Ireland Announced Plans to Allow Non-Essential Travel in July

In a national address, on Friday, May 28, Ireland Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced the country’s plans to ease restrictions for the summer. Ireland currently has the most restrictive policies in the European Union.

From July 19, subject to the prevailing public health situation, Ireland will operate the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) for travel originating within the EU/EEA.
A DCC will show if a passenger:
  • is vaccinated against COVID-19;
  • has recovered from COVID-19 in the past 9 months; or
  • has a negative test result taken no more than 72 hours before arrival
What to Expect:
  • Passengers arriving into Ireland with a DCC will not have to undergo quarantine. However, passengers with a DCC based on a non-PCR test (for example, antigen), or those arriving without a DCC, will require proof of a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival.
  • Children between 7 and 18 who have not been vaccinated must also have a negative PCR test.
  • A passenger who has been in a non-EU/EEA country in the 14 days prior to arrival into Ireland will be subject to the rules applying to that country (see below).
  • All passengers will be advised to observe public health restrictions and to present for post-arrival testing if they develop symptoms of COVID-19.

Passengers arriving into Ireland from outside EU/EEA

From 19 July, Ireland will also broadly align itself to the EU approach to non-essential travel into the EU from third countries. An ‘emergency brake’ mechanism will be coordinated at the EU level to react quickly to the emergence of any new variants or concerns abroad. The government will advise against travel to a country where an emergency brake has been applied.

  • Scenario One – The journey originates in a country to which the EU has not applied an ‘Emergency Brake’
    • If the passenger has valid proof of vaccination, no travel-related testing or quarantine will be necessary.
    • If the passenger does not have valid proof of vaccination, they will need to:
      • present evidence of a negative PCR test result within 72 hours prior to arrival into the country
      • self-quarantine
      • undergo post-arrival testing – this will be provided through the HSE
  • Scenario 2 – journey originates in a country to which the EU has applied an ‘Emergency Brake’
    • If the passenger has valid proof of vaccination, they will need to:
      • produce a negative result from a PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival
      • undergo self-quarantine
      • undergo post-arrival testing – this will be provided through the HSE
    • If the passenger does not have a valid proof of vaccination, they will need to:
      • produce evidence of a negative result from a PCR test undertaken no more than 72 hours before arrival
      • undergo mandatory hotel quarantine
      • undergo post-arrival testing
Travel to the UK and US

The approach to travel outside the EU/EEA will also apply to travel to and from Great Britain and the US. There will be no restrictions on travel to or from Northern Ireland. Passengers arriving via Northern Ireland who have been overseas in the 14 days prior to arrival in Ireland, must also comply with these restrictions.

 

Erickson Immigration Group will continue to send updates as more news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.