Import iCalendar ICS or vCalendar VCS files to Outlook

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Steps below will show how to import iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar (.vcs) file into Outlook.

  1. Go to File tab

    Outlook Main Ribbon
    Outlook Main Ribbon

  2. Click Open & Export tab, next in main window click Import/Export button
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    Outlook Open and Export Window
    Outlook Open and Export Window

  3. In Import and Export Wizard select Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file (.vcs) option

    Outlook Import and Export Wizard
    Click to enlarge

  4. Now you can choose if you want to Import or Open as New

    Open as New
    Opens a new standard Outlook meeting window with data from iCalendar file. This gives you a chance to change meeting settings like: add reminder, add people etc. before saving in Outlook
    Import
    Inserts meeting directly to your calendar with no additional window or option to modify it
    Open or Import Meeting
    Click to enlarge

Sample ICS file

BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Apple Inc.//Mac OS X 10.11//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Chicago
X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Chicago
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:18831118T120924
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:18831118T120924
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0550
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19180331T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19190330T080000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=3
TZNAME:CDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19181027T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19191026T070000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19200101T000000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19200101T000000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19420101T000000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19460101T000000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19670101T000000
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19200613T020000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19200613T020000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19210327T020000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19740106T020000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19750223T020000
TZNAME:CDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19201031T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19211030T070000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19220430T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19350428T080000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=4
TZNAME:CDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19220924T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19350929T070000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=9
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19360301T020000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19360301T020000
TZNAME:EST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19361115T020000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19361115T020000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19450930T020000
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19370425T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19410427T080000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=4
TZNAME:CDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19370926T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19410928T070000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=9
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19420209T020000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19420209T020000
TZNAME:CWT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19450814T180000
RDATE;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19450814T180000
TZNAME:CPT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19460428T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19660424T080000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=4
TZNAME:CDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19460929T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19540926T070000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=9
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19551030T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19661030T070000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19670430T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19730429T080000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=4
TZNAME:CDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:19671029T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=20061029T070000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19760425T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=19860427T080000Z;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=4
TZNAME:CDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:19870405T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;UNTIL=20060402T080000Z;BYDAY=1SU;BYMONTH=4
TZNAME:CDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:20070311T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=2SU;BYMONTH=3
TZNAME:CDT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:20071104T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYMONTH=11
TZNAME:CST
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20160617T083000
ORGANIZER;[email protected];CN=Ts Dam:
 /aNDAxNzU2NjA0MDE3NTY2MJtuUOn_6RHBPwjfRKn3ocN0B_5OdXy6y3Fuhexufln9/princip
 al/
UID:B71DF26B-4206-4DE8-9CC6-B70BB1EC3CBF
LOCATION:Skype
SEQUENCE:0
SUMMARY:Current Tasks: Sample UI Discussion
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20160617T080000
CREATED:20160616T135502Z
ATTENDEE;CUTYPE=INDIVIDUAL;[email protected];PARTSTAT=ACCEPTED;
 ROLE=CHAIR;X-CALENDARSERVER-DTSTAMP=20160616T135611Z;CN=Mike Ahm:
 /aNDAxNzU2NjA0MDE3NTY2MJtuUOn_6RHBPwjfRKn3ocN0B_5OdXy6y3Fuhexufln9/princip
 al/
ATTENDEE;CUTYPE=INDIVIDUAL;[email protected];
 PARTSTAT=NEEDS-ACTION;SCHEDULE-STATUS=1.1:mailto:
 [email protected]
ATTENDEE;CN=Sebastian;CUTYPE=INDIVIDUAL;
 [email protected];PARTSTAT=ACCEPTED;
 SCHEDULE-STATUS=2.0:mailto:[email protected]
DTSTAMP:20160616T135624Z
TRANSP:OPAQUE
X-APPLE-TRAVEL-ADVISORY-BEHAVIOR:AUTOMATIC
BEGIN:VALARM
X-WR-ALARMUID:E63DCB44-8098-4278-ABF0-844F374AFCDD
UID:E63DCB44-8098-4278-ABF0-844F374AFCDD
TRIGGER;VALUE=DATE-TIME:19760401T005545Z
ACTION:NONE
END:VALARM
BEGIN:VALARM
X-WR-ALARMUID:D7D2EB81-7A7A-4578-ACC8-6D3558B830A6
UID:D7D2EB81-7A7A-4578-ACC8-6D3558B830A6
TRIGGER;VALUE=DURATION:-PT15M
DESCRIPTION:Event reminder
ACTION:DISPLAY
END:VALARM
BEGIN:VALARM
X-WR-ALARMUID:F67B6137-4E5B-48E8-9205-CF44D2961961
UID:F67B6137-4E5B-48E8-9205-CF44D2961961
TRIGGER;VALUE=DURATION:PT0S
DESCRIPTION:Event reminder
ACTION:DISPLAY
END:VALARM
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR

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