Fee for Coronavirus Test at Airport: ISK 15,000
From Keflavík International Airport. mbl.is/Hari
Beginning July 1, arriving passengers at Keflavík International Airport will be charged ISK 15,000 (USD 113; EUR 100) for being tested for the novel coronavirus, if they opt for testing instead of spending 14 days in quarantine.
This was announced by the Icelandic government Friday. Testing at the airport is to begin June 15, but will be free of charge for the first two weeks. Children born in 2005 or later are exempt from testing as well as from quarantine. Travelers will be required to fill out a pre-registration form before arrival and to follow rules regarding infection control. In addition, they will be encouraged to download the tracing app, Rakning C-19, which helps authorities trace the source of transmission.
mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
“The intention is to safeguard the progress we have made so far when travelers start returning to Iceland” Chief Epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason stated earlier. “Throughout the pandemic, we have aimed for moderate but targeted measures based on the best available information. Primary schools have remained open and no lockdowns have been imposed. Now that there are almost no cases in Iceland, we see this as a normal next step as the world is slowly opening up to travel again.”
According to covid.is , there are currently three active cases of COVID-19 in Iceland. Only eight new cases were confirmed in May, and only one case has been confirmed so far in June.
“Iceland will continue its strategy of rigorous testing and contact-tracing and all mechanisms that have proven successful in dealing with the pandemic so far remain in place in case the number of cases rises again,” the government’s statement reads.
When interviewed by mbl.is, Jóhannes Þór Skúlason, CEO of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association, criticized the decision to set the fee for testing at ISK 15,000. He finds the fee too high and states that it has the same effect as a tax imposed on tourists.
He reports that the announcement of the fee has resulted in numerous cancelations from airlines, travel agencies and other travel service companies. He isn’t opposed to having tourists cover part of the cost of testing, but he’d like to see their share smaller.
No decision has been made regarding for how many months testing will be conducted at the airport.
