Travellers who have had Covid will be exempt from Iceland quarantine
Travellers who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 will be exempt from any quarantine or testing requirements when visiting Iceland, Government officials have confirmed.
The new rules, which come into effect on December 10, will enable visitors from selected destinations with a "certificate of prior Covid-19 infection" to enter the country freely – based on the assumption that those who have already had the virus are immune.
"As of December 10, arriving passengers who have already recovered from a Covid-19 infection will [be] exempt from border measures if they can provide proof of prior infection," reads a statement from Iceland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The following certificates will be considered a "valid confirmation" of a previous infection:
Positive PCR-test result for SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 that is older than 14 days.
Presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 measured by ELISA serologic assay.
But while this is heartening news for travellers, Britons may only be able to take advantage of the rule relaxation until December 31. The Government website calls for "documented [Covid-positive] results from a laboratory within the EEA/EFTA-area". Telegraph Travel understands that until December 31, the rights and obligations contained in the EEA Agreement continue to apply for Britons – but post-Brexit, the UK will not be a EEA member state.
We have contacted the Iceland tourism board for clarification.
Currently, all travellers must either take a free-of-charge coronavirus test on arrival in Iceland, or self-isolate for 14 days. Those returning to the UK do not currently need to quarantine when they arrive home, as Iceland has 'travel corridor' status.
There will be further revision of entry requirements in the new year, Iceland Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir told local media, adding: “These measures are intended to limit the risk of infections getting into the country across the border. While we can never guarantee that all potential sources of future outbreaks can be stopped, it is prudent to aim to minimise this risk as much as possible.
“We are hopeful that the development of effective vaccines will allow us to review the border measures in the first weeks of the new year.”
