Overview
The Embassy of Iceland in Washington D.C. is Iceland's embassy in the United States, headed by Ambassador Mrs. Svanhildur Hólm Valsdóttir. The embassy is located in the House of Sweden building at 2900 K Street NW in Georgetown. Iceland and the United States are founding NATO allies with a bilateral relationship anchored in defense cooperation, Arctic policy, trade, renewable energy, and a rapidly growing tourism connection. The United States is one of the largest source markets for visitors to Iceland — Icelandair's transatlantic hub at Keflavik connects dozens of US cities to Europe with a free stopover in Iceland, and budget carriers add seasonal US routes. The embassy provides the full range of consular services for Icelandic citizens in the United States; a network of 22 honorary consulates across America offers local first-line contact from Anchorage to Youngstown.
Visa Services
Iceland participates in the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Icelandic citizens can travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa using an approved ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). For longer stays, work, study, or immigration purposes, Icelandic citizens apply through the US Embassy in Reykjavik. American citizens travel to Iceland visa-free under Schengen rules for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
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 States.
Trade & Export Support
Key Icelandic exports to the United States include seafood (cod, haddock, and farmed Atlantic salmon), aluminium smelted with geothermal and hydroelectric energy, and technology services — Iceland's data centre industry, powered by renewable energy and cooled by the Arctic climate, serves US tech firms. The embassy facilitates trade contacts and supports Icelandic companies entering the US market.
Cultural & Educational Programs
Cultural ties between Iceland and the United States are strengthened by a large Icelandic-American diaspora concentrated in the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota) and the Pacific Northwest, with roots in 19th-century emigration. The Icelandic National League of North America maintains cultural institutions in Winnipeg and across the northern states. Icelandic music, literature, and film have growing American audiences, and academic exchange covers Arctic research, volcanology, and renewable energy.
Service Area
The embassy covers the entire United States of America. Iceland also maintains a Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. Honorary consulates in 22 US cities provide local first-line contact: Anchorage, Atlanta, Birmingham AL, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland ME, Saint Paul, San Francisco, Seattle, Spanish Fork, and Youngstown.
Appointment Information
The embassy is open Monday to Friday 09:00–16:00. Appointments for consular services are recommended. Contact by phone (+1 202 265 6653) or email (washington@mfa.is).