Visiting Family or Friends Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Iceland Visiting Family or Friends Visa (Schengen Type C) for Indian travellers visiting Icelandic-resident family or friends. Online invitation letter required from the host via island.is.
- Processing time
- About 15 days
- after you submit
No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the Iceland visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.
Iceland — Schengen member · Embassy New Delhi · D Visa needs Directorate of Immigration FIRST
One Iceland visa = all 29 Schengen countries. But long-term D Visas are a TWO-step process.
For short-stay (Tourism / Business / Family-Friends / Cultural-Sports), apply at any VFS Iceland centre — the Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi processes everything within 15 calendar days. For Long-Term D Visa (study, work, residence, family reunification), the applicant FIRST applies directly to Iceland's Directorate of Immigration (utl@utl.is); ONLY after their approval will the Directorate request you to visit VFS for biometrics + passport. Skipping that step wastes weeks.
29 Schengen countries
Full Schengen member — Iceland visa unlocks the whole zone, not just Iceland.
Embassy New Delhi only
All India applications decided by the Embassy of Iceland, New Delhi. No Mumbai consulate.
15 calendar days
Standard processing once the Embassy receives the file from VFS. Apply 2+ weeks before travel.
Applying for a Long-Term D Visa? The order matters.
- Email Iceland's Directorate of Immigration first at
utl@utl.iswith your application + supporting documents. - Wait for their approval — they review and accept the substantive case.
- The Directorate then asks YOU to visit VFS in India for biometrics + passport submission. The visa application centre will guide you from there.
Walking into VFS first for a D Visa = file rejected. Always start with the Directorate of Immigration email.
5-day missing-document rule: if the VFS officer marks any document missing at your appointment, you have only 5 calendar days to email it to visa.nde@utn.is AND visa@utn.is (subject = your name as on passport + passport number + city). Beyond 5 days, the Embassy decides on the incomplete file.
Note: SureshotVisa handles Iceland Tourism, Business, Visiting Family / Friends, Cultural & Sports short-stay (Schengen Type C) visas end-to-end via VFS. The Long-Term D Visa (work, study, family reunification, residence permits) is informational on this site — Iceland's Directorate of Immigration is the prime decision-maker and applicants must initiate that process directly. We can advise on the India-side biometrics + VFS step once the Directorate approves.
Processing
15 calendar days standard processing at…
Stay Duration
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Starting Fee
₹9,900
Apply At
12 VFS centres
Your whole Iceland Visiting Family Friends Visa,
handled for one honest price.
A strong Iceland file clearly explains your travel purpose, funds, and ties to India. We structure and submit everything properly — so your case is presented clearly and professionally.
All-in · 18% GST included · no hidden charges
File-ready in 3–5 working days after documents
5★ · 100+ reviews · reply in 5 min
Everything below — included, nothing extra
- Document checklist
- Application form guidance
- Document review
- Cover letter
- Purpose of travel structure
- Financial proof review
- Sponsor document guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Post-submission guidance
Not sure you qualify? Start with a refundable ₹499 possibility report — an honest Yes / Maybe / No, credited to this fee.
Price is for our consultancy service only and includes 18% GST. No agency can guarantee a visa — the final decision rests with the visa authority.
Your fee, in one glance
What the ₹14,999 fee covers for a Iceland file
- We work out what your case actually is, before touching a form
- We build the checklist around your profile, not a template
- We read your documents against each other, not against a list
- Financial proof review
- Purpose of travel structuring
- Cover letter / explanation support
- Return ties review
- Sponsor / invitation guidance
- Application form guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Biometrics guidance
- Post-submission support
Government, VFS, insurance, ticket and hotel costs are separate and charged at cost. Read what each item means, in full.
Good to know before you apply
Rules that apply to every Iceland visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.
- 1Embassy of Iceland, New Delhi processes ALL India applications — there is no Mumbai consulate. All submissions go via VFS Iceland centres.
- 2For Long-Term D Visa (work, study, family reunification, residence permits), applicants MUST first apply directly with Iceland's Directorate of Immigration (utl@utl.is). Only AFTER their approval will the Directorate request the applicant to visit VFS for biometrics + passport. Walking into VFS first for a D Visa = file rejected.
- 3Photo specification: 35–40mm width, max 6 months old, white background, neutral expression. Standard Schengen rules apply.
- 4Travel medical insurance must cover at least 30,000 EUR (or 30,000 USD) across all Schengen countries — accident, illness, medical emergency, evacuation. Insurance card alone is not sufficient.
