Travel from the UK to Ireland: Covid-19 / Coronavirus

COVID-19 has impacted international travel since early 2020. As the United Kingdom and Ireland face their third wave of the virus, new travel restrictions have been introduced for those travelling from the UK to Ireland. Read on to find out everything you need to know about travel from the UK to Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic 2021…

As of the 27th January 2021, under current UK COVID-19 restrictions, you must stay at home. You must not leave home or travel, including internationally, unless you have a legally permitted reason to do so.

Public Health Passenger Locator Form

In line with Irish travel health guidelines, all arrivals into Ireland, including Irish residents and those travelling from the UK to Ireland, coming from overseas must complete a Public Health Passenger Locator Form. This form must be completed before arrival into Ireland.

This form may be used by health authorities to contact individuals to verify their location in the country.

Failure to complete the Public Health Passenger Locator Form when travelling from the United Kingdom to Ireland could result in fines of up to €2,500 or up to six months imprisonment.

Negative PCR Test

As of the 9^th of January 2021, all passengers arriving at Irish seaports or airports from the UK will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours prior to their arrival into Ireland. After providing a negative PCR test, all passengers arriving to Ireland from the UK are required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.

It is now considered an offence to travel from the UK to Ireland without evidence of a negative PCR test and anyone doing this may be subject to prosecution, punishable by a fine of up to €2,500 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both.

Nomad Travel provide PCR tests in several locations around the United Kingdom. Book your PCR test with Nomad Travel before travelling to Ireland.

As of 16^th of January, passengers whose journey does not originate in the United Kingdom, but who transit through an airport or port in in the UK as part of their journey to Ireland, will be required to provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 PCR test.

Passengers who arrive in Ireland solely for the purpose of travelling onwards to another state and do not leave the airport are also not required to provide evidence of a test.

Self-isolating When Travelling from UK to Ireland

Due to the new strain of COVID-19 in the UK, those arriving in Ireland from Great Britain, are required to self-isolate for 14 days from the date of arrival into Ireland. This includes those who have shown evidence of a negative PCR