News

Statement at OSCE Permanent Council on Russia's War Against Ukraine and the Specific Impacts on Children and Youth

Increased support for UNICEF, UN Women and UNFPA

The subject of Minister for Foreign Affairs Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir’s meetings with the leaders of the United Nations this week was Iceland’s participation in and support for the United Nations, as well as the war in Ukraine. During those meetings, the Minister also announced that this year Iceland will increase its contributions to UNICEF, UN Women and UNPFA.…

Intellecon and BBA//Fjeldco receive grant to explore geothermal heat utilization for drying tea in Kenya

With the support of the Sustainable Development Goals Partnership Fund, consulting firm Intellecon and law firm BBA//Fjeldco will explore the possibility of utilizing geothermal heat for drying tea in Kenya.

Iceland to welcome up to 140 vulnerable refugees from Ukraine

More than 820 individuals from Ukraine have already applied for protection in Iceland.

Sveitarstjórnarkosningar 2022

Utankjörfundaratkvæðsla hefst í sendiráðinu strax eftir páska.

Sveitastjórnakosningar 2022

Sendiráðið vekur athygli á að sveitastjórnakosningar fara fram 14. maí nk. Samhliða þeim fer fram íbúakosning í sveitarfélaginu Hornarfirði. Utankjörfundaratkvæðagreiðsla er hafin og boðið er upp á aukaopnunartíma í sendiráðinu vegna kosninganna.

Fastanefnd lokuð frá 11. apríl til 22. apríl

Iceland on International Accountability Measures at OSCE Permanent Council

Statement on the Russian Federation's Ongoing Aggression Against Ukraine and Atrocities Discovered in the Kyiv Liberated Region

Government unveils first fiscal plan: Progress and strong value creation in a progressive society

Icelandic households and businesses are in a strong position, and the public debt outlook has improved substantially. With moderate spending growth and continued advances in growing export sectors, there are opportunities to solidify economic foundations once again and foster an even stronger society. This is stated in the Government’s fiscal plan for 2023-2027, introduced today.

Defence exercise Northern Viking 2022 to take place in Iceland

The defence exercise Northern Viking 2022 will take place in Iceland and surrounding waters on 2-14 April. The main purpose of the exercise is to practice the defence of the sea routes around Iceland and important security infrastructure, as well as search and rescue operations at sea and on land.…

Fitch Revises Iceland's Outlook to Stable; Affirms at ‘A’

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Iceland’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘A’ and revised the Rating Outlook to Stable from Negative.

Fastafulltrúi á hliðarviðburði við 65. þing fíkniefnanefndar SÞ

Russian redfish trawlers are no longer allowed entry into Icelandic ports

Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, has cancelled the derogation that has been in place allowing Russian trawlers to land and tranship fish in Icelandic ports.

Statement on the Russian Federation's Ongoing Aggression Against Ukraine at 1362 OSCE Permanent Council

The Minister of Justice permits temporary protection due to mass flight

Article 44 of the Foreign Nationals Act activated in light of Russian invasion of Ukraine

Statement on the Russian Federation's Ongoing Aggression Against Ukraine at the 1361 Special Permanent Council

Statement on the Russian Federation's Ongoing Aggression Against Ukraine at the 1360 OSCE Permanent Council

Afhending trúnaðarbréfs á Möltu

Sturla Sigurjónsson afhenti trúnaðarbréf sitt sem sendiherra gagnvart Möltu.

Further solidarity measures for Ukraine

Iceland has decided to close its airspace to Russian air traffic and suspend visa facilitation for Russian officials, business people and other such parties.

Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland at OSCE Permanent Council on the Russian Federation's Ongoing Aggression Against Ukraine at OSCE

Iceland strongly condemns Russia’s attacks on Ukraine

The Government of Iceland strongly condemns Russia’s attacks on Ukraine and expresses deep concern for the destruction and suffering that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will inevitably cause.

Afhending trúnaðarbréfs á Írlandi

Sturla Sigurjónsson afhenti trúnaðarbréf á Írlandi þann 16. febrúar sl.

COVID-19: Lifting of all domestic restrictions and restrictions at the border

​Minister of Health, Willum Þór Þórsson has decided that as of Friday 25 February all public restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be lifted, both domestically and at the border. Thereby all rules regarding limitations on social gatherings and school operations as well as the quarantine requirement for those infected by COVID-19 are removed.…

Fyrsti undirbúningsfundur 30. Economic and Environmental Forum, 14.-15. febrúar

Norwegian capelin fisheries in Icelandic waters

The current Framework Agreement between Greenland/Denmark, Iceland and Norway on the conservation and management of capelin is from 2018. The parties meet annually for a coastal State consultation and adopt an Agreed Record for each fishing season.…

COVID-19: Abolition of quarantine, 200-person assembly limit, 1000-person events allowed etc.

Close to 10,000 people will be released from quarantine today when the rules on quarantine will be removed through regulation. A regulation on assembly limits will enter into effect at midnight stipulating relaxations as further specified below.

COVID-19: Isolation to go from 7 to 5 days

The isolation period for Covid-infected individuals will be shortened from 7 days to 5 days by the Minister of Health’s Regulation which will enter into force on Monday, 7 February. Like before, the isolation period may still be extended if a doctor considers it necessary.

