Icelandair Pet Policy: No Pets on International Flights, and What to Do Instead (2026)

Icelandair no longer carries pets on its international passenger flights. Its own page says that, because of fleet changes, it has been unable to transport animals in the hold on international flights since November 1, 2024, and it does not offer a cabin option for pets. Trained service dogs still fly in the cabin free of charge, and pets can still travel in the hold on Icelandair's domestic routes within Iceland. Anyone moving a dog or cat between the US and Iceland, or hoping to use an Icelandair stopover to reach Europe with a pet, needs another plan.

Many pet travel sites still describe Icelandair's old rules, with small dogs and cats in the cabin and larger pets in the hold, so it is worth reading the airline's own words. This guide follows Icelandair's Travel and animals page as read in October 2026, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority's import instructions, and contemporary reporting on the change. Airline policies change, so confirm with Icelandair before you plan around any of it.

Icelandair pet rules at a glance

The table sets out what Icelandair currently allows.

What Icelandair says

Icelandair's travel and animals page has a short section headed "Animal in hold service". For international flights it says that, due to changes to its fleet, it is unable to transport animals in the hold on international flights from November 1, 2024. For domestic flights it says animals are allowed in the hold on all domestic routes. The page then moves on to service animals. There is no in-cabin pet product to book.

Why the change happened

When the change was announced in October 2024, the Reykjavik Grapevine reported, citing Icelandic broadcaster RUV, that Icelandair had decided not to invest in the equipment needed to carry pets in the holds of its passenger planes, citing cost and weight. The same report said pets would from then on travel only on Icelandair's cargo planes from New York and Liege in Belgium. The chair of the Icelandic Kennel Club told the paper that about 80 to 90 percent of dogs entering Iceland had been arriving with Icelandair, and called the change a massive blow for breeders and families moving home. Earlier in 2024, dogs under 8 kg had already lost the option to fly in the cabin.

Check with Icelandair Cargo directly whether the New York and Liege cargo routings are still running for pets when you plan to travel; the 2024 report is the most recent public description we could find.

Service dogs still fly in the cabin

Icelandair welcomes trained service dogs, such as guide dogs, hearing dogs, diabetic alert dogs, mobility assistance dogs and autism service dogs, in the cabin at no charge. It defines service animals as dogs of any breed that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a qualified person. You need to add the service dog to your booking and provide documents in advance; Icelandair's page links to the list. Emotional support animals and pets that have not been task-trained do not qualify.

What this means for US travelers

For years, Icelandair was a popular budget route between the US and Europe for pet owners, with a stopover in Reykjavik. That route is closed to pets now, whether Iceland is your destination or just a connection. If you are moving to Europe with a dog or cat, look at airlines that still accept pets on transatlantic flights; our guide to pet transport between Europe and the US covers carriers and routes. For a large dog that must stay with you, the pay-by-seat jet services in our Bark Air vs K9 Jets comparison are one option, at a much higher price.

Moving a pet to Iceland

Iceland has some of the strictest pet import rules in Europe, and they apply however your pet gets there. Under Regulation 200/2020, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) treats the US as a "category 2" country. Its guidance for dogs from category 2 countries sets out the steps, and a separate guidance note for cats mirrors most of them.

Step 1: the import permit

You must have a MAST import permit before the animal arrives. Applicants without an Icelandic ID number use the form on MAST's English website and email the signed application to MAST's pet import address, ideally at least 30 days before import. MAST asks for the breed, country of export, microchip number and importer's name and address, then sends a payment request; the fee covers administration and the inspections on arrival and at release from quarantine. The permit is valid for one year. Check that your dog's breed is allowed before you apply.

Step 2: vaccinations and tests for dogs from the US

MAST's dog guidance for category 2 countries requires:

• A valid rabies vaccination and a rabies antibody test from an EU-approved laboratory, with the blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml.
• A wait of at least 90 days after that blood sample before the dog can be imported.
• A canine influenza vaccination, which MAST requires for dogs from the US, Canada and Singapore.
• Valid vaccinations against leptospirosis, distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza, each given at least 14 days before import.
• A negative Brucella canis blood test taken within 30 days of import.
• A test for, or preventive treatment against, the lungworm Angiostrongylus vasorum, plus required parasite treatments.

The dog must have lived in an approved country since birth or for at least 6 months, which means the earliest a dog can meet the rules is around 7 months old. An authorized vet in the US must carry out the procedures and complete MAST's own certificate form, and the signed certificate must reach MAST 5 to 10 days before arrival. If it arrives later than 5 days before, MAST may reject the import. Our guide to the rabies titer test for pets explains the blood test.

