Shipping from China to Reykjavik
China โ Reykjavik ยท via KEF air / Reykjavik sea ยท clearance by Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn)
For buyers shipping into Reykjavik, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Reykjavik is capital and the destination for nearly all imports; cargo enters through KEF air / Reykjavik sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.
The clearing authority is Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn). Historical dwell on this gateway is around 2โ5 days, and it lengthens in SepโNov.
What the routing looks like in practice
Iceland is served by feeder services from Rotterdam, Hamburg or Aarhus rather than by direct Asian calls, so sea transit is long and sailing frequency, not vessel speed, is what determines the date. Air via Keflavรญk is disproportionately popular here for that reason.
| Air gateways used | KEF (Keflavรญk) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 5โ8 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Reykjavรญk, Reyรฐarfjรถrรฐur |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 38โ50 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Reykjavik | KEF air / Reykjavik sea |
| Inland leg to Reykjavik | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 2โ5 days |
| Peak season to plan around | SepโNov |
Import duty and tax position for Reykjavik
Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn) assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Reykjavik consignees. Current regime: VAT 24% standard, 11% reduced; customs duty 0% on most manufactured goods, with a de-minimis position of ISK 2,000 for duty; VAT applies from the first krรณna.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: CE marking under EEA rules; Icelandic labeling for food. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Iceland: Feeder frequency drives the schedule โ a missed connection can cost a full week. Most duty is zero but 24% VAT dominates landed cost.
Air, sea or overland into Reykjavik?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| โ๏ธ Air Freight | 5โ8 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| ๐ข Sea Freight | 38โ50 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Iceland gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Reykjavik and 2โ5 days of clearance.
Before you book: Reykjavik checklist
- Put the Reykjavik delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (LรWรH รท 6000) โ the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Check the de-minimis position (ISK 2,000 for duty; VAT applies from the first krรณna) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Confirm the consignee in Reykjavik can act as importer of record โ Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn) will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front โ retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: CE marking under EEA rules; Icelandic labeling for food.
Mode guides for Reykjavik
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Reykjavik take?
China to the Iceland gateway is 5โ8 business days by air, 38โ50 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 2โ5 days of clearance with Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn) and a same-day inland leg to Reykjavik.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Reykjavik?
Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn) applies: VAT 24% standard, 11% reduced; customs duty 0% on most manufactured goods. The de-minimis position is ISK 2,000 for duty; VAT applies from the first krรณna. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Reykjavik.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Reykjavik?
Yes. Delivery to a Reykjavik address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn), and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.
When is the busiest time on the ChinaโIceland lane?
Space and rates tighten around SepโNov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year in January or February and Golden Week in early October. Book one to two weeks earlier in those periods.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Reykjavik?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight โ length ร width ร height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air โ and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Reykjavik?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965โ970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via KEF (Keflavรญk). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
Other delivery cities in Iceland
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Iceland change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling โ confirm the current position for your own HS code with Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn) or your broker before you ship.
- Iceland Revenue and Customs
- WTO โ Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- ICC โ Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
- IPPC โ ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO โ Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO โ IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
Page data last reviewed: 10 ๆ 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending โ these guides cover that by commodity.
- Outdoor Products Toys, Sports, Outdoor & Leisure
- Fasteners Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Electric Motors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Wire & Cable New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Wall Panels Building Materials & Construction Products
- Injection Molded Parts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Home Storage Products Furniture & Home Products
- Exhibition Display Equipment Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Aluminum Coils Steel & Metal Materials
- Pipe Fittings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Generators New Energy, Power & Electrical
Checking the Iceland duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn) against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name โ the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Reykjavik. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Marine Insurance Explained - Understand the Cargo Insurance You're Getting — ABTSยฎ. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.
Customs clearance in Iceland
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border โ plus who files the entry.
Iceland clearance requirements →