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Travellers Essentials
Passport
Passport valid for at least 3 months after intended date of
departure required by all, except:
a)Nationals of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Liechstenstein,
Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Switzerland holding a national
ID card.
b)Nationals of Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden traveling
from a Scandinavian country.
Visa
Required by all except the following for stays of up to 3
months:
a)Nationals of Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados,
Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominica,
Estonia, Grenada, Guyana, Hungary, Israel, Jamaica, Kiribati,
Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway,
Poland, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, San Marino,
Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon
Islands, Swaziland, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu,
Uruguay, Vanuatu and Vatican City.
Currency
Icelandic Krona (Ikr) = 100 aurar. Notes are in denominations
of Ikr5000, 2000, 1000, 500 and 100. Coins are in denominations
of IKr100, 50, 10, 5 and 1.
Currency Exchange
Foreign currencies can be exchanged in all major banks, some
of which are open 24 hours. Most hotels also provide their
guests with exchange services.
Credit cards
Visa, Eurocard, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express
are widely accepted. Check with your credit card company for
details of merchant acceptability and other services which
may be available.
Travelers cheques
Cheques are widely used here. To avoid additional exchange
rate charges, travelers are advised to take travelers cheques
in US Dollars.
Currency restrictions
The import and export of local currency is limited to Ikr8000;
the import of foreign currency is unlimited and the export
of foreign currency is limited to the amount imported.
Duty Free
The following goods may be imported into Iceland by passengers
of 16 years of age and over.
a)200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco products.
b)1 liter of spirits or 1 liter of wine or 12 bottles of beer
(or a combination of two of these quantities).
Custom Duty
All fishing equipment, including waders and rubber boots,
must be disinfected and a certificate of disinfection issued
by an official veterinary authority should be presented on
arrival.
Prohibited Items
The items are drugs, firearms and uncooked meats.
Getting There
Air:
The national airline, Icelandair (FI), operates direct flights
to Keflav�k from London, New York, and many European cities.
By Sea:
Sea passengers must travel from Aberdeen, with a three-day
stop-over in the Faroe Islands. A few ferry companies also
operate services to Iceland from Norway and The Netherlands.
Getting Around
By Air:
Air Iceland runs domestic services throughout the island to
ten major destinations which links with regional carriers
in the west, north and east of the country.
By Sea:
Ferry services serve all coastal ports in summer, although
weather changes timetables in winter. By Road:
Roads serve all settlements. The 12,000km (7500 miles) of
roads are mostly gravel rather than tarred.
a)Bus:
Services are efficient and cheap, connecting all parts of
the island during the summer. In winter, buses operate to
a limited number of destinations.
b)Taxi:
Available from all hotels and airports.
c)Car hire:
Car rental services are available from Reykjav�k, Akureyri
and many other towns. Drivers must be over 20 years of age.
An International Driving Permit is required.
Social Conventions
Visitors will find Iceland is a classless society with a strong
literary tradition. Handshaking is the normal form of greeting.
People are addressed as Fru (Mrs) and Herra (Mr). Icelanders
pay careful attention to their appearance and, as for most
Western countries, casual wear is widely acceptable although
unsuitable for smart and social functions.
Tipping
Service charges are included in most bills and extra tips
are not expected.
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