Our COVID-19 Safety Policy

Last updated: 13.08.2021

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, people are understandably more concerned about travelling than they were before. As travel corridors begin to open between countries, and travellers start to tentatively explore the world once more, we at Lotus Car Rental want to assure you that your safety has always, and will always, be our highest priority.

In order to maintain the highest standards of our customer promise, we have put a number of protocols in place which are followed rigorously by our team to ensure your safety, and account for the flexibility needed during this time. Read on to learn more about our health and safety measures.

Visiting Iceland

The Icelandic government have recently updated the rules and restrictions regarding travel to Iceland. We regularly update our blog post Can I Travel to Iceland Right Now with the latest announcements.

As of March 2021, Iceland is also accepting non-essential arrivals from non-EU countries in possession of vaccination certificates with vaccines already approved by the European Medicines Agency. This means that travellers from the United States and other non-EU countries that have received one of the approved EU vaccines, currently: BioNTech & Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, can visit Iceland without having to undergo a double screening and quarantine period.

A comprehensive list of all exemptions to the latest travel restrictions in Iceland, along with the necessary documentation can be found on the lögreglan website.

Checking In and Out

We have always been praised by our customers for our fast, effective and efficient check-in and returns process. Our customers often spend less than 10 minutes in our office as we are keen to get you on your way and exploring Iceland as soon as possible. There’s no additional paperwork to complete on-site; reducing the amount of contact between you and our staff members. You can now also manage your booking online through our new booking management portal.

Because of this, we have not needed to make any changes to our check-in or drop off process, and we continue to operate as safely and efficiently as ever before. We have, however, introduced some additional cleaning procedures to ensure that we are following health and safety best practices at this time.

Our Cleaning Policy

We have updated our cleaning procedures to the highest standards. Learn more about what this means for your hire car, and your time in our office below.

Your Hire Car

Prior to the start of every rental period, your vehicle is thoroughly cleaned inside and out using liquid soap and water. Soap has been scientifically proven to kill germs and viruses including coronavirus, which is why we take this step very seriously.

Further attention is then paid to areas which are commonly touched including the steering wheel, dashboard, centre console, storage compartments and door handles. These are treated with a 70% proof sanitizing solution.

During cleaning, our staff wear masks and gloves, which are replaced with fresh ones after each vehicle is cleaned.

In Our Office

When you arrive at Reykjavik airport, you will need to collect your car from our office, which is just a five-minute shuttle bus or a ten minute walk from the terminal.

Your wellbeing, and the safety of our staff, is something we take seriously. As part of our COVID-safe commitment, we have instructed all of our staff to wear gloves at all times when interacting with you including confirming any details of your rental, handing over the keys, showing you around your hire car.

You will also find our team regularly sanitising the office. This includes routinely wiping down commonly touched areas such as door handles, desks, and the waiting area with a 70% proof sanitising spray.

Flexible Booking

Unfortunately, we are currently unable to offer refunds for any pre-paid bookings. For any of our customers who have paid for their booking in advance whose travel plans have sadly been put on hold due to COVID, we are offering the choice of a voucher which can be used to rebook with us in the next three years or to change their booking free of charge for a future date.

To ensure you have the most flexibility possible, we offer all customers the option to pay for their rental on arrival, and we continue to offer free cancellation for these booking up to 48 hours before your rental agreement is due to commence.

If you are a Lotus Car Rental customer, you can now manage your booking online through our new booking management portal. From here you can view or modify your booking online, at any time!

If you'd prefer to talk to us about your booking, to get your voucher, or modify your booking, please call our team on +354-787-4444 or email us at lotus@lotuscarrental.is with your booking number, details and what you need help with.

Our Sickness Policy

In case of any member of staff feeling unwell, we have mandated them to stay at home until they have contacted the 1700 number to follow protocol. Only after they have received clearance from a healthcare professional will they be allowed to return to work.

FAQ

I need to cancel my booking due to COVID-19. Can I get a refund?

When booking your hire car, we offer all customers the option to pay for their reservation on arrival by selecting the ‘pay at pick up” option in the booking form. We recommend that our customers select this option for any future bookings.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effect that this has had on the travel industry, we are not able to refund bookings which have already been paid for. We will, however, offer all clients a voucher which is valid for three years, or to modify your booking completely free of charge. We look forward to welcoming you to Iceland as soon as it is safe to do so.

To talk to us about your booking, to get your voucher, or modify your booking, please call our team on +354-787-4444 or email us at lotus@lotuscarrental.is

Do I need to wear a face covering when I collect my car from you?

Yes, all customers are required to wear a face covering or mask when entering our office to pick up or drop off a car, or for any other reason.

Do I need to have a COVID test to travel to Iceland?

At the time of writing this (13.08.21), travellers arriving in Iceland from green list countries who are exempt from travel restrictions must provide upon arrival either:

A valid certificate of full vaccination against COVID-19 or certificate of previous COVID-19 infection and a negative PCR or antigen (rapid) test that is no more taken no more than 72 hours before departure to Iceland

Present a negative PCR test result (taken no more than 72 hours before departure), undergo PCR testing at the border upon arrival, and quarantine for 5-6 days that ends with a second negative PCR test result.

At the time of writing this (13.08.21), all arrival screenings remain free of charge. This includes both your test upon arrival and the second following the 5 day quarantine.

As guidance is changing continuously, we recommend regularly visiting the Icelandic tourism website closely to monitor for any changes. At present, all visitors to Iceland are required to complete a pre-registration form before travelling which includes contact information, address(es) during your stay in Iceland, and a declaration of health. The pre-registration form can be found here.

You can also visit Iceland’s COVID-19 website here for the most up to date information.