COVID-19: Significant easing of domestic restrictions as of 29 January

The general assembly limit will be 50 people, the one-metre rule will be in effect, bars and clubs are allowed to open again, and opening times of licenced premises will be extended by two hours. Events for up to 500 seated people will be allowed if certain requirements are met. Restrictions in schools will mostly remain unchanged.…

66°North and UN Women receive grants to create jobs for refugee women

66°North and UN Women have received grants from the Sustainable Development Goals Partnership Fund for development cooperation to work on a job creation project for refugee women from developing countries in Turkey.

Statement by the Nordic Ministers of Defence regarding the situation in and near Ukraine

Today, the Nordic Ministers of Defence, including Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Iceland, issued the following statement:

COVID-19: Requirement for testing in relation to special precautions against infection is cancelled and outdoor activities in isolation permitted

Individuals who are exercising special precautions against infection following contact tracing are no longer obligated to undergo a rapid test at the beginning and end of the precautionary period as of tomorrow but must exercise caution for 7 days and get a PCR test if symptoms emerge. The Minister of Health has approved a regulation to that effect.…

50 ára krýningarafmæli Danadrottningar

Í dag 14. janúar, fagnar Margrét Þórhildur drottning 50 ára krýningarafmæli. Sendiráðið sendir drottningunni innilegar hamingjuóskir í tilefni dagsins.

COVID-19: General restrictions on gatherings tightened at midnight

The general restrictions on the number of people in the same area will be 10, the authorisation for higher numbers of people with rapid tests is cancelled, the maximum number of people in stores will be 200 people and nightclubs, bars and slot machine halls will be closed.…

Staða staðarráðins fulltrúa laus til umsóknar

Sendiráð Íslands í London leitar að metnaðarfullum einstaklingi í fullt starf til að sinna fjölbreyttum og krefjandi verkefnum sem tengjast m.a. útgáfu Schengen vegabréfsáritana, borgaraþjónustu, menningar- og viðskiptamálum.

Svar við ávarpi utanríkisráðherra Póllands um formennsku ÖSE 2022

COVID-19: Isolation ends

Due to the heavy workloads at Landspítali's Covid outpatient ward and the Civil Protection's Tracing Team, the Chief Epidemiologist has announced that those who have already completed seven days of isolation, do not experience any symptoms of COVID-19 and have not been able to contact the covid outpatient ward, can and may discharge themselves.

Kerecis receives a grant from the SDG Partnership Fund

The medical fish skin company Kerecis has received a 230,000 USD grant from the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs’s SDG Partnership Fund to support the Kerecis Community Project in Cairo. Kerecis will provide medical fish skin products to the Ahl Masr Hospital and will train its doctors in the use of the products to treat serious burns.…

COVID-19: Amended rules on quarantine

As previously stated, the amended rules came into force yesterday, regarding quarantine for those who have received a booster dose and are exposed to COVID-19. For emphasis, this applies to everyone who is in quarantine, including those who are in the same place as an infected individual.

COVID-19: Border measures remain unchanged until the end of February

Regulation on COVID-19 measures at the border will remain unchanged until 28 February. Proposals on measures for the spring will be introduced no later than 20 February.

Agreement between Iceland and the United Kingdom on Youth Mobility

UK nationals can now apply for Working Holiday residence permits in Iceland and Icelandic nationals are eligible to apply for Youth Mobility Scheme visas in the UK. This is based on an agreement between Iceland and the UK on Youth Mobility.

Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy 2022-2026

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has published Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy for the period 2022-2026.

Joint statement by the Nordic Ministers of Defence on Ukraine

The Nordic Ministers of Defence, including Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Iceland, issued the following statement on 21 December 2021.

COVID-19: Stricter domestic measures to counter the rapid spread of infections

The general restriction on numbers will be 20 persons and the distance rule will be 2 metres instead of 1 metre, with certain exceptions. Restaurants and nightclubs, pubs and other places that have an alcohol licence must close no later than 21.00h (9 p.m.). Public swimming pools and spas, gyms and ski areas will be permitted to accept 50% of their maximum allowed capacity.…

Fastanefnd lokuð frá 20. desember 2021 til 7. janúar 2022

Foreign Minister Gylfadóttir attended NATO and OSCE ministerial meetings

Thórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir, who took office as Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Iceland, earlier this week, took part in two international ministerial meetings, signed an Air Services Agreement with Ukraine, and had several bilateral meetings, all in her first days in office.

Fiscal budget proposal for 2022

The economic situation is better than was assumed in the National Budget for 2021, and the economy is more resilient than previously expected.

Fiscal policy statement 2022-2026

The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs will introduce a proposal for a parliamentary resolution on the fiscal policy statement for 2022-2026 before Parliament today. According to the Act on Public Finances, the strategy must be introduced no later than at the time the new Government’s fiscal budget proposal is introduced.

Second Government of Katrín Jakobsdóttir Takes Office

The State Council held two meetings at the President’s residence at Bessastaðir today. At the former meeting the President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, accepted the resignation of the first government headed by Katrín Jakobsdóttir. The second government headed by Katrín Jakobsdóttir was then officially installed in office at the latter meeting.

COVID-19: Stricter border measures due to new Omicron variant

All passengers that have stayed in a defined high-risk zone for more than 24 hours in the past 14 days shall undergo a PCR test upon arrival followed by quarantine that ends with another test five days later. These measures apply to everyone that has stayed in a defined high-risk zone irrespective of vaccination status or prior COVID-19 infection.…