News

COVID-19: Seating requirement in all licensed premises

The Minister of Health has approved a proposal from the Chief Epidemiologist obliging all premises with alcoholic beverage licences to provide seats for all guests, and guests normally to be seated as is the case in restaurants and cafes.…

The 75th UN General Assembly 2020 - Prime Minister's Adress

Ný kortlagning á danska nýsköpunarumhverfinu er komin á vefinn

Ný kortlagning á danska nýsköpunarumhverfinu er komin á vefinn. Í kjölfarið af útgáfu Viðskiptaáætlunar sendiráðs Íslands í Kaupmannahöfn í maí sl. hóf sendiráðið að kortleggja þennan geira í Danmörku og taka saman nytsamlegar upplýsingar fyrir frumkvöðla.

COVID-19: Closure of bars and night-clubs extended to 27 September

The Minister of Health, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, has approved a proposal by the Chief Epidemiologist to extend the temporary closure of bars and night-clubs to and including Sunday, 27 September 2020. A regulation announcing the closure has been sent for publication in the Govenrment Gazette.…

An intergenerational dialogue on how diverse leadership can change the world for gender equality

Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland, participated in a virtual intergenerational dialogue​of high-level female leaders with activists and young leaders from different parts of the world to focus on the importance of inclusive leadership and the change it can bring for all girls and women.

COVID-19: Temporary closure of bars and night-clubs in metropolitan area

The Minister of Health has approved a proposal by the Chief Epidemiologist to close bars and night-clubs in Reykjavík and adjacent municipalities for four days, from 18 to 21 September 2020 in an effort to combat the upsurge of COVID-19 infections. A regulation announcing the closure has been issued by the minister and has already taken effect.

Ísland styður rannsókn á mannréttindabrotum í Hvíta-Rússlandi.

Ísland var í hópi 17 aðildarríkja ÖSE, sem settu í dag af stað skoðun sérfræðinga, til að rannsaka alvarleg mannréttindabrot og misnotkun fyrir og eftir forsetakosningarnar í Hvíta-Rússlandi 9. ágúst sl.

Utanríkisráðherra fundar í Lundúnum vegna framtíðarviðræðna við Bretland

Viðræður Íslands og Bretlands um framtíðarsamskipti ríkjanna voru í brennidepli á fundum Guðlaugs Þórs Þórðarsonar utanríkis- og þróunarsamvinnuráðherra með breskum ráðherrum og þingmönnum í dag og í gær.

Quarantine shortened from 14 days to 7, ending with a test

The Minister of Health, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, has accepted a proposal from the Chief Epidemiologist to enable people to complete quarantine in connection with COVID-19 in 7 days if a test at the end of that time proves negative. On completing quarantine, people will still be required to observe precautions against infection and to avoid contact with vulnerable individuals.…

Call for action - International Equal Pay Day

International Equal Pay Day will be celebrated for the first time this 18 September. On the occasion of this event the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), of which Iceland is a member, hosts a virtual global event and Call to Action to encourage all labour market actors to take the necessary steps to ensure that equal pay is at the heart of recovery efforts worldwide.

Call for action - International Equal Pay Day, 18 September

International Equal Pay Day will be celebrated for the first time this 18 September. On the occasion of this event the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), of which Iceland is a member, hosts a virtual global event and Call to Action to encourage all labour market actors to take the necessary steps to ensure that equal pay is at the heart of recovery efforts worldwide.

Spilling og umhverfisskaði til umræðu á fundi efnahags- og umhverfisvíddar ÖSE.

Joint Nordic Statement at a UNSC meeting on the situation in Belarus

Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Iceland, delivered a Joint Nordic Statement at a special meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Belarus today.…

Less stringent restrictions on gatherings take effect on 7 September

The ‘social distancing’ rule will be relaxed from 2 metres to 1 metre and the maximum size of gatherings will be increased from 100 to 200 people on Monday, 7 September 2020. ​These are the main points in a new regulation that has been issued by the Minister of Health, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, on measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, following guidelines proposed by the Cief Epidemiologist.

