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Can I Enter Ireland Now? (Travel Restrictions As of SEPTEMBER 6, 2021)

Categories Travel Guides

Updated as of July 29, 2021

Ireland implemented one of the most stringent curfews, prohibiting indoor household mingling, shutting down hospitality and retail establishments, and prohibiting people from moving more than 5 kilometers from their houses. 

Since mid-May, cultural attractions, museums, and galleries have been open, with social separation and masks in place. Hotels are now open;  restaurants, bars, and cafes can welcome visitors for outside service only. 

If you’re going to confined public venues, public transportation, and busy outdoor spaces, masks are still required. 

As the country reopens, the Irish government declared that it will adopt the EU’s digital COVID-19 certificate, which verifies that a person has been properly vaccinated, recovered from the virus, or tested negative for it. This means that there are no COVID limitations on travel within the EU if you have the certificate.

On Friday, July 16, the Irish government said that it had modified the requirements for those traveling with children.

Indeed, youngsters aged 12 to 17 will be required to provide a negative PCR test upon arrival, as well as proof that they have been vaccinated against the virus or have recovered from it.

They also said that children of any age traveling with vaccinated or recovered adults will not be needed to self-quarantine after arrival,

Please see the list of designated states for information on hotel quarantines and other requirements upon arrival in Ireland to assist you in planning your vacation and ensuring that you follow their rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, tourists from the UK and US can enter Ireland without being quarantined if they have proof of vaccination, virus recovery, or a negative PCR test.

Travelers to Ireland from countries outside the EU should be aware of the following:

  • There is no need to quarantine if you have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 (within the last 180 days).
  • If you have not been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 (within the last 180 days), you must submit a negative RT-PCR result and self-quarantine.  
  • If you are traveling to Ireland from a designated country, are unvaccinated, or do not have confirmation of COVID-19 recovery, you must plan and pay for quarantine hotel accommodations in advance.
  • Traveling with children: Unless they (the child or children) are completely vaccinated, you must have a negative RT-PCR test conducted no more than 72 hours before arrival if you are traveling with a child aged 12 to 17. This applies to children traveling within the EU/EEA as well as children traveling from outside the EU/EEA. 
  • Traveling with children and the required quarantine: Self-quarantine is not required for children of any age traveling with vaccinated or recovered adults. If one accompanying adult must self-quarantine, then all children must as well.

As of June 30th, 2021

Ireland has the toughest travel restrictions in the EU right now. It warns citizens against unnecessary travel, fines those who fly to vacation destinations, and requires arrivals from 50 countries to stay at a hotel for two weeks.

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In a speech by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Friday, 28 May 2021, he announced that starting July 19, the country will adopt the European Union’s COVID-19 certificate to help citizens move more freely across the EU, and will largely apply the same method to arrivals from other countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister Micheal Martin also confirmed that a gradual shift from one of the EU’s longest and toughest lockdowns will continue, with bars and restaurants able to serve guests indoors starting July 5, arts and sports events are also resuming both indoors and outdoors but with strict attendance restrictions.

Summer is the peak travel season in Ireland and it is also one of the best times of the year to visit.

Many of the top attractions may be crowded, but summer provides the perfect weather to explore castles, do a museum tour, bike or hike, walk along cliffs or go to the beach. For a country where it always rains, abundant sunshine is a welcome change. 

IRELAND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

However, with the current global health crisis, traveling to Ireland during the summer won’t be as easy as before. It is definitely possible, but there are now specific rules to follow.  

VIEW STORY: CAN I ENTER IRELAND NOW?

Can I enter Ireland now?

Let’s get to know some new travel regulations first: 

What is the EU certification scheme? 

People who have received a vaccine, have had a negative test, or have recovered from COVID-19 can travel freely throughout the EU under the EU certification scheme.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) is a certification that allows for safe and unrestricted mobility within the EU during the COVID-19 epidemic. All Europeans have the right to free movement, even if they do not have the certificate. However, the certificate will make travel easier by removing restrictions such as quarantine.

When will travelers from EU/EEA be able to use the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) certificate in Ireland? 