- 5Funds rule: applicants must show 8,000 ISK per day for hotel stays OR 4,000 ISK per day if expenses are borne by a third party (sponsor / host). Bank statement must show movements over the last 3 months, stamped and signed by the bank.
- 6Indian passport must be valid for 3 months beyond intended departure from Schengen area, issued within the previous 10 years, with at least 2 blank pages.
- 7Apply at least 2 weeks (14 days) before intended travel. Around holiday seasons, apply 6–8 weeks earlier.
- 85-DAY MISSING-DOCUMENT RULE: if the VFS officer marks any document missing at the appointment, the applicant has only 5 calendar days to email the missing document(s) to visa.nde@utn.is AND visa@utn.is. Subject line = applicant's name as on passport + passport number + city of application centre. PDF only. Beyond 5 days, the Embassy decides on the incomplete file (typically refusal).
- 9All applicants regardless of sponsorship must provide their OWN original 3-month bank statement (not just sponsor's).
- 10Indian Income Tax Return (ITR) acknowledgments for the last 2 assessment years are mandatory.
Who Can Apply
- Indian travellers visiting friends or family residing legally in Iceland
- Indian citizens visiting their spouse or close relative in Iceland
- Family events, weddings, festivals, or general social visits
Not eligible under this visa:
- Visits intended to convert to long-stay residence — apply for Long-Term D Family Reunification (informational on this site)
What it costs
Government & VFS fees
Paid directly to Iceland / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Schengen Short-Stay visa fee — adult (Type C, 1–90 days) | ₹9,900 |
| Schengen visa fee — child (6–12 years) | ₹4,950 |
| VFS service charge (short-term) | ₹2,900 |
| Optional courier service | ₹518 |
| Optional courier plus | ₹1,400 |
| Optional SMS service | ₹345 |
| Optional Premium Lounge service | ₹3,680 |
Visa fees are set by the Embassy of Iceland in INR and are non-refundable regardless of outcome. Each case is reviewed separately; no guarantee can be given that a visa will be issued. The applicable INR fee tracks the current EUR / INR exchange rate and may change without notice. All VFS service charges are inclusive of GST. Long-term D Visa applicants must FIRST apply with Iceland's Directorate of Immigration (utl@utl.is) — VFS submission only happens after the Directorate's approval and at their request.
Flights · Hotels · Insurance · Itinerary
What Iceland actually requires — and what it does not.
Iceland applies the Schengen rules, so travel insurance is not a nice-to-have — it is a legal condition of the visa.
2 of 4 are compulsory for Iceland
Flight reservation
The Iceland consulate wants a return itinerary with a real PNR covering your exact dates. It does not want a paid ticket, and buying one before a decision puts your money at risk for nothing.
Where people slip: Flying into one city and out of another with nothing showing how you travel between them. Officers read the whole route, and an unexplained gap reads as a plan that does not hold together.
How to hold a flight without payingHotel booking
Accommodation for EVERY night of the stay. Not most nights — every one. A gap is a documented refusal ground under the Schengen code.
Where people slip: Free-cancellation bookings are accepted, but if the entire file is free-cancellation the officer sees a trip nobody has committed to. Some of it should be real spend.
Refundable hotel booking, explainedTravel insurance
Minimum EUR 30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen state, including repatriation and emergency medical evacuation, for the full period of stay. Regulation (EC) 810/2009 — this is law, not preference.
Where people slip: Buying cover for the adults and forgetting the children. Every traveller needs their own EUR 30,000, infants included — a real refusal we have seen on a family of four.
What the cover must actually sayTravel itinerary
A day-by-day plan matching your flights, your hotels and the country you applied to. Iceland must be your main destination or your first point of entry, or you are at the wrong consulate.
Where people slip: Spending more nights in another Schengen country than in Iceland. That gets a file rejected before it is even assessed.
The letter your itinerary attaches toWe arrange all four for your Iceland file.
We are a B2B travel agency as well as a visa consultancy, working with partners including Riya Travel — so the flight, the hotel and the policy all come from us, issued the same day, and you deal with one team instead of four. Every booking is a real one under your own name.
What to gather
Documents required
Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.
Personal Documents
5 items- Schengen Visa Application Form (printed and signed)Required
Filled online at visa.government.is, then printed and signed.
- Online application form confirmation from visa.government.isRequired
Confirmation of submitting the online form must be presented to VFS.
- One passport-style photograph (35–40mm wide / 3.5×4.5cm, max 6 months old, white background)Required
- Valid passportRequired
≥3 months validity beyond Schengen departure, ≤10 years old, 2 blank pages. Copy of entry/exit stamps from previous Schengen visits if any.
- Cover letter from applicantRequired
Stipulates purpose of travel, duration, names of accompanying persons, transport and accommodation details.
Visiting Family / Friends-Specific Documents
4 items- Online Invitation Letter for visitors — filled out by Icelandic host on island.isRequired
Available at https://island.is/en/get-a-visa/supporting-documents.
- Online Guarantee / Sponsorship form — filled out by Icelandic host (if host bears applicant's expenses)
Available at https://island.is/en/get-a-visa/supporting-documents.
- Proof of family relationship (birth / marriage certificate)Required
Apostille from MEA where required. For visiting spouse — marriage certificate OR proof of cohabitation.
- Copy of the Icelandic host's residence permit / Icelandic citizenship proofRequired
Travel & Accommodation
3 items- Roundtrip flight reservation with PNR + traveler nameRequired
If multi-Schengen trip: intra-Schengen flight, train, or car-rental proof.
- Proof of accommodationRequired
Hotel reservation, holiday-home rental, campus residence, or sponsorship/private accommodation from host. If multi-Schengen: lodging in EACH state.
- Travel medical insurance — €30,000 minimum coverage (insurance CARD alone is NOT sufficient)Required
Schengen-approved insurer. Covers accident + illness + medical emergency + evacuation. Policy must specify validity period, coverage area, and entire trip duration.
Financial Documents
7 items- Original personal bank statement showing 3 months' movementsRequired
All pages stamped and signed by the bank. Required from ALL applicants, regardless of sponsorship. Must show 8,000 ISK/day (hotel) or 4,000 ISK/day (sponsored) for entire trip duration.
- Indian ITR acknowledgement — last 2 assessment yearsRequired
Barcode-verifiable. Sponsor's ITR if sponsored.
- Employed — last 3 months payslips + employment contract + holiday-approved leave letter
- Self-employed — Certificate of registration (with GST number for Indian companies) + business bank statement + ITR (barcode-verifiable)
- Student — Certificate of enrolment from the educational establishment
- Sponsored — Sponsorship letter + sponsor's photo ID copy (passport / residence permit)
Plus marriage certificate if sponsored by spouse.
- Retired — last 3 months pension statements + property/business income proof
Relationship Proof (if applicable)
1 item- Marriage certificate (if married + spouse name not endorsed in passport)
Apostille from MEA. For visiting spouse in Iceland — copy of marriage certificate or proof of cohabitation.
Minor-Specific Documents (if applicable)
3 items- Minor with one parent — Notarized consent of non-travelling parent / guardian (or court order if sole custody)
- Minor travelling alone — Notarized consent of BOTH parents / guardians
- Photocopy of both parents' passports OR photo IDs
If unavailable — birth certificate of applicant + ID copies of parents.
Required · optional / if applicable
The journey.
8 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.
- 01
Confirm Iceland is your main Schengen destination
Apply via Iceland if your itinerary spends most time (or has its main purpose) there. If splitting time evenly between Schengen states, apply through the country of first entry. Iceland cannot decide your visa if you'll spend more time elsewhere.
- 02
Complete the online application at visa.government.is
Mandatory step. Print the confirmation to bring to your VFS appointment.
- 03
Gather all required documents
Use the checklist for your visa category. Originals + bank stamps where required. Insurance from a Schengen-approved insurer (€30,000 minimum).
- 04
Book your VFS appointment
Visit visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/isl/ — book the slot at your preferred centre.
- 05
Submit at VFS + biometrics + pay fees
Attend in person. Pay visa fee (₹9,900 adult / ₹4,950 child 6–12) + ₹2,900 VFS service. Biometrics taken at the centre unless reusable from a prior Schengen application within 59 months.
- 06
Watch for missing-document email (5-day rule)
If VFS officer marks any document missing, you have 5 calendar days to email the missing papers to visa.nde@utn.is + visa@utn.is. Subject = your name + passport number + city. PDF only.
- 07
Wait for the decision (15 calendar days standard)
Track via VFS website. The Embassy may call for an interview or request additional documents.
- 08
Collect your passport from VFS
Once notified, collect from VFS or use courier (₹518 standard / ₹1,400 plus). Verify visa validity dates and entry type before leaving the counter.