Opnun áritanadeildar í London og þriggja afgreiðslustaða í Bretlandi

Sendiráðið í London opnaði formlega áritanadeild í gær og um leið voru opnaðir afgreiðslustaðir þjónustuaðilans VFS í London, Edinborg og Manchester.

Staða staðarráðins viðskiptafulltrúa við sendiráð Íslands í Kaupmannahöfn laus til umsóknar

Staða staðarráðins viðskiptafulltrúa við sendiráð Íslands í Kaupmannahöfn er laus til umsóknar. Um fullt starfshlutfall er að ræða. Gert er ráð fyrir að upphaf ráðningar verði 1. desember nk.

Ísland hvetur við viðræðna um málefni Hvíta-Rússlands.

Ísland hvetur við viðræðna um málefni Hvíta-Rússlands.

New advertisement: Restrictions on the size of gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic

A new advertisement issued by the Minister of Health setting out restrictions on the size of gatherings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic takes effect on 28 August 2020 and will remain in effect until and including 10 September.…

New rules on quarantine, isolation and screening at the border

Passengers arriving in Iceland on and after 19 August 2020 may choose either to submit to two screening tests for COVID-19, separated by five days’ quarantine until the results of the second test are known, or else not to undergo border screening but instead to spend 14 days in quarantine after arrival. The ministerial regulation announcing this takes effect as from midnight on 18 August.…

Icelandair Group hf.: Government Guaranteed Credit Facility Approved by the Icelandic Government

As previously announced, Icelandair Group has been in discussions with the Icelandic Government, along with Íslandsbanki and Landsbankinn, regarding a government guaranteed credit facility.

Sendiráð Íslands í Kaupmannahöfn 100 ára í dag!

Elsta sendiráð Íslands erlendis, sendiráðið í Kaupmannahöfn, er 100 ára í dag!

Double border screening for all arriving passengers

The Government of Iceland has decided to impose more comprehensive border-screening measures as of 19 August. All arriving passengers must choose between a 14-day quarantine and a double testing procedure along with a quarantine for 5-6 days.

Fundur í Kaupmannahöfn um íslenskt viðskiptaumhverfi og tækifæri á íslenska markaðnum

Sendiráðið vekur athygli á fundi um viðskiptaumhverfi og tækifæri á Íslandi sem haldinn verður í Arctic Institut í Kaupmannahöfn 17. ágúst nk. kl 13:00.

Modified rules on restrictions on public gatherings take effect on 14 August

Rules on social distancing will be eased for colleges, universities, and sports, according to a new announcement issued by Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Minister of Health. Otherwise, the general rule of the two-meter social distancing between individuals still applies.…

Fastanefnd Íslands í Vín verður lokuð frá 10. til 28. ágúst 2020.

Sr. Sigfús Kristjánsson sendiráðsprestur

ágúst 2020 tók sr. Sigfús Kristjánsson til starfa sem sendiráðsprestur í sendiráðinu í Kaupmannahöfn, en hann gengur til liðs við íslenska söfnuðinn í Danmörku. Þar með er staða prests Íslendinga í Danmörku endurvakin og er það mikið gleðiefni fyrir söfnuðinn sem hefur haldið uppi kraftmiklu starfi. Undanfarin ár hefur sr. Ágúst Einarsson, prestur Íslendinga í Svíþjóð, þjónað söfnuðinum í Danmörku.…

Climate Change

On June 23rd 2020 The Icelandic Government launched the second version of the national Climate Action Plan, intended to boost efforts in cutting net emissions.

Fastanefnd Íslands í Vín verður lokuð 3. ágúst 2020.

Iceland takes precautionary measures

New clusters of domestic infections are being investigated. Gathering limit set at 100 individuals and continued emphasis on personal hygienic measures and individual responsibility

Further easing of restrictions announced

No new domestic infections in the last three weeks and 11 active infections found in border screening during the same period. Local incidence in the past 14 days is 0, but 2,2 per 100 thousand when the border-screening cases are included.

Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir lætur af störfum sem yfirmaður ODIHR.

Svíþjóð kynnir formennskuáherslur fyrir 2021.

Svíþjóð kynnir formennskuáherslur fyrir 2021.

Revised list - residents of twelve non-EEA and Schengen states allowed to visit Iceland

European Union Member States have updated the list of countries for which travel restrictions at the external border should be gradually lifted. Two countries have been removed from the list: Serbia and Montenegro.

Travellers from Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Germany to be exempt from screening and quarantine requirements

As of next Thursday, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Germany will be removed from the list of high-risk countries.

Residents of fourteen non-EEA and Schengen states allowed to visit Iceland

Restrictions for residents of fourteen non-EEA and Schengen states will be lifted as of July 15, in line with the decision of EU Member States.

Icelanders and residents in Iceland to take special precautions after arriving in Iceland

The Minister of Health has decided, based on the recommendations of the Chief Epidemiologist, that Icelandic citizens and residents of Iceland will have to take special precautions during the first five days after arrival in Iceland or until they can be tested for the second time for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Treasury outcome for 2019 positive by ISK 42bn

The results of the Government accounts for 2019 have now been published and the accounts sent to Parliament. According to the accounts, the outcome was positive by ISK 42bn, as compared with a surplus of ISK 84bn in 2018. Revenues totalled ISK 838bn and operating expenditures ISK 818bn.…

Ísland lýsir áhyggjum vegna þróunar mála innan Samningsins um opna lofthelgi.

Ísland lýsir áhyggjum vegna þróunar mála innan Samningsins um opna lofthelgi.

Nordic Foreign Ministers receive report on Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy

On 30 October 2019, the foreign ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden decided to task Mr. Björn Bjarnason of Iceland to prepare an independent report with non-binding proposals on how to further develop Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy.

Joint press statement: Nordic Foreign Ministers receive report on Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy

On 30 October 2019, the foreign ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden decided to task Mr. Björn Bjarnason of Iceland to prepare an independent report with non-binding proposals on how to further develop Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy.

National Parks and Protected Areas

There are a large number of protected areas in Iceland, to which varying rules apply depending upon the aim of the protection accorded them, the nature of the area and the accord reached with stakeholders.

COVID-19: Decision on revised border screening regulations

​The Minister of Health has agreed to the Chief Epidemiologist’s recommendations to revise the current border-screening regulations, to be issued and effective no later than 13 July. The revision will only apply to Icelandic citizens and residents of Iceland who choose to be tested at the border.

Iceland one of the UN Member States in Generation Equality Forum Action Coalitions

Iceland will be among the UN Member States chosen to lead one of the UN Women Generation Equality Forum Action Coalitions, as has been announced. Iceland will lead the Action Coalition on gender-based violence along with Kenya, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.

Few active COVID-19 cases found in border tests - new cases in line with what was expected

Since 15 June Iceland has offered all international arrivals the opportunity to undergo COVID-19 testing at their point of entry as an alternative to a 14-day quarantine. The rule does not apply to minors (born 2005 and later) who are exempt from both quarantine and testing requirements.

Travel restrictions for residents of 15 countries to be lifted soon

Iceland will soon lift travel restrictions for residents of fifteen states outside the EU/Schengen Area in line with the decision of EU Member States. EU/Schengen citizens and residents are free to travel to Iceland under the condition that they preregister prior to arrival and undergo either a PCR test or a 14-day quarantine upon arriva

Price for border screening decreases

Starting 1 July, passengers who choose to be tested on arrival will be charged a fee of ISK 11,000 if paid on site, but ISK 9000 if paid in advance. The fee is lower than initially announced (ISK 15000) as the testing has proven more cost-efficient than expected, due to higher testing capacity.

Ísland ítrekar stuðning við traustvekjandi aðgerðir á hernaðarsviðinu.