Iceland
Warnings and insurance
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
Volcanic eruption and earthquakesearthquakes, Reykjanes Peninsula
VolcanicOn activity10 hasJuly been2023 detecteda volcanic fissure eruption started in the AskjaLitli-Hrutur area.area Theof Reykjanes Peninsula, following days of intense earthquake activity.
Do not travel to the area unless Icelandic authorities continuesay it is safe.
Drivers should not stop to monitorview the areaeruption. closely. You shouldcould followbe authorities’fined advicefor ondoing travelso.
Monitor toIcelandic Environment Agency air quality updates for the area.area you are in.
Check for alerts and advice from the:
- Icelandic Met Office
- Safe Travel Iceland
- Almannavarnadeild Facebook page and Twitter (@almannavarnir)
Also see Extreme weather and natural disasters.
Before you travel
No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide as well as support for British nationals abroad which includes:
- advice on preparing for travel abroad and reducing risks
- information for women, LGBT+ and disabled travellers
Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also sign up to get email notifications when this advice is updated.
Travel insurance
If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
Update history
2024-03-16 23:03
Update on latest volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland.
2024-02-12 11:27
Information on volcanic activity on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2024-02-08 11:09
Information on volcanic activity on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2024-01-17 15:02
Information on volcanic activity on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2024-01-14 09:40
A volcanic eruption started on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland on 14 January, north of the town of Grindavík (Warnings and insurance)
2023-12-22 11:04
Updated information on volcanic activity and arctic travel (‘Warnings and insurance’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2023-12-19 11:10
Updated information on current volcanic eruption (‘Warning and insurance’ page).
2023-11-11 10:42
Update regarding information on earthquakes and volcanic activity (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2023-11-07 11:25
Additional information on earthquakes and volcanic activity (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2023-10-30 16:18
Information on new volcanic activity (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2023-08-17 16:58
Updated information on new volcanic activity (‘Warnings and Insurance’ page).
2023-08-04 13:36
This travel advice has been rewritten to make it easier to read and understand.
2023-07-12 16:26
Updated information about the volcanic eruption in the Reykjanes Peninsula (‘Summary’ and ‘Natural Disasters’ pages).
2023-07-11 13:38
Information about new volcanic activity in the Reykjanes Peninsula (‘Summary’ and ‘Natural disasters’ pages).
2023-07-10 18:36
Updated information about new volcanic activity in the Reykjanes Peninsula (‘Summary’ and ‘Natural Disasters’ pages)
2023-07-06 14:16
Information about new seismic activity in the Reykjanes Peninsula (‘Summary’ and ‘Natural disasters’ pages).
2023-06-22 10:46
Information about the global terrorism risks to British nationals abroad on all FCDO travel advice pages.
2023-01-20 13:06
Change to information on terrorism (‘Terrorism’ page).
2022-12-22 14:07
Removal of information on severe weather conditions in Iceland (‘Summary’ page).
2022-12-22 12:00
Updated information on severe weather conditions in Iceland (‘Summary’ page).
2022-12-20 11:55
Updated information on severe weather conditions in Iceland (‘Summary’ page).
2022-12-19 16:37
Updated information on severe weather conditions in Iceland (‘Summary’ page).
2022-11-29 15:53
Updated information on safety in Iceland (‘Safety and security’ page).
2022-11-23 16:30
Updated information on safety in Iceland (‘Safety and security’ page).
2022-09-14 09:49
Updated information on volcanic activity in Iceland (‘Natural disasters’ page).
2022-08-05 15:25
Updated information on volcano activity in Iceland (‘Natural disasters’ page)
2022-08-03 17:07
Update to information on volcano activity in Iceland (‘Natural disasters’ page)
2022-08-01 16:05
Updated information on volcano activity (‘Natural disasters’ page)
2022-06-30 11:55
Updated information on road deaths and traffic accidents in Iceland in 2020, car hire and road safety (‘Safety and security’ page)
2022-05-19 15:19
Update on latest volcano status (’Natural disasters’ page)
2022-05-12 15:15
Clarification about current passport validity (‘Entry requirements’ page)
2022-02-25 00:06
Update to information to reflect the removal of all COVID-19 travel restrictions for Iceland from 25 February (‘Entry requirements’ and ‘Coronavirus’ pages)