Iceland is not in the EU, but it is fully inside Schengen, so Indian travellers apply for the same short-stay visa used across the area.[11] The Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi decides those applications through VFS Global, and its checklist is unusually specific about flights: a "Roundtrip flight reservation with PNR number and the name of traveler".[3] VFS adds that tickets "do not have to be paid-off".[4] What makes Iceland different is the network around it. The New Delhi embassy also handles UAE residents, while in many other countries a Danish, Norwegian, French or German mission takes Iceland's files. This guide sets out who decides where, quotes the flight wording, and covers Iceland's online form, daily funds rule and timing. The basics that hold everywhere in Schengen are in our Schengen visa flight reservation guide.
Iceland visa key facts for 2026
| Iceland topic | What Iceland's sources state |
|---|---|
| Who decides for Indian residents? | The Icelandic Embassy in New Delhi, through VFS Global offices.[5] |
| Flight wording, India | "Roundtrip flight reservation with PNR number and the name of traveler."[3] |
| Paid ticket needed? | No: "the tickets do not have to be paid-off, only booking needs to be submitted."[4] |
| Visa fee | €90, or €45 for ages 6 to 12.[7] VFS showed INR 9,900 and INR 4,950, plus a service charge of INR 2,900.[4] |
| Extra form | An online application at visa.government.is, with the confirmation shown at VFS.[3] |
| Funds | ISK 8,000 a day when staying in a hotel; ISK 4,000 a day if a third party covers costs.[3] |
| Processing | Normally within 15 days of the Embassy receiving the file.[3] Iceland's own portal says about two weeks if nothing more is needed.[7] |
What does Iceland's checklist say about flights?
Item 5 of the New Delhi checklist (dated February 2025) reads: "Proof of Transportation - Roundtrip flight reservation with PNR number and the name of traveler. If the applicant is travelling to several Schengen States, proof of intra-Schengen flight reservation, train itinerary or car rental."[3]
That is the most precise flight line we have seen from any Schengen mission in India. It names the two things that make a reservation checkable: the PNR and your name. A document without a booking reference, or one listing only the lead passenger, does not meet it.
The VFS tourism page repeats the requirement in looser words, "Flight reservation of return or round ticket", and then settles the payment question: "Please note that the tickets do not have to be paid-off, only booking needs to be submitted."[4] Iceland's government portal names "Reservation of or return or round ticket" among the proofs that you will go home.[6]
Item 7 asks for a cover letter stating "purpose of travel, duration, names of accompanying persons, transport and accommodation details".[3] Repeat the PNR there. It costs nothing and saves the officer a search.
Who handles Iceland visas in other countries?
Iceland has few embassies, so its portal lists, country by country, which mission takes Iceland's visa applications. Some answers surprise people.
| Where you live | Mission named on island.is | Flight wording you should follow |
|---|---|---|
| India | Icelandic Embassy in New Delhi, via VFS[5] | "Roundtrip flight reservation with PNR number and the name of traveler"[3] |
| UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) | Icelandic Embassy in New Delhi, via VFS[5] | "Copy of flight ticket or flight reservation including return flight"[8] |
| Saudi Arabia | Royal Danish Embassy[5] | The Danish mission's checklist |
| Pakistan | Royal Danish Embassy[5] | The Danish mission's checklist |
| Qatar | French Embassy[5] | The French mission's checklist |
| Kuwait | German Embassy[5] | The German mission's checklist |
| Philippines | Embassy of Iceland in Tokyo[5] | Iceland's own list for that office |
| Nigeria | Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi[5] | The Norwegian mission's checklist |
The UAE arrangement is worth spelling out. VFS in Abu Dhabi and Dubai collects the file and forwards it to the Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi for processing.[8] The UAE checklist accepts a "Copy of flight ticket or flight reservation including return flight", so a held reservation fits there too.[8] For more on the Dubai route, see Iceland visa requirements from Dubai.
Where another country represents Iceland, that mission's own checklist governs the flight document. In Qatar, for instance, France's wording applies, and in Kuwait, Germany's. Our France and Germany guides quote those.
Does a held reservation fit Iceland's rules?
For applications in India and the UAE, yes, and in plain words. India's checklist names a reservation with PNR, and VFS says tickets need not be paid.[3][4] The UAE list offers ticket or reservation.[8] If the representing mission insists on a purchased fare, our held booking would not meet that demand, so follow that list or check with the mission.
Our view: Iceland is an expensive trip to change. Buying non-refundable flights before the Embassy decides is a gamble we would not take.