Ireland intends to use the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) for travel throughout the EU and EEA from July 19, 2021.

What are in the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC)? 

The DCC will be showing the following:

  • That you have completed your COVID-19 vaccine.  
  • That the previous 9 months, you’ve recovered from COVID-19, or 
  • That you have a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours of your arrival.
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For more information about the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC), you may visit their official page.

How will the EU Certification Scheme work for Ireland? 

As per Ireland’s new regulations, unvaccinated children aged 7 to 18 must have a negative coronavirus test before entering Ireland, regardless of where they are traveling from.

Passengers with appropriate proof of vaccination from outside the bloc are also allowed to travel freely, as long as the nations from which they arrive are not considered to be at high risk of COVID-19 mutations spreading.

Unvaccinated visitors from outside the EU must come with a negative test and be placed in self-quarantine until a second post-arrival test is completed.

So, can I travel to Ireland now? 

Yes, but only if you are willing to follow specific travel requirements aimed at protecting public health and limiting the spread of COVID-19 on Ireland’s island. Keep in mind that the virus is still spreading throughout most of the planet. Anyone can become infected during air, land, or sea travel process.

As of June 1, the regularly updated travel advisory at the Department of Foreign Affairs says that the government’s advice to avoid non-essential travel, as well as the fines associated with it, will remain in effect until July 18th. This will change on July 19 to urge residents to travel safely and following public health recommendations and limits. The page also features advisories for over a hundred countries. 

Ireland will begin using the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) for travel originating within the EU/EEA on July 19, 2021, depending on the current public health scenario.

Will Ireland be open for travelers from the European Union, European Economic Area, Britain, and the United States starting on July 19? 

Yes, from July 19, travelers from the United States and the United Kingdom will be able to enter and move freely across Ireland if they have gotten a vaccine, have a negative test result, or are immune after recovering from COVID-19.

Will Ireland be open for travelers outside of the European Union, European Economic Area, Britain, and the United States starting on July 19? 

Yes, travelers from outside the EU, United States, and the United Kingdom will be allowed to enter and move freely across Ireland from July 19 if they have gotten a vaccine, had a negative test, or have fully recovered from COVID-19.

Travelers arriving from designated countries (which are considered high-risk in terms of Covid variations) are placed in mandatory hotel quarantine. Here is the current list of designated countries.  

Requirements to enter Ireland:

As of June 2021, here are the pre-departure requirements for traveling to Ireland: 

  • Almost all passengers arriving in Ireland or transiting via an Irish port or airport must have a COVID-19 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test performed no more than 72 hours before their arrival.  Antigen or other test types are not accepted.  
  • You must have a negative or ‘not detected’ RT-PCR test no more than 72 hours before your arrival, even if you have been vaccinated against COVID-19. 
  • You are committing an offense if you arrive at an Irish airport or seaport without documentation of a COVID-19 test that is negative or ‘not detected.’ 
  • Those arriving from any country who do not have a negative or undetectable (RT-PCR) test done within the past 72 hours will be required to stay in a hotel for quarantine. 
  • There are several exceptions, such as children under the age of seven who do not require COVID-19 testing. 
  • Before going to Ireland, you should read the most recent travel information. 
  • You must also pre-book and pre-pay for a place in a designated facility for mandatory hotel quarantine you are traveling from or through a designated State.  
  • You must fill out an online COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form  if you arrive in Ireland from another country, including if you intend to travel on to Northern Ireland.  
  • If you come to Ireland via Northern Ireland and were away for more than 14 days before your arrival, you must additionally complete Passenger Locator Form.
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What are the assigned quarantine hotels in Ireland? 

For required hotel quarantine, Minister of Health Stephen Donnelly has identified the following facilities:

Quarantine has been imposed in Ireland as a last resort, a temporary remedy. The mandatory quarantine statute has been extended from its initial implementation date until July 31, 2021.

Quarantine bookings are presently only available for this period but will be extended if the Oireachtas passes resolutions to prolong the operation beyond.

If you have any questions about how the situation will affect your travel plans, we recommend contacting your airline, tour operator, cruise line, or transportation and lodging providers.