What works
4 levers that flip a borderline case.
- Get the Icelandic host to fill the official online invitation form at island.is at least 4 weeks before your application — printed copy (with form reference number) goes into your file.
- If the Icelandic host is sponsoring your expenses, the sponsorship-rule reduces your funds requirement from 8,000 ISK/day to 4,000 ISK/day.
- Marriage / birth certificates from India should be apostilled by MEA if Iceland Embassy requests verification.
- For visiting spouse — marriage certificate is the foundation. Proof of cohabitation works for unmarried partners but is more scrutinised.
What kills cases
Top 3 refusal triggers we see.
- 1Online invitation letter not properly completed on island.is
- 2Missing relationship proof (birth / marriage certificate)
- 3Insufficient ties-to-India narrative
Download official forms
Each link opens the official Iceland page on VFS Global (we never host third-party forms): pick your visa category there and use its "Download Form" section for the current version.
Iceland Schengen Visa Online Application Form
Mandatory online application portal. Print and sign after completing online; bring confirmation to VFS appointment.
Harmonized Schengen Visa Application Form (English / Icelandic)
Alternative paper-route Schengen form. Also has Icelandic-language version.
Iceland Directorate of Immigration (UTL) — D Visa portal
For Long-Term D Visa applicants — Iceland's Directorate of Immigration (Útlendingastofnun) is the prime decision-maker. Email applications to utl@utl.is.
Online Invitation Letter (visiting family/friends)
Required for Visiting Family / Friends category. Hungarian/Icelandic host fills it online.
Online Sponsorship / Guarantee Form (host's funds commitment)
When the Icelandic host bears the applicant's expenses — host fills this online.
VFS application centres
Schengen Tourist Visa Eligibility Check
Answer 10 quick questions to see your likelihood of approval. This is not a guarantee — final decision is always with the Embassy — but it flags common weak spots so you can address them before applying.
What's the primary purpose of your trip?
How long do you plan to stay?
Have you previously visited any Schengen country?
Have you ever been refused a Schengen (or any country's) visa?
Past refusals must be disclosed — they show up in VIS database across Schengen countries.
Do you have confirmed travel bookings?
Reservations are enough — don't buy tickets until visa approval.
What's your current employment status?
What's your typical 3-month bank balance?
Schengen needs ~₹700/day covered. For a 10-day trip, minimum ₹70,000 stable balance.
How many years of Income Tax Returns (ITR) can you show?
What are your strongest ties to India (return-intent)?
Embassies want evidence you'll come back — not overstay.
Who are you travelling with?
Indicative only — final decision is always with the Embassy.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered straight
Online at https://island.is/en/get-a-visa/supporting-documents — there's a dedicated 'Invitation Letter for visitors' form. The host fills it electronically; the applicant submits a printed copy (with form reference number) to VFS.
Yes — if your Icelandic host fills the online Guarantee / Sponsorship form (also on island.is) and bears your expenses, your bank statement only needs to show 4,000 ISK/day for the trip duration instead of 8,000 ISK/day. The host's funds and commitment are evaluated separately.
Yes — we coordinate with your Icelandic host to complete the island.is invitation and (if applicable) sponsorship forms, prepare the relationship-proof package, and handle VFS submission. ₹499 consultation to start.
Reviewed by Sherbir Singh Grewal, SureshotVisa — a government-licensed consultancy (Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024). Verify us.
How we get it done
Your Iceland Visiting Family or Friends Visa, from your first message to your passport back.
7 questions about this visa specifically. The first two are open — tap any other to read it.
Refused? Our full service fee comes back.Government and visa-centre fees are the one part nobody can refund.
+My relative in Iceland is inviting and sponsoring me. What do they need to send?
An invitation naming you and the relationship, proof of their own status in Iceland (residence permit, passport or citizenship), proof of address, and — if they are paying — their income evidence and a formal undertaking. Several countries have a specific sponsorship form; using a plain letter where a prescribed form exists gets the file bounced. Send us their documents together with yours: the two sides have to agree with each other, and mismatched addresses or dates between sponsor and applicant are one of the quietest refusal causes.
+Does having close family settled abroad make my visa harder?
It is the question officers probe hardest on a family visit, because a visitor visa turns on whether you will come back. It is not a bar — thousands of these are approved every month — but it has to be answered rather than ignored. The answer is your own life here: your job or business, your dependants, your property, your bookings. A file that names the relative and then says nothing about your ties invites the officer to assume the obvious.