How the application works in India
There are two forms. You fill in the online application at visa.government.is and bring its confirmation to VFS, and you also hand in the printed, signed Schengen form with a photo.[3] Miss the online step and the file is incomplete.
Money is measured per day. Your bank statement must show you can cover ISK 8,000 a day in a hotel, or ISK 4,000 a day if someone else pays for your stay. The original statement should cover three months, with every page stamped and signed by the bank, and is required from every applicant, sponsored or not. Add ITR acknowledgements for the last two assessment years.[3]
Insurance must cover at least 30,000 (the checklist writes "30,000 USD (30,000 EUR)"), list its validity and coverage area, and span the whole trip; an insurance card alone is not accepted.[3]
If VFS marks something missing, the Embassy expects it by email within five days of the appointment.[3] Check your spam folder while you wait; the checklist itself warns about that.
Visiting family or friends in Iceland?
The same New Delhi checklist covers family and friend visits, with extra papers. If you are visiting a spouse who lives in Iceland, bring the marriage certificate or proof of cohabitation. For close relatives, show the family relationship, and ask your host to complete Iceland's online invitation form and, if they will pay for your stay, the online guarantee form for visits. Both forms are on island.is under supporting documents.[3][6]
Your flight document does not change. You still need the round-trip reservation with the PNR and every traveller's name.[3] What does change is the funds sum: when the host covers your costs, the checklist's lower daily figure of ISK 4,000 applies, backed by the sponsor's signed letter and a signed copy of their passport.[3]
Children travelling with one parent need written consent from the other parent, certified by a notary, unless that parent has sole custody and can prove it with a court order.[3] Sort this out weeks ahead; notarised consent is the document families most often leave until the last day.
How early should you apply for Iceland?
The checklist says applications are normally processed within 15 days of reaching the Embassy.[3] The VFS tourism page asks applicants to allow at least 21 days, excluding VFS handling time to and from the Embassy, and recommends submitting at least two weeks before travel, earlier before holidays.[4] EU rules allow applications up to six months ahead.[1]
Two weeks is the floor, not a plan. Say you want to see the Northern Lights from 5 February. We would submit in early December, which gives room for a request for more documents and for the courier time between your VFS city and New Delhi.
Is Iceland your main destination?
Apply to Iceland if it has the most nights or is the main reason for the trip.[1] The checklist adds a line you sign: Iceland "cannot be considered the Member state competent" if you are staying longer in another member state.[3]
Many routes from India change planes in a European hub. If that hub is in Schengen, such as Copenhagen, Helsinki or Frankfurt, your Schengen entry happens there, but Iceland is still the right country to apply to if it gets the most nights. A three-night stopover in Copenhagen against seven nights in Iceland: apply to Iceland. Five nights in Norway and four in Iceland: Norway's mission should take the file. If your connection is in London, remember the UK is outside Schengen, so your first Schengen entry will be at Keflavík, and you should check UK transit rules separately.
For trips mixing countries, reservations for multi-country Schengen trips and which Schengen country to apply to go further.
What your Iceland reservation should show
- A PNR printed clearly. The checklist names it.[3]
- Every traveller's name, not just the lead passenger's.[3]
- A round trip from and back to your country of residence.
- Intra-Schengen legs if you visit another country on the way.[3]
- Dates that match the online form, the printed form, hotels, insurance and your leave letter.
- A live booking you have opened yourself on the carrier's website the day before VFS.
Preparing the flight part, step by step
- Check island.is to confirm which mission handles your country.
- Count nights so Iceland is the main destination.
- Complete the online application at visa.government.is and save the confirmation.
- Book the VFS appointment six to eight weeks before travel.
- Reserve the flights on our booking page close to the appointment date. Holds stay live for up to 2 weeks, and every airline fixes its own exact limit.
- Look up the PNR on the airline's site; our guide to verifying a reservation before submission shows how.
- Write the cover letter with flights, PNR, hotels and companions.
- Do the funds sum: nights × ISK 8,000, and make sure the statement covers it.
Iceland-specific slips
- Skipping the online form at visa.government.is.[3]
- A reservation without a PNR or without every traveller's name.[3]
- A balance below the daily ISK amount for the length of stay.[3]
- Submitting only an insurance card instead of the full policy.[3]
- Missing the five-day window for documents VFS flagged.[3]
- Applying in Riyadh or Doha with India's checklist, when a Danish or French mission decides there.[5]
Return-ticket and funds checks on arrival
Iceland's entry rules say non-EEA visitors must have enough money for the stay and to return to their country of origin, and must explain the purpose of the trip.[9] The Schengen Borders Code lets border guards ask for supporting documents, such as accommodation and the means to leave.[10] In practice, carry the return ticket you paid for once the visa was granted, your hotel confirmations and your insurance. If your Schengen entry is in Copenhagen or Helsinki, those checks happen there.
