Iceland visa

Posted by Piyush on January 2nd, 2020

Aptly termed as the ‘Land of ice and fire’, Iceland has an impeccable beauty. Be it the icy glaciers, the hot lava-spewing volcanoes, or the breathtaking aurora borealis, you are bound to be amazed by this country. Lucky for you, the Iceland visa can present you with an opportunity to witness this marvellous setting. 

Though quite a lot of nationalities can enter the country without the visa, an Iceland visa for Indians is a mandatory requirement. With this visa, you can travel around the country on tourism, attend to your business activities, visit your family or friends living there, and much more. Now, being a Schengen country, Iceland is bound by the Schengen agreement rules. As a result, the visa issued by Iceland is valid across the other Schengen countries as well. In the following sections, we’ll take a look at the visa in detail. 

Types of Iceland Visa

Depending on the purpose of your visit and the duration of the stay, the Icelandic permits can be classified into the following types - 

• Short term  - This is also known as the Schengen C type, or the Iceland Schengen visa. This type of permit is issued for a duration of up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Based on the purposes, these can further be classified into - 

• Tourist - The Iceland tourist visa is issued for individuals looking to take part in tourism-related activities such as sightseeing, leisure activities, etc. 

• Business - This category is issued for people visiting the country for the purpose of taking part in business activities. 

• Visit - The visit permit is issued for people entering Iceland to meet their family members or friends living in the country. 

• Study/Cultural/Sports - This category is granted for people entering Iceland to take part in short term studies, research, cultural and sporting events, etc. 

• Long term - Also known as the D type Schengen, these permits are issued for a duration of longer than 90 days. They can be classified into the following based on the purpose - 

• Study - Issued for students taking part in education and other academic activities such as enrolling in courses, research, internship, etc. 

• Work- This is apt for individuals who are entering Iceland to take part in work-related activities. 

• Family reunification - This is issued for people who are visiting the country to unite with their spouse, family, etc and stay with them for a long period.

• Religious workers - This category is for individuals entering the country to take part in religious activities.  

How to apply for an Iceland visa?

Applying for the Icelandic visa can be a hectic task and involves various complications. This is precisely why it is strongly advised to use the services of a visa consultant for applying. In India, the Iceland visa for Indians is issued by the Embassy of Denmark as the Icelandic embassy does not issue a visa. Regardless, the following are the steps involved in the application. 

1. Obtain all the documents required as per the visa type you are applying for. 

2. Go to the online portal of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and register an account.

3. Proceed to fill the online application form. Keep in mind that the application form is the same as the one used for the Denmark visa.  

4. Proceed to pay the Iceland visa fee as mentioned. 

5. Book an appointment at one of the Visa Application Centres (VAC). 

6. Visit the respective VAC with the appointment confirmation and the documents. You will have to submit your biometrics here as well.

Although the information above will give you a good understanding of the Iceland visa, there are a number of other details you must know, such as the documents, the eligibility conditions, the processing times, and so on. You can find all this detailed information on an Iceland visa guide.