+How long can I actually stay on a Iceland Schengen visa?
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The window rolls: on any given day the authorities count backwards 180 days and add up the days you were inside. It is not 90 days per country and it does not reset when you leave and come back. Entries are single, double, or multiple entry, as granted by the embassy. stay limited to 90 days in any 180-day period across the schengen area for type c visas.. Getting this arithmetic wrong is how people end up overstaying without realising, which follows you into every future application.
+Should I apply to Iceland or to another Schengen country?
You apply to the country you will spend the most nights in. If the nights are equal across several, you apply to the one you enter first. Applying to the "easier" consulate when your itinerary says otherwise is a well-known refusal ground and, if the mismatch looks deliberate, it reads as misrepresentation rather than a mistake. Send us your itinerary and we will tell you which mission is the correct one for your trip — sometimes that is not Iceland.
+How long does a Iceland Visiting Family or Friends Visa take, start to finish?
Three things sit between today and your trip: preparing the file properly, waiting for an appointment, and the mission's own processing. Iceland currently states 15 calendar days standard processing at the Embassy of Iceland, New Delhi (counting from when all required documents have been received from VFS). May extend in specific cases (interview, additional documentation requested by the Embassy). Apply at least 2 weeks before travel — earlier ahead of holiday peaks. If the VFS officer marks any document missing at submission, the applicant has 5 calendar days to email the missing papers to visa.nde@utn.is AND visa@utn.is or the Embassy decides on the incomplete file. for the decision itself. We control the first, which is usually days. The middle depends on slot releases. The third is entirely the mission's and no consultant can shorten it — anyone telling you otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver. Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.
+How much of what I pay for the Iceland visa is actually your fee?
Most of it is not ours. The Iceland government fee (currently ₹9,900) goes to the mission and the visa-centre fee goes to VFS — both charged to you at cost, never marked up, and shown as separate lines on one GST invoice in the registered company name. Our service fee is the only part we set, and it is published rather than quoted case by case.
+How does SureshotVisa handle my Iceland Visiting Family or Friends Visa, from first message to passport back?
You send what you have on WhatsApp and a licensed consultant says the same working day whether the case is ready. We build the file around your profile, check every document against the others, write the cover letter to match them, and hold the file complete so the first workable appointment can be taken the moment it appears. You attend biometrics; we track the file to the decision (Iceland currently states 15 calendar days standard processing at the Embassy of Iceland, New Delhi (counting from when all required documents have been received from VFS). May extend in specific cases (interview, additional documentation requested by the Embassy). Apply at least 2 weeks before travel — earlier ahead of holiday peaks. If the VFS officer marks any document missing at submission, the applicant has 5 calendar days to email the missing papers to visa.nde@utn.is AND visa@utn.is or the Embassy decides on the incomplete file.). Government and visa-centre fees (₹9,900 for this visa) are charged at cost; our own fee is published, and if the visa is refused that fee comes back in full.
Before you file
A Iceland Visiting Family or Friends Visa goes one of two ways.
Filed on a guessed checklist, the government fee is gone on a refusal and the refusal follows every future application. Filed after a licensed consultant has read the papers against each other, the file answers the officer's questions before they are asked. Same Iceland rules, different outcome. How we do that is written once, in full, on the method page rather than repeated here.
Other Iceland Visa Types
Tourist Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Apply for an Iceland Tourist Visa (Schengen Type C) from India through VFS. Complete fees, document checklist, and processing guide for Indian travellers visiting Reykjavik, the Blue Lagoon, glaciers, and the Northern Lights.
View guideBusiness Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Iceland Business Visa (Schengen Type C) for Indian professionals — meetings, conferences, training, business-related events in Reykjavik and across Iceland. Embassy New Delhi via VFS.
View guideCultural & Sports Events Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Iceland Cultural & Sports Events Visa (Schengen Type C) for Indian artists, athletes, performers, study programme participants, and film crews attending events in Iceland.
View guideLong-Term D Visa (Work / Study / Family / Residence)
Iceland Long-Term D Visa for stays >90 days — work permits, study visas, family reunification, residence permits. Decided by Iceland's Directorate of Immigration (utl@utl.is). Informational only — Once you hold your own offer, sponsorship or admission, SureshotVisa prepares and files the visa application for you — the offer itself has to be yours.
View guideSource & Disclaimer
Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global Iceland website and Embassy of Iceland. Last verified 2026-05-01. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.
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