Overview
The Embassy of Iceland in London is Iceland's embassy in the United Kingdom, headed by Ambassador Mr. Sturla Sigurjónsson. The embassy is located at 2A Hans Street in Knightsbridge, close to Harrods and Sloane Square. Iceland and the United Kingdom share a deep bilateral relationship rooted in North Atlantic geography, NATO alliance, fishing industry ties (including the historically contentious Cod Wars, now long resolved), and a rapidly growing tourism connection. The UK is one of the largest source markets for tourism to Iceland — budget carriers and Icelandair operate frequent direct flights from London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh to Keflavik, and Iceland has become one of the most popular short-haul adventure destinations for British travellers seeking Northern Lights, the Ring Road, thermal baths, and volcanic landscapes. The embassy provides the full range of consular services for Icelandic citizens in the UK; a network of ten honorary consulates across Britain (Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dover, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Grimsby, Hull, and Manchester) offers local first-line contact.
Visa Services
Iceland is a Schengen and EEA member. British citizens can travel to Iceland for tourism, business, or transit without a visa. Since the UK left the EU and the EEA, stays are limited to 90 days within any 180-day period under Schengen rules. A passport valid for at least three months beyond the intended departure from the Schengen Area is required. For longer stays (work, study, family reunification), UK residents must apply for an Icelandic residence permit. The embassy provides guidance on these applications.
Consular Services
The embassy provides passport services, identity document processing, civil registrations (births, marriages, deaths of Icelandic citizens abroad), notarial services, and emergency consular assistance for Icelandic nationals in the United Kingdom. Appointments should be booked via the embassy's website or by contacting the consular section directly.
Trade & Export Support
Key Icelandic exports to the UK include seafood (cod, haddock, and farmed Atlantic salmon are significant), aluminium, and technology services. The UK imports substantial volumes of Icelandic fish and the two countries cooperate on North Atlantic fisheries management. Post-Brexit trade between Iceland and the UK is governed by the EFTA-UK trade agreement. The embassy's trade section facilitates contacts between Icelandic and British businesses.
Cultural & Educational Programs
Iceland and the United Kingdom share cultural ties that predate the modern era — the Icelandic sagas preserve the history of Norse settlement in Britain, and Icelandic manuscripts held at the British Library and the Bodleian Library in Oxford are among the most important sources for medieval Scandinavian studies. Contemporary Icelandic culture has a strong British following: Björk, Sigur Rós, and the Reykjavik music scene draw large UK audiences, and Icelandic crime fiction (Arnaldur Indriðason, Ragnar Jónasson) is widely read in English translation. Academic exchange between Icelandic and British universities covers Arctic studies, volcanology, renewable energy, and fisheries science.
Service Area
The embassy covers the entire United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Honorary consulates in Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dover, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Grimsby, Hull/York, and Manchester/Prestwich provide local first-line contact and document authentication but refer passport, visa, and complex consular matters to the embassy in London.
Appointment Information
The embassy is open Monday to Friday 09:00–16:00. Appointments for consular services are recommended. Contact by phone (+44 20 7259 3999) or email (london@mfa.is).