COVID-19 Information | U.S. Embassy in Ireland

COVID-19 Information

Last updated: 09/25/2020

Country-Specific Information:

For information on public health measures in place in Ireland, visit their dedicated webpage.
For additional current information go to the Irish government’s COVID-19 webpage.

Entry and Exit Requirements:

Is a negative COVID-19 test (PCR and/or serology) required for entry? No
Are health screening procedures in place at airports and other ports of entry? No
The Irish government continues to advise against all non-essential foreign travel. It requires visitors arriving in Ireland, with limited exceptions, to restrict their movements and fill in a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form indicating where they will self-isolate for 14 days. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice.  Health Service Executive (HSE) staff are present in the Dublin and Shannon airports to assist arriving passengers who have concerns related to COVID-19.  If you are in Ireland and believe you may have symptoms, please phone a doctor or dial 112 or 999 locally. If someone tests positive for the virus, the Department of Health (DOH) will isolate and treat the individual.  The Irish government has established a phone number for COVID-19-related travel queries:  +353 1 613 1733.

Movement Restrictions:

Is a curfew in place? No
Are there restrictions on intercity or interstate travel? Yes
On September 15, the Government of Ireland announced its five-level plan for “Living with COVID-19” over the next six months.  The plan sets out five different levels of restrictions that can be put in place across different counties depending on the level of COVID-19 in each area.
On September 18, the Government of Ireland placed Dublin (city and county) on Level 3 for three weeks, until October 9.
On September 25, the Government of Ireland placed County Donegal on Level 3 for three weeks, until October 16.
The Government of Ireland’s designating Dublin (city and county) and County Donegal on Level 3 carries additional restrictions on travel into and out of these counties with exceptions for work, education and other essential purposes.
The full details of the additional restrictions are available here.

Quarantine Information:

Ireland does not mandate a quarantine based on nationality. The Irish government has instituted a Green List of countries from which travelers may enter Ireland without a requirement to restrict their movements. Any traveler arriving to Ireland from a country not on the Green List is required to restrict his or her movements and fill in a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form indicating where they will self-isolate for 14 days. The United States is not on the Green List – travelers arriving to Ireland from the United States are required to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. Failure to complete the form or providing false or misleading information is an offense under Irish law, with a fine of up to €2,500 (nearly $3,000) and/or imprisonment of up to 6 months.

COVID-19 Testing:

U.S. citizens who experience symptoms or are a close contact of a confirmed case may be able to arrange and obtain a COVID-19 test through a general practitioner (GP). The test and GP assessment will be free of charge. If the GP determines that an individual does not need to be tested, he or she will be advised to stay home and self-isolate for 14 days. For more information, please review https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing/how-to-get-tested.html.

Transportation Options:

There are no restrictions on flights from the United States to Ireland although the number of available flights is significantly diminished.  Aer Lingus, American Airlines, and United Airlines are flying to the United States from Ireland, with limited service from Dublin to Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Newark, and New York.

Fines for Non-Compliance: (if applicable)

The penalty on conviction for not abiding by Irish regulations, including wearing a face covering, is up to €2,500 (nearly $3,000) and/or 6 months in prison.

Consular Operations:

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and to protect the health of our customers and employees, the U.S. Embassy in Dublin is offering only limited routine American Citizen Services at this time. All routine American Citizen Services will resume at a future date yet to be determined. We will continue to update our website as developments occur and as we are able to further resume routine services.  For the latest information on U.S. citizen services, please visit the U.S. Citizen Services section of our Embassy website, https://ie.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/ 
The U.S. Embassy in Dublin has begun to offer extremely limited routine visa services.  Due to COVID-19 mitigation such as reduced staffing, waiting room size, and cleaning requirements, we are extremely limited in the routine visa services we can offer.  For additional information we encourage you to review our list of frequently asked questions and associated answers available at https://ie.usembassy.gov/us-travel-restrictions/, and the additional resources available at the links below.

Local Resources:

Other links: