Do You Need a Visa for Iceland?

Short answer: if you live in Germany or another Schengen country and hold a valid residence permit, you don't need a separate visa for Iceland — with any passport, including a Russian one. Without a residence permit, Ukrainians still don't need a visa, but Russians do.

We get the question "can I go with a German residence permit?" before almost every Iceland tour. So we've put everything in one place: who travels freely, who needs a visa, which documents to bring, and what's changed with the new EES and ETIAS systems.

The main thing to know: Iceland is not part of the European Union, but it is part of the Schengen Area. That means the same rules apply as for a trip to, say, France or Italy.

The limit for everyone who isn't an EU citizen: no more than 90 days in Schengen within any 180 days. For a 7–10 day tour that's never an issue.

If you already have a German passport

No visa needed, and no registrations either. EU citizens fly to Iceland just like to any other Schengen country.

• You can travel on an ID card (Personalausweis), a passport isn't required.
• The document must be valid for the entire trip.
• If you have dual citizenship, travel on your German document. You don't need the second passport for this trip.
• The new EES system doesn't apply to EU citizens: no fingerprints or photos will be taken at the border.

If you have a Ukrainian passport

No visa is needed, with or without a residence permit. The only difference is which documents you show and whether your days are counted.
With a German (or any Schengen) residence permit. Bring your international passport and your residence permit card. This also applies to those with a residence permit under temporary protection (§ 24 AufenthG): it's a full residence permit and lets you travel within Schengen.

Without a residence permit (for example, you live in Poland on other documents or are flying in from outside the EU). The standard visa-free rules apply: up to 90 days out of 180, with a biometric international passport. If you enter Schengen from outside, you'll be registered in EES at the border: fingerprints and a photo.

What definitely won't work:

• an internal passport or a Ukrainian ID card — these aren't travel documents for going abroad;
• an expired international passport: you won't be allowed to board, even with a valid residence permit;
• a non-biometric passport without a Schengen residence permit — visa-free travel doesn't apply to it.

Children need their own international passports; being listed in a parent's passport isn't enough.

If you have a Russian passport

Here everything depends on your residence permit.
With a German or other Schengen residence permit — no visa needed. A Schengen residence permit in itself gives you the right to travel throughout the zone for up to 90 days out of 180. Bring your passport and residence permit card. No visa, no ETIAS, and no EES registration.

Without a Schengen residence permit — you need a Schengen visa. This also applies to people living in Europe but outside Schengen: in Serbia, Montenegro, the UK or Ireland, for example. You need to apply at the consulate or visa center that accepts Iceland applications in your country of residence. The list is on the website of the Directorate of Immigration of Iceland (Útlendingastofnun).
A valid Schengen visa from any country works in Iceland too. But a new visa application should go to the country where you'll spend the most days. If you're only going to Iceland, that means an Icelandic visa.

Which residence permits work and which don't

Any valid residence document issued by a Schengen country works. For Germany that means:

• a residence permit card (eAT, Aufenthaltserlaubnis), including temporary protection under § 24;
• Niederlassungserlaubnis and the EU Blue Card;
• a national type D visa for long-term stay;
• a Fiktionsbescheinigung marked "§ 81 Abs. 4". It extends your previous residence permit while the authorities process your case, and you can travel within Schengen with it.

What doesn't work:

• a Fiktionsbescheinigung marked "§ 81 Abs. 3" — it only allows you to stay in Germany, not to travel;
• Duldung and Aufenthaltsgestattung (the certificate issued while an asylum claim is being processed);
• an expired residence permit card without a Fiktionsbescheinigung;
• residence permits from Ireland and Cyprus: these countries aren't in the Schengen Area.

If you're not sure which type of Fiktionsbescheinigung you have, check which paragraph is marked on the form itself. If your residence permit expires during the trip, it's better to book an appointment at the Ausländerbehörde in advance.

Passport: what to check in advance

For everyone not travelling on an EU passport, the Schengen rules apply:

• the passport was issued no more than 10 years ago;
• it's valid for at least 3 more months after the date you leave Schengen.

On a flight from Germany to Iceland there's usually no passport control: it's a flight within Schengen. But the airline checks your documents at boarding, and the Icelandic police may run spot checks at Keflavík airport. So always bring your passport and residence permit card — a copy on your phone doesn't count.

Common mistakes that get people denied boarding:

• the name on the ticket is spelled differently from the passport (transliteration especially);
• the residence permit is glued into an old passport while you're flying on a new one: bring both;
• a route with a layover in London. The UK isn't in Schengen, and transit there has its own rules for Russian and Ukrainian passports. It's easier to pick a direct flight or a layover in Copenhagen, Oslo or another Schengen city.

EES and ETIAS: what's already running and what's still coming

EES has been in operation since 10 April 2026 in all Schengen countries, including Iceland (European Commission). It's electronic registration at the external border instead of stamps: fingerprints and a photo. It only applies to people entering Schengen for a short stay without a residence permit. EU citizens and holders of a Schengen residence permit or a type D visa are exempt from EES. Important: on a Germany–Iceland flight you don't cross a Schengen border, so EES doesn't affect this trip either way.

ETIAS isn't running yet. It's an electronic authorisation costing €20 for people travelling to Schengen visa-free — Ukrainians without a residence permit, for example. There is no launch date yet: the EU says it will announce it several months in advance, and no applications are being accepted (European Commission on ETIAS). Russians don't need ETIAS: they need a visa. Holders of a Schengen residence permit won't need ETIAS either.

Beware of websites already offering to "process your ETIAS" for money: applications aren't open yet.

Pre-departure checklist

• Passport valid at least 3 months after your return and issued no more than 10 years ago
• Residence permit card (or type D visa, or Fiktionsbescheinigung § 81 Abs. 4) valid for the entire trip
• Name on the ticket matches the passport letter for letter
• Route with no layover outside Schengen
• Children have their own passports
• Russians without a Schengen residence permit — visa in the passport

Entry rules change, and this text isn't legal advice. If your situation doesn't fit any line in the table, check it on the website of the Directorate of Immigration of Iceland or write to us before booking.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Iceland with a German residence permit?

No. A valid residence permit from Germany or another Schengen country lets you travel to Iceland visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180, with any passport, including Russian and Ukrainian. Bring your passport and residence permit card.

Do I need a visa for Iceland with a Russian passport?

Yes, if you don't have a Schengen residence permit: you need a Schengen visa. A valid Schengen visa from any country also works for Iceland.

Can I fly to Iceland with a German ID card?

Yes. EU citizens only need an ID card (Personalausweis); a passport isn't required. The document must be valid for the whole trip.

Do I need ETIAS to travel to Iceland?

Not yet: ETIAS isn't operating and no applications are being accepted. Once it launches, it will apply to people travelling to Schengen visa-free without a residence permit. Holders of a Schengen residence permit and people who need a visa won't need ETIAS.

Let's go to Iceland together

On ShortTrips tours in Iceland we check every participant's documents at the booking stage. So the question "will they let me in?" is settled in advance, not at the check-in desk. Groups of up to 8 people.