COVID-19 Information

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Last updated: 01/20/2022

*** Effective December 6, 2021, all airline passengers to the United States ages two years and older, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship, must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test taken within one calendar day of travel.  Alternatively, travelers to the United States may provide documentation from a licensed health care provider of having recovered from COVID-19 in the 90 days preceding travel.  Check the CDC website for additional information and Frequently Asked Questions. 

Country-Specific Information 

  • Ireland has confirmed cases of COVID-19 within its borders. 
  • To see recent U.S. Embassy Dublin Health alerts, please go here. 
  • 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. 

COVID-19 Testing 

  • Are PCR and/or antigen tests available for U.S. citizens in Ireland? Yes 
  • If so, are test results reliably available within one calendar day? Yes 
  • While the Government of Ireland is not offering tests for the purposes of international travel, commercial testing facilities are available.  You can find additional information on commercially available COVID-19 testing locations in Ireland here.  Pre-departure testing is also available at Dublin Airport, Shannon Airport and Cork Airport. 
  • For information on limited humanitarian exemptions to the pre-departure testing requirement, please review the following page: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-testing-required-us-entry.html 
  • The cost for a COVID-19 test through commercial suppliers typically range from €100 to €200 for RT-PCR tests. 
  • Test results are sent by email or text message. If your test is positive, you will also receive a call. 
  • If you do not receive your test results, contact the service provider.  You may also call the COVID-19 helpline if you are waiting more than 2 days (48 hours) for your results. 
  • For more information, please review   https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing/how-to-get-tested.html 

 COVID-19 Vaccine Information     

  • Has the government of Ireland approved a COVID-19 vaccine for use? Yes     
  • Are vaccines available in Ireland for U.S. citizens to receive? Yes     
  • Vaccines are available for residents, including resident U.S. citizens.     
  • Which vaccines are available in Ireland? The AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccines are currently approved for use in Ireland.     
  • Visit the Irish Health Services Executive (HSE) website for more information on the COVID-19 vaccines in Ireland.     
  • Visit the FDA’s website to learn more about FDA-approved vaccines in the United States.     
  • The U.S. government does not plan to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to private U.S. citizens overseas. Please follow host country developments and guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination.      

Entry and Exit Requirements      

  • Are U.S. citizens permitted to enter? Yes     
  • Do vaccinated or recovered U.S. Citizen have to show a negative PCR test? No  
  • Do unvaccinated U.S. Citizen have to show a negative PCR test? Yes 
  • Effective December 5, 2021, anyone traveling to Ireland must  fill out a Passenger Locator Form before departure. 
  • If you have proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID-19, you do not have to show a negative test result.  
  • If you do not have valid proof of vaccination, you will need to present evidence of a negative RT-PCR result from a test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival into the country.   
  • For details on acceptable proof of vaccination, approved vaccines, and proof of recovery, please visit the Government of Ireland’s Rules for traveling to Ireland    
  • In situations where a person is required to present evidence of a negative (‘not detected’) RT-PCR test result prior to travel and is unable to do so due to a persistently positive RT-PCR test after recovery, then a positive RT-PCR test result will be acceptable which was taken no less than 11 days and no more than 180 days prior to arrival to the State.  
  • If you do not have valid proof of vaccination, you will need to present evidence of a negative RT-PCR result from a test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival into the country.   
  • Are health screening procedures in place at airports and other ports of entry? Yes      
  • 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.  Members of the public with travel queries may contact traveladvice@dfa.ie.      
  • EU member states can exercise discretion in accepting CDC vaccination cards, so U.S. travelers should consult travel advisory information in each EU country to understand specific requirements.  As each country oversees its own immigration and public health measures, the U.S. Embassy in Ireland is unable to provide guidance on Irish immigration or public health requirements apart from that available here and at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go.html .    
  • Prospective visitors to Ireland may also wish to contact the Irish Consulate closest to them for further information: https://www.dfa.ie/embassies/irish-embassies-abroad/   

Movement Restrictions     

  • Is a curfew in place? No     
  • Are there restrictions on intercity or interstate travel? No     
  • The Government of Ireland is still recommending that people wear masks outside where there is heavier foot traffic or crowds.     
  • The full details of the restrictions are available here   

Quarantine Information      

  • Are U.S. citizens required to quarantine? If you are unvaccinated and arrive without a negative pre-departure test result, you must home quarantine and take a RT-PCR test within 36 hours of your arrival. If no RT-PCR test is taken you must remain in home quarantine for 10 days after your arrival. 
  • You can find further information at Travelling to Ireland during COVID-19 (citizensinformation.ie)    
  • Any traveler arriving to Ireland is required to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form.  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.  

Transportation Options     

  • Are commercial flights operating? Yes     
  • There are no restrictions on flights from the United States to Ireland although the number of available flights are reduced.     
  • Is public transportation operating? Yes     
  • Irish law requires the wearing of a face covering or mask on public transport 

Fines for Non-Compliance (if applicable)     

  • The penalty on conviction for not abiding by Irish regulations, including mandatory PCR testing requirement, completing the Passenger Locator Form, and wearing a face covering, is up to €2,500 (nearly $3,000) and/or 6 months in prison.     

Consular Operations 

  • U.S. Citizen Services: While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact consular operations at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin we continue to provide the full range of passport and citizenship services with the exception of renunciation services – we are not currently offering renunciation services.  We appreciate your understanding as we continue to strive to provide U.S. citizen services while also protecting the health of our customers and employees.  For the latest information on U.S. citizen services, please visit the U.S. Citizen Services section of our Embassy website:  U.S. Citizen Services – U.S. Embassy in Ireland (usembassy.gov)  
  • Visa Services: The U.S. Embassy in Dublin has resumed all routine visa services.  Due to COVID-19 mitigation measures and resource constraints, however, wait times for nonimmigrant visa appointments and visa processing time for approved applicants are longer than normal.  Prospective visa applicants are advised to not finalize non-refundable travel plans until such time as they receive their visa.  We are extremely limited in the emergency visa services we can offer, and we cannot approve all requests for expedited appointments.  For additional information we encourage you to review our list of frequently asked questions and associated answers available at:  U.S. Visa and Travel FAQs for non-U.S. citizens during COVID-19 – U.S. Embassy in Ireland (usembassy.gov) and the additional resources available at the links below. 

Local Resources     

 

By | 20 January, 2022 | Topics: Alert, Messages for U.S. Citizens, News, Security & Emergency Messages

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