Step 3: quarantine

Every imported dog and cat spends at least 14 days in quarantine, at one of two approved stations: Reykjanesbaer (Hafnir) or Mosel near Hella. You must book in advance, and each station admits pets only during a set three-day window roughly every three weeks, so your arrival date has to match an admission window as well as all the vaccination deadlines. MAST can extend quarantine if an infectious disease is suspected. See our overview of pet quarantine rules by country.

Step 4: arrival

Pets can enter Iceland only by air, and Keflavik is the only approved airport. The crate must meet IATA pet container standards, and your flight number and arrival time are written on the health certificate. On arrival, the dog goes straight to the pet reception center for an import inspection of its microchip, documents and health before the quarantine station collects it. If your dog has to transit another country first, you must also meet that country's rules.

Banned breeds and other restrictions

MAST does not allow the import of Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, Fila Brasileiros, Tosa Inus, Dogo Argentinos, Cane Corsos, Presa Canarios or Boerboels, or their crosses for at least five generations, and it can refuse other breeds it judges comparable. Wolf hybrids within ten generations are banned, as are pregnant or nursing dogs and animals recovering from major surgery without MAST's permission.

How pets actually reach Iceland now

With Icelandair's passenger flights closed to pets, most owners use a pet relocation agent who books the animal as cargo into Keflavik, either on Icelandair Cargo if it is accepting pets on your dates or with another carrier. The agent also coordinates the quarantine reservation, MAST paperwork and arrival inspection, which is where most moves go wrong. Ask for written confirmation of the cargo routing and the quarantine admission date before you pay. Our guide to the best international pet transport companies lists agents that handle complex destinations.

Moving a cat to Iceland

Cats follow the same structure as dogs: a MAST import permit before arrival, a cat that has lived in an approved country since birth or for at least 6 months, a MAST certificate completed by an authorized vet and sent 5 to 10 days before arrival, and at least 14 days in one of the two quarantine stations. MAST says cats from category 2 countries such as the US can meet the requirements at the earliest around 7 months of age. The cat-specific vaccinations and tests are listed in MAST's guidance note for cats, so work through it with your vet line by line rather than assuming the dog list applies.

Leaving Iceland with a pet

Flying out is simpler than flying in, but Icelandair's passenger flights are still not an option for a pet heading abroad. You will need cargo space through an agent and whatever the destination requires. For the US, Iceland is not on the CDC list of high-risk rabies countries, so a dog that has lived only in Iceland for six months follows the lighter CDC path: a microchip, the CDC Dog Import Form and good health on arrival. See importing a dog into the US.

What to budget for

A move to Iceland has more fixed costs than most destinations. Expect the MAST permit fee, the quarantine station's daily charges for at least 14 days, the extra vaccinations and laboratory tests (titer, Brucella canis and lungworm), the vet's time completing the MAST certificate, an IATA crate, and the cargo charge and agent fee for the flight into Keflavik. Ask the quarantine station and your agent for written prices before you commit to a date, and allow for an extra week or two in quarantine if MAST extends it. Our guide to international pet shipping cost explains the typical line items.

Domestic flights within Iceland

If you already live in Iceland, Icelandair's domestic routes still carry animals in the hold. Contact Icelandair before booking to arrange it and to check crate and documentation requirements for your route. Domestic travel does not involve MAST import rules, but your pet still needs a suitable crate and should be fit to fly in the hold.

Common mistakes that delay a move to Iceland

• Booking a flight before the quarantine station has confirmed an admission window.
• Drawing the titer blood sample too late, so the 90-day wait pushes arrival past the planned date.
• Forgetting the canine influenza vaccine, which many US vets do not give routinely.
• Sending the MAST certificate fewer than 5 days before arrival, which can get the import rejected.
• Relying on an old Icelandair policy page that still describes pets in the cabin.
• Choosing a connection that routes the pet through a country with its own entry rules, without checking those rules first.
• Assuming an emotional support animal can fly in the cabin like a trained service dog.

Timeline for a US to Iceland move

Because of the 90-day wait after the titer blood draw, the 14-day quarantine and the three-weekly admission windows, a realistic timeline from a US start is four to six months. A sensible order is: confirm the breed is allowed, update vaccinations including canine influenza, draw the titer blood sample, apply for the MAST permit, book the quarantine slot, book the cargo space, then do the last tests and treatments inside their windows and send the certificate to MAST 5 to 10 days before arrival.

Frequently asked questions

Looking for another Nordic option? Our guide to the SAS pet policy covers cabin and hold fees between Scandinavia and the US and its small 40 x 25 x 23 cm carrier limit.