Notice updated February 2022
Introduction
Everyone arriving in Ireland must complete a Passenger Locator Form before boarding a flight or taking a boat to Ireland.
You must also have one of the following when you arrive in Ireland:
- An EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) that shows you are fully vaccinated with an EMA approved vaccine, or have recovered from COVID-19, or
- Other acceptable proof that you have been fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine, or you have recovered from COVID-19, or
- Proof of a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before your arrival
Children aged 11 and under are exempt from testing requirements and there are some other limited exceptions.
Since 1 February 2022, vaccine certificates for primary vaccination series will not be accepted for travel if more than 270 days (9 months) have passed since the final dose in the primary vaccine series. Vaccine certificates based on booster and additional doses are not time limited.
People arriving in Ireland do not need to quarantine.
You should follow public health advice if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 or if you are a close contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Passenger locator form
If you arrive into Ireland from another country, including if you are travelling onwards to Northern Ireland, you must fill in an online COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form before you arrive. One form should be completed for each passenger aged 18 or older. You will get an email receipt, which you will have to show when boarding. It is a pre-boarding requirement.
You must also fill out this form if you arrive in Ireland through Northern Ireland and were overseas in the 28 days before your arrival in Ireland.
The information on the form may be used to contact you to check your location, or to contact you if there is a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 on your flight or ferry.
You need the following details to complete the COVID-19 passenger locator form:
- The mobile phone number that you will use when in Ireland
- Your email address
- Your place of residence when staying in Ireland
- Information on how you arrived in Ireland (for example: name of airline or ferry, flight or ferry number)
- Passport details of passengers
You are also asked which of the following you are travelling with:
- Proof of vaccination
- Proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 180 days. You must have had a positive RT-PCR COVID-19 test result at least 11 days before arrival (and no more than 180 days).
- Proof of negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival
You do not have to fill in this form in some limited situations.
Failure to complete this form is an offence.
You can read the data protection notice for the COVID-19 passenger locator form.
Do I need a COVID test before coming to Ireland?
You do not need a COVID-19 test before arriving in Ireland if any of the following applies to you:
- You have an EU Digital COVID Certificate that shows you are fully vaccinated
- You have an EU Digital COVID Certificate that shows you have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 180 days
- You are aged 11 or under
- You have another acceptable proof that you are fully vaccinated with an EMA approved vaccine, or that you have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 180 days
If none of the above applies to you, you must have a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before your arrival in Ireland.
If you require a RT-PCR test and you arrive in Ireland without one, you could be taken to court and fined and/or sent to prison. A passenger who travels without a test result or an exemption is required to take a RT-PCR test within 72 hours following arrival.
For proofs of vaccination and recovery that are acceptable, see ‘What does fully vaccinated mean?’ and ‘What does recovered from COVID-19 mean?’ below.
Do I need to quarantine?
You do not have to quarantine when you arrive in Ireland.
You should follow public health advice if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 or if you are a close contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Travelling with children
All children under the age of 18 must be declared on a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form by an adult accompanying them.
Unaccompanied children aged 12 and over must complete their own COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form.
If you are travelling with a child that is between the ages of 12 and 17, they must have a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival unless they have valid proof of vaccination or recovery.
If only the adults accompanying the child are fully vaccinated, the child is required to have a negative RT-PCR test.
Children aged 11 and under do not need a COVID-19 test to travel to Ireland.
What does fully vaccinated mean?
Since 1 February 2022, a standard acceptance period of 14 days after the final dose in a primary vaccine series of a vaccine will be required for all vaccines accepted for travel to Ireland.
You are fully vaccinated when it is:
- 14 days after the second AstraZeneca dose or second Covishield dose
- 14 days after the second Pfizer-BioNtech dose
- 14 days after the second Moderna dose
- 14 days after the single Janssen dose
- 14 days after the second Sinopharm dose (also called Vero Cell Inactivated)
- 14 days after your second dose of Coronavac (Sinovac)
- 14 days after your second dose of Covaxin
- 14 days after your second dose of of Novavax (Nuvaxovid)
Mixed vaccines
If you got different vaccines for your first and second doses, you are fully vaccinated once 14 days has passed based on your second vaccine.
If you got a vaccine other than those listed above, you are not considered ‘fully vaccinated’.
You are also not fully vaccinated if the time between your first and second doses is less than the required period (for two dose vaccines).
Single dose and recovered from COVID-19
You are considered fully vaccinated if you got a single dose of any of the above vaccines within 180 days of a positive RT-PCR test result. You must show proof of the positive test and the vaccine dose. Since 1 February 2022 you are considered fully vaccinated after 14 days.
What is valid proof of vaccination?
You should bring proof that you have been fully vaccinated when you travel to Ireland.
If you were vaccinated in the EEA you should get an EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC). Since 1 February 2022, vaccine certificates for primary vaccination series will not be accepted for travel if more than 270 days (9 months) have passed since the final dose in the primary vaccine series. Vaccine certificates based on booster and additional doses are not time limited.
If you were vaccinated in a country outside the EEA you should have a valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate that has been officially recognised as equivalent to the EU DCC.
Other proof that you have been vaccinated can also be accepted. The proof can be in written or electronic format in Irish or English. Where it is in another language, an official translation into Irish or English is needed.
Your proof of vaccination must contain the following:
- Confirmation that you are fully vaccinated
- The date or dates you were vaccinated
- The name of body in the state implementing the vaccination programme that administered the vaccine to you
What does ‘recovered from COVID-19’ mean?
You are ‘recovered from COVID-19’ if you had COVID-19 in the past 180 days (and no less than 11 days before you arrive in Ireland). You should bring proof that you have recovered from COVID-19 when you travel to Ireland.
If you were tested for COVID-19 in the EEA, you should get an EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC). Other proof that you have recovered from COVID-19 can also be accepted.
What other proof of recovery is acceptable?
If you do not have a DCC, your proof must be in written or electronic format in English or Irish. If it is in a language other than English or Irish, it needs to be accompanied by a certified translation.
Your proof of recovery must contain the following:
- Your full name and date of birth
- The date of your first relevant positive test result
- The disease or variant from which you have recovered
- The country where the test was carried out
- Details of the body that issued the certificate
- Dates the certificate is valid from and expires (you must have tested positive at least 11 days ago but no longer than 180 days ago)
Further Travel Information:
