the verification date, ETIAS is NOT operational. Once launched: cost €20, validity 3 years, applicable to passport holders from countries exempt from a Schengen visa.

What ETIAS is, who it will affect and when it starts →

Fee

Doesn't apply until ETIAS is operational. For consular Schengen visas, the fee depends on the visa type and hasn't been verified specifically for Iceland.

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))

Vaccinations

• No mandatory vaccines for entry: no international certificate of vaccination (yellow fever included) is required under the International Health Regulations.

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 →

Transit rules

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).

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

Customs limits

Cash

Voluntarily declare to Customs if entering or leaving Iceland with €10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent in another currency), at the official exchange rate.

Alcohol

Only for those aged 20 or over, ONE of these five duty-free combinations must be chosen: 1L spirits + 0.75L wine + 3L beer; or 3L wine + 6L beer; or 1L spirits + 6L beer; or 1.5L wine + 12L beer; or 18L beer (spirits are defined as over 21% alcohol, wine as 21% or under and not beer).

Tobacco

200 cigarettes or 250 grams of other tobacco products, duty-free, for those aged 18 or over.

Overstay penalties

Art. 116 of the Act on Foreigners (lög um útlendinga nr. 80/2016) punishes non-compliance with immigration rules, including staying without the required authorization, with a fine or up to 6 months of imprisonment. No fixed fine amount in Icelandic krónur, verified against an official source, was found for the specific case of a tourist overstaying; in practice, the Directorate of Immigration (Útlendingastofnun) can issue an expulsion with a re-entry ban to Iceland and, as a rule, the rest of the Schengen area.

What happens if you stay past 90 days →

Common reasons for denial

• Producing a false or falsified travel document, or reasonable doubts arising about the authenticity of the supporting documents submitted or the truthfulness of their content (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 32(1)(a)(i) and 32(1)(b)).
• Failing to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay (Art. 32(1)(a)(ii); the same entry condition appears in Art. 6(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, so it is also checked at the border).
• Failing to provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole intended stay and for the return to the country of origin or residence, and not being in a position to acquire such means lawfully (Art. 32(1)(a)(iii)).
• Having already used up the 90 days of stay within the current 180-day period on the territory of the Member States (Art. 32(1)(a)(iv)).
• Being the subject of an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry (Art. 32(1)(a)(v)).
• Being considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any Member State (Art. 32(1)(a)(vi)).
• Failing to provide proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable (Art. 32(1)(a)(vii)).
• Reasonable doubts arising about the reliability of the statements made or about the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the visa applied for expires (Art. 32(1)(b)).