General Information

If you are an Icelandic citizen and have an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization, better known as ESTA, you do not require a visa to travel to the U.S. for holiday and business trips of 90 days or less.

However, if you do not have an approved ESTA you will require an appropriate visa before you can travel to the United States.  Please read below for detailed instructions on how to apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik.   

The Visa Process

THE EMBASSY DOES NOT RECOMMEND MAKING FLIGHT ARRANGEMENTS AND PURCHASING TICKETS PRIOR TO VISA APPROVAL!

Applicants for U.S. visas must come to the Embassy to be interviewed. 

• All applicants need to schedule an appointment online.  Please view the left hand side of this page and select the type of visa you intend to apply for to get started.  In order to make an appointment, you must first fill out the visa application form, the DS-160, which is an online process. After you have successfully completed your DS-160 application form you will have a barcode number from the form DS-160 -- you will need this number in order to schedule your visa interview at the Embassy via our online appointment system. A link to the appointment system is found at the bottom of the page of each checklist for each visa category.    
• Applicants should bring the confirmation page from the competed DS-160 application and all accompanying documents to the scheduled interview. If you want the passport and supporting documents mailed to you after the interview, then you should bring a self-addressed, stamped envelope with you to your interview.
• Please bring originals or certified copies of all of your documents to your interview.
• Please schedule enought time for your appointment. The process may take up to an hour.
• Applicants, with the exception of children under age 14 and those over the age of 80, must appear in person for the interview and have their own appointment. 

Note: The Embassy does not provide same day service. Be sure to make your plans in advance. 

Qualifying for a Visa

Applicants for visas must show that they qualify under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.  The presumption in the law is that every visa applicant is an intending immigrant.  Therefore, applicants for a visa must overcome this presumption by demonstration that:

1. The purpose of their trip is to enter the U.S. for intended purposes of the visa;
2. That they plan to remain for a specific, limited period;
3. That they have a residence outside the U.S. as well as other binding obligations which will insure their return abroad at the conclusion of the visit *(not applicable for employment based visas).

Depending on individual circumstances, applicants may provide other evidence substantiating the purpose of the trip, and specifying the nature of binding obligations, such as family ties, employment etc., which would compel their return abroad after a short stay.

If you are not an Icelandic Citizen

Applications from Third Country Nationals: Third Country Nationals who neither work nor have permanent residence status in Iceland should be aware that it is very difficult to qualify for a nonimmigrant visa as it is difficult to demonstrate their permanent ties to their home countries. In such cases, applicants should consider submitting applications in their home countries or at a U.S. embassy or consulate with responsibility for processing applications from the applicant's home country.

Visa Reciprocity Fees

Applicants from certain countries that charge U.S. citizens special fees for visas may be required to pay an additional visa issuance/reciprocity fee. Please note that this issuance fee, unlike the processing fee, is not to be paid in advance. If you qualify for the visa, you will be asked to pay the visa reciprocity fee to the consular cashier after your interview. Applicants may consult the U.S. Department of State's Visa Reciprocity Fee table for more information.

We do not recommend that you buy a non-refundable flight ticket before you receive your visa.

If you need to contact us, please view our contact information.