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Freight Forwarding Iceland – Sea and air freight Germany ↔ Iceland incl. customs

Transport to Iceland runs by sea freight from Hamburg (5–7 working days) or air freight (1–3 working days) to Reykjavík. Iceland is an EFTA state and not part of the EU customs territory – export and import clearance are required.

Heavy-haul low-loader with an oversized boiler load

Speed Logistics organises transport between Germany and Iceland as a complete service: road pre-carriage from anywhere in Germany, sea freight from Hamburg to Reykjavík or air freight from Frankfurt to Keflavík – including full customs clearance. The total transit time by sea freight is 5 to 7 working days, by air freight 1 to 3 working days.

Iceland belongs to the European Economic Area but not to the EU customs union: every shipment needs an export declaration and import clearance. We handle both from EXW to DDP and quote you a fixed price in advance – usually within a few hours.

Services: sea freight, air freight, project cargo

  • Sea freight from Hamburg to Reykjavík – as a full container (FCL) or groupage (LCL) from one pallet, with regular departures
  • Air freight from Frankfurt to Keflavík for urgent spare parts and high-value goods
  • Road pre-carriage nationwide – from the sprinter van to the 40 t articulated truck, on schedule for the shipping date
  • Temperature-controlled and GDP-compliant transport for pharma and sensitive goods
  • Project cargo for the fishing and aluminium industries including packaging advice and cargo insurance

Packaging and equipment for Iceland sea freight

For the sea route we advise you on seaworthy export packaging: crating, corrosion protection and load securing in the container we handle in full on request. Oversized packages we load on flat-rack or open-top containers, temperature-controlled goods in a reefer container with continuous recording. For the road pre-carriage the right vehicle is used, from the sprinter van to the articulated truck.

Planning: departures and cut-off

Iceland traffic from Hamburg runs on a fixed schedule – the decisive factor is that your goods are at the port in time for the cut-off. We time pickup and document preparation backwards from the shipping date and confirm to you reliably which departure your shipment will make. This avoids costly rebookings and unnecessary storage days at the port. Short-notice shipments we check immediately against the next reachable departure. For regular traffic we set up fixed loading days; imports from Iceland to Germany we also handle including EU customs clearance.

Process: from the works to Reykjavík

1) You send us the key data and preferred date. 2) We secure the booking on the next departure and pick up the goods at your premises. 3) We create export and transit documents to match the shipping date in Hamburg. 4) After 5 to 7 working days the shipment reaches Reykjavík; deliveries to Akureyri and other regions we organise with Icelandic onward-carriage partners. You stay informed throughout via GPS and shipment tracking.

Customs clearance Iceland: using EEA preferences correctly

Even as an EEA state, Iceland requires regular customs clearance. We create the export declaration in Germany, the dispatch documents for transit and manage import clearance in Iceland. Goods of EU origin benefit from preferential arrangements – with an EUR.1 or origin declaration the import duties are reduced significantly. We prepare the commercial invoice and packing list cleanly with you so that clearance at the port runs without idle days.

Industries: fishing, aluminium, tourism

Typical goods on the Iceland route are machinery and spare parts for fish processing and aluminium plants, fittings for hospitality and tourism, and consumer goods. Urgent plant spare parts we combine as air freight with same-day road pre-carriage – keeping downtime in production or processing to a minimum.

Frequently asked questions: Freight Forwarding Iceland

How long does a transport from Germany to Iceland take?

By sea freight from Hamburg to Reykjavík, allow 5 to 7 working days total transit time including road pre-carriage and clearance. Urgent shipments fly as air freight from Frankfurt to Keflavík and are delivered, including customs clearance, in 1 to 3 working days. We time the road pre-carriage to match the departure date.

Do I have to clear customs for Iceland even though it belongs to the EEA?

Yes. Iceland is an EEA member but does not belong to the EU customs union – an export declaration and Icelandic import clearance are mandatory. The advantage of the EEA: goods of EU origin receive reduced or zero duties with a preferential proof such as the EUR.1. Speed Logistics handles the entire process from EXW to DDP.

Can I also send individual pallets to Iceland?

Yes. In addition to full containers (FCL) we load groupage (LCL) from one pallet in consolidation containers from Hamburg. That is considerably more economical for smaller shipments. We pick up the pallet nationwide, handle export documents and customs clearance and deliver to the recipient's address in Iceland.

Are destinations outside Reykjavík served too?

Yes. After arrival at the port of Reykjavík we organise onward carriage with Icelandic partners to all regions – for example to Akureyri in the north or to industrial sites of the aluminium and fishing sectors. Delivery is made on schedule and documented with proof of delivery. We also organise pickups in Iceland towards Germany in full.

What does a transport to Iceland cost?

That depends on volume and mode of transport: an LCL groupage costs from a few hundred euros depending on the number of pallets and the pre-carriage, while a full container is, as a non-binding guide, around €2,500–4,000 depending on the route and season. Air freight we calculate by weight – fixed price within a few hours.

What should I pay particular attention to for transport to Iceland?

As an EFTA state, Iceland is not an EU customs territory – despite EEA membership, full export and import clearance is required, which many shippers underestimate. As the island is only reachable by sea or air, departure and flight schedules determine the transit time. Packaging and load securing must also be seaworthy.

Why is the choice between sea and air freight decisive for Iceland?

Sea freight from Hamburg is the economical standard solution for Iceland but needs 5–7 working days and fixed departures. Air freight reaches Reykjavík in 1–3 working days and suits urgent or high-value shipments, but is considerably more expensive and weight-limited. Speed Logistics combines both depending on deadline, volume and cargo value.

Request freight forwarding iceland

Contact our dispatch team – fixed-price quote within hours, available 24/7.