Can I Travel to Ireland Now?

As travel restrictions begin to lift I am receiving dozens of emails daily asking for Ireland travel updates.

What You Should Know About Visiting Ireland Now

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Rock of Cashel from Hore Abbey, Tipperary, Ireland.

Technically – yes. With limitations.

Visitors from outside the newly announced ‘Green List' are required to self-isolate and restrict movement for 14 days. This means staying in one place with no outside contact. No visiting a store, no walks along the coast, no evenings in a pub.

For most people this means no Ireland vacation.

15 countries that can travel to Ireland without quarantine: Malta, Finland, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Slovakia, Greece, Greenland, Gibraltar, Monaco and San Marino.

Not on the list: Great Britain, United States, Canada, and Australia.

What About Northern Ireland?

As part of the UK Northern Ireland has a larger list of exempted countries but if you arrive in Dublin to get to Northern Ireland you will still be completing an arrival form.

The US and Canada are not included on the UK/ Northern Ireland list.

The discrepancies between the two countries have many calling for an ‘island wide' approach to travel.

Can you arrive into Northern Ireland and bypass the quarantine? Possibly. More on that in just a minute…

If You Have Time to Self-Isolate…

You MUST fill out a passenger locator form stating where you will self-isolate and how you can be contacted. A testing regime has been proposed for symptomatic passengers.

You CAN expect to be checked up on during your self-isolation. The Border Management Unit is handing over form collection and spot checks to the Department of Health to increase tracing of arrivals.

Most tourist attractions are open, but pubs that don't serve food are to remain closed until August 10.

Restaurants- and possibly some attractions- will ask your arrival date into the country and if it hasn't been 14 days they will likely refuse to serve you.

Be prepared to wear a mask everywhere.

While I have been assured by my friends and colleagues in Ireland that the warm Irish welcome is still strong, traveling now is probably not going to give you the Irish experience you have been dreaming of.

A Celtic Experience

Due to the uncertainties of travel this fall the tour has been rescheduled May 26-June 3, 2021.

A few small changes are being made to accommodation in Doolin, but overall the itinerary remains the same.

I am also planning a second tour for 2021! This tour will take in the often unexplored ‘Sunny Southeast'. Think ancient sites, cliff walks, and seaweed baths. And, of course, incredible accommodations, delicious food, and my wonderful driver guide partner, Ireland Chauffeur Travel.

The itinerary is nearly done and I will be releasing information soon!

If you want to be ‘in the know' for either of these tours sign up here!

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Jody Halsted

Jody Halsted is the charismatic host behind the popular Traveling in Ireland Podcast and the Ireland Family Vacations website. With a deep passion for Ireland and an infectious enthusiasm for sharing its wonders, Jody has become a trusted voice in the realm of Irish travel.

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