Visiting Iceland: Details on quarantine regulations

Question

I'm planning to visit Iceland for 1-2 weeks. My flight arrives on Saturday. So far I'm convinced about this few things:

• I'm tested already at the airport (unless I arrive past 10p.m., but that shouldn't be the case),
• I'm obliged to go to a place of quarantine where I spend 5-6 days,
• I'm notified about the test results the next day,
• after the 5-6 days quarantine I'm taking another test which results in my being let free to roam the country

The few things I'm missing are:

• are there some more restrictions about the place I'm staying for the quarantine?
• can I get the results in some paper form so I can present them when coming back to my country?
• how does the quarantine look like if the second result is positive?

Have you recently been through this situation? I know the regulations could've recently changed. I'd appreciate any more suggestions about this process.

Answer 1

Are there some more restrictions about the place I'm staying for the quarantine?

I couldn't find an explicit list of requirements for Iceland but most quarantine/isolation guidelines strongly encourage a private room with a private bathroom. The government does publish a list of hotels that welcome guests in quarantine here: https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/about-us/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-general-info/accommodations-that-welcome-guests-in-quarantine

can I get the results in some paper form so I can present them when coming back to my country?

For the entry tests, you only get the negative test results in the form of a text message. If you need a negative COVID test for your return travel, you can order & pay for one. https://www.covid.is/sub-categories/trips-abroad

how does the quarantine look like if the second result is positive?

If you test positive for COVID while in Iceland, you enter isolation. Instructions for isolation can be found here: https://www.covid.is/categories/how-does-isolation-work & https://www.landlaeknir.is/servlet/file/store93/item39066/KSJ%20Instructions%20for%20the%20general%20public%20on%20home-based%20isolation%2004042020.pdf In short you continue to stay at your place of quarantine for another 14 days.

Other notes:

• While in quarantine, you can collect a rental car from the airport.
• While in quarantine, you can pick up pre-ordered groceries from stores. The online supermarket Netto has all products in English under the brand aha.is, customers must write the remark "Quarantine" when ordering online, then the goods will be delivered to the car in front of the supermarket in a shopping cart. https://www.aha.is/en/stores
• Quarantine must be completed in managed facilities if coming from an area that is colored dark red on the EU / EEA COVID-19 outbreak map: https://www.ruv.is/frett/2021/03/23/stricter-border-measures-enacted-from-tomorrow
• Although the COVID test results could take up to 24 hours to be known, in practice the turn around time is on the order of ~5 hours.

Answer 2

For anyone of you wondering the same thing, I've done some research and basically these two resources (prepared by Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, and Iceland's Directorate of Health) which describe situation in detail, were very helpful. (Although I admit I'm still missing details about the proceedings after the both possible outcomes of the 2nd test)

1. https://www.covid.is/sub-categories/visiting-iceland
2. https://www.government.is/news/article/2021/03/23/Stricter-COVID-19-measures-at-the-Icelandic-border/

For everyone else - stay home, stay safe