Can the Embassy check your reservation?
Yes, easily, and Iceland's checklist practically invites it by asking for the PNR. The declaration you sign says the application "will be refused if falsified or forged documents are submitted".[3] Article 32 of the Visa Code says the same in law.[2] Every reservation we issue is a genuine booking in the airline's system, and we never alter or invent one.
Iceland visa flight reservation: questions people ask
Will Iceland's embassy want a paid ticket from Indian applicants?
No. Its New Delhi checklist requests a roundtrip flight reservation with the PNR and the traveller's name, and VFS states that tickets do not have to be paid, only booked. A held reservation with a live PNR meets that. Buy the real ticket after the visa is issued, inside its validity.
I live in Dubai. Where does my Iceland application go?
To the Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi. Iceland's portal lists New Delhi for both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and the UAE checklist says VFS forwards the file there. That checklist accepts a copy of a flight ticket or a flight reservation including the return flight.
Who handles Iceland visas in Saudi Arabia or Qatar?
Iceland's portal names the Royal Danish Embassy for Saudi Arabia and the French Embassy for Qatar, each through VFS. Follow the checklist of the mission that decides, because its flight wording may differ from India's. Confirm on island.is before booking, as representation can change.
Why does Iceland ask for the PNR on the reservation?
The PNR is the airline's booking reference, and with your surname it lets anyone open the booking on the airline's website. Iceland's checklist names it so the Embassy can see the flight is genuinely held for you. A document without a working PNR does not meet the requirement.
How much money do I need to show for Iceland?
The New Delhi checklist asks for ISK 8,000 per day of the trip if you stay in a hotel, or ISK 4,000 per day if a third party pays for your stay. Show this in an original three-month statement stamped and signed by your bank, with two years of ITR acknowledgements.
When should I book the reservation for an Iceland appointment?
Very close to the VFS appointment, ideally that same week. Two weeks is the longest a hold lasts, and some carriers release seats earlier, so a booking made a month early may have lapsed before your file reaches New Delhi. Fresh is better here.
Can I connect through London on the way to Iceland?
Yes, but London is outside Schengen, so your Schengen entry will be at Keflavík. Check whether you need a UK transit visa for your connection, which is a separate question from the Iceland visa. A connection in Copenhagen or Helsinki avoids that, with Schengen entry in that hub instead.
What an Iceland reservation costs with us
Your PDF lists every passenger by name and prints the PNR near the top, because that is exactly what New Delhi asks to see. The seat is held, not bought, so it cannot replace the ticket you fly on.
Charges are per person; a single journey and a return cost the same. A stopover routing, say via Copenhagen to Reykjavík, adds pairs of legs at the rates listed on dummy ticket price. Razorpay processes UPI, card and netbanking payments. The PDF normally follows in about 10 minutes; if it seems slow, track your order will tell you why. For a fuller comparison of approaches, see flight reservation for visa. Visa rules elsewhere are gathered in requirements by country. Hotel gaps can be filled with our hotel booking for visa, and travellers without a visa requirement who must prove exit can use onward ticket.
Reserve flights for your Iceland visa
PNR plus every passenger's name, ready for VFS. ₹699 / $9 apiece.
Please note: reserve only for a journey you intend to make. The Embassy of Iceland, or the mission representing it, has the final word on each file, and we cannot influence or guarantee that outcome.
More country guides: Germany, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Croatia and Malta. Everything else about our service is on the DummyTicketPrice front page.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Applying for a Schengen visa.
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code), consolidated text: Article 32.
- Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi via VFS Global India, Visa document checklist: tourism, business, visiting family and friends (PDF, February 2025).
- VFS Global, Iceland visa information for India (fees, means of transport, processing).
- Iceland.is, Where to apply?
- Iceland.is, Supporting documents.
- Iceland.is, Get a visa (fee and processing).
- Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi via VFS Global UAE, Visa document checklist, United Arab Emirates (PDF, April 2025).
- Iceland.is, Entry requirements.
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code): Article 6 and Annex I.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Schengen area.
Related: flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · hotel booking for visa · all visa guides.