Pre-travel preparations are necessary and consideration must be given to what needs to be done before arriving in the airport departure lounge and during security screening.
When packing up for a trip, you should keep in mind that beauty bags, toothpaste, hair products, perfume glasses, creams, razors, deodorant, soaps, shaving cream and other similar items are best placed in your checked luggage.
It is important to pack items in check-in luggage that are not permitted in hand luggage, such as scissors, nail files and pocket knives.
Once a passenger has been found in security, it is too late to fit prohibited items into previously checked baggage.
If prohibited articles are found during security screening, the passenger is not allowed to take them inside the security gate.
Facilities for storing prohibited articles are not available at airports in Iceland.
Travel authorisation to the United States
Passengers intending to travel to the United States must visit the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) website as required by the Homeland Security Council of the United States of America.
Citizens of countries that are members of the electronic passport system do not need a visa, but instead must have obtained an approved travel authorisation before leaving.
It is important to apply for the travel authorization well in advance. It is recommended to apply for authorization at least 72 hours before travelling.
The application process
Go to the CBP secure ESTA website.
Fill out the form asking for personal and travel information.
The application is processed by the system and is determined immediately whether the applicant is eligible to travel to the United States without a visa.
The system provides an automatic answer but before boarding the aircraft the carrier ascertains whether an approved travel authorisation is on the register of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Travel within Schengen
Iceland is a party to the Schengen Agreement, the essence of which is to ensure the free movement of individuals through the internal borders of the partner states.
As a matter of principle, travel within the Schengen area is possible without presenting passports at the border.
Valid identity documents must be carried out in order to prove his identity at any time required.
Icelandic passports are the only documents that can certify the nationality of Icelandic citizens within Schengen and are therefore required to carry them at all times.
Visas or permits to transit (visa).
It is appropriate to examine in good time whether a visa or a permission to enter is required in the country to be visited.
Icelandic citizens generally require a visa, but many exceptions apply as compared to travel to Schengen member states.
When a visa is required, it usually needs to be applied for in foreign embassies and/or consulates.
When the state in question has neither an embassy nor consulate in Iceland, a passport or photocopy may have to be sent to the diplomatic office in question abroad.
See the Directorate of Immigration for further details.
If a passenger is ill or has been ill and is concerned whether a future flight may affect the illness, then there is every reason to discuss this concern with the family doctor before departing.
It is also possible to discuss and obtain feedback from the air carrier concerned. If a passenger with an underlying illness is travelling abroad, it is a good idea to have checked his/her insurance status before travelling.
Vaccinations
Before starting, you should consider whether vaccination is necessary. Further information on this can be obtained from the Embassy of the state in question, from the general practitioner, the primary healthcare clinic or the Directorate of Health.
Sudden illness
If a passenger becomes sick on board and the aeroplane is to be turned towards the nearest airport, the operator will not be liable for any costs incurred by the passenger due to his/her medical care.
However, the air carrier should try to help the passenger reach his/her destination or return home when he/she is able to resume the journey. In such cases, there is a reason for passengers to check what their travel insurance covers.
Further details
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published information and advice for tourists .
Rules are in force restricting what passengers are permitted to carry with them in their hand luggage inside the security gates.
Travelling with liquid in hand luggage:
Each unit of packaging may have a maximum capacity of 100 millilitres (1dl) of liquid.
All packaging must fit in a transparent one (1) litre plastic bag which can be closed with a plastic zip.
Each passenger may carry one bag.
"Liquids" means, for example: gels, creams, ointments and aerosols, whether in bottles, pressure containers, tubes or containers.
The following essentials for personal use
are permitted in hand luggage, if security staff do not consider that they pose a threat:
A quantity of medication that will do the job while you are travelling.
Baby food.
Foods for special dietary purposes.
Passengers are permitted to carry into security restricted areas a liquid in a STEB (STEBS - Security Tamper Evident Bag) upon the following conditions:
The bag is closed and does not indicate an attempt to open it.
The bag contains a receipt providing proof that the purchase of liquids took place at a duty free shop or on board an aircraft.
The bag shall be separated from other cabin baggage before screening.
A list of items which not allowed in cabin((pdf) and which passengers are not allowed into security restricted areas or on board an aircraft is available. This list is not exhaustive.
EASA information on dangerous goods in air passengers' baggage, European regulations and European airlines:
https://www.easa.europa.eu/easa-and-you/passengers/dangerous-goods
Information from FAA regarding dangerous goods in cabin bags, rules in the USA http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/hazmat_safety/?&cid=FB210
Check-in
You can use online check-in, self-check-in or check-in in the departure hall.
When you arrive at the airport, you can hand over your luggage if there is any and go straight to security. Passengers with hand luggage only can go straight to security.
Security check
It is a good idea to have your boarding card and passport (or other documents) ready for inspection by security guards. Once you get to the conveyor belt of a security scanner, it is a good idea to put hand luggage in a plastic tray, if you have one. Furthermore, a passenger must:
Take plastic bags of liquid from hand luggage.
Remove a laptop and other larger electrical appliances from a bag.
Remove coats.
Remove their belts and empty their pockets.
Customers should be able to compare effectively the prices for air services of different airlines.
The final price to be paid by the customer for air services originating in the EEA area must be indicated net of all taxes, charges and fees.
The final price to be paid shall always be indicated and shall include
applicable air fare
and also all
all taxes
all costs
Airport charges
all other charges, e.g. related to aviation security or fuel.
all fees
which are unavoidable and foreseeable at the time the charges are published. Optional price supplements shall be provided in a clear, transparent and unambiguous manner at the beginning of each booking process and their approval by the customer shall be based on his choice.
See Isavia tariff for further details
You can also view the website of the airline that you are travelling on.
Service provider
The Icelandic Transport Authority