Update on COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

In eager anticipation of a wider reopening of international travel in July, the Irish Government has reviewed and removed some restrictions on visa requirements. They have also removed Canada from the mandatory hotel quarantine list. The updated full list of countries where individuals have travelled from and require mandatory hotel quarantine can be found here.

The Irish Government announced on 21 June 2021, the lifting of temporary entry and transit visas for nationals of South Africa, Brazil and several other South American countries. This means that citizens of these countries travelling into Ireland no longer need to apply for an entry or transit visa in advance of departure. They are still expected to meet the usual requirements attached to entry into Ireland depending on their particular purpose of stay. They will also need to satisfy criteria based on current restrictions that are in place against COVID-19. These include, for example, the completion of a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form and evidence of a negative or ‘not detected’ RT- PCR test carried out 72 hours prior to arrival, or a legal requirement exempting them from this. This is in addition to the respective quarantine period attached to each country of origin.

The current restrictions to travelling internationally remain in place until 19 July 2021, when Government advice will change to allow for international travel in accordance with public health guidance. This includes the eagerly anticipated EU Digital COVID Certification (DCC) which exempts individuals who are vaccinated, who have recently recovered from the virus or who have a negative COVID-19 test from undergoing quarantine.

Conclusion

Individuals should be aware that a number of countries still remain on the mandatory hotel quarantine list. This may be subject to sudden changes due to the sometimes uncontrollable nature of the virus spread.

One should also note that the usual conditions of entry such as requirements of pre-clearance, as well as the COVID-19 specific requirements, are still in effect. People who do not satisfy these conditions will be refused entry. It is important to be aware and check requirements for each individual country of origin when travelling into Ireland.