Iceland

Volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, and the Northern Lights.

25.6% of the 10,906 Schengen applications made to Iceland from India in 2025 were refused — high refusal by Schengen standards.

Iceland is the earth still under construction — volcanoes, geysers, glaciers, and waterfalls crowd a single ring road, and the sky itself performs with the Aurora. Raw, elemental, and unlike anywhere else on earth.

Applying from India · the real numbers

High refusal

10,906
Applications: 73.9%
Approved: 25.6%
Refused

Handled by VFS Global. Consulates in New Delhi.

2025 figures · European Commission DG HOME (applications made in India). Across all applicants — not a forecast for your file.

Don't-miss places

Blue Lagoon geothermal spaReykjanes
Golden Circle (Geysir, Gullfoss, Thingvellir)Southwest
Reykjavik & HallgrimskirkjaReykjavik
Jokulsarlon glacier lagoonSoutheast
Seljalandsfoss & Skogafoss waterfallsSouth Coast
Northern Lights huntingCountrywide

Things to do

Soak in the Blue Lagoon
Drive the Golden Circle
Watch icebergs at Jökulsárlón lagoon
Hunt the Northern Lights

What to eat

Lamb soup (kjötsúpa)
Skyr
Fresh Arctic char
Rye bread baked in geothermal heat
Kleinur doughnuts

The culture

Lamb, fresh fish, skyr (thick yogurt), and hot-spring bathing. Icelanders are creative, self-reliant, and love their folklore of elves and trolls. The population is tiny and tight-knit.

When to go

Sep–Mar for the Northern Lights; Jun–Aug for the midnight sun, open highlands, and road-trip weather.

Good to know

Capital: Reykjavik
Language: Icelandic
Currency: Icelandic krona (ISK)
Flight from India: ~13-16 hrs (1-2 stops)
Ideal trip length: 6-8 days

Did you know? Iceland runs almost entirely on renewable energy from geothermal and hydro sources.

Iceland is a once-in-a-lifetime trip with a longer, pricier journey, so you don't want visa surprises. Check your file early.

Photo: Gullfoss, Suðurland, Islandia, 2014-08-16, DD 123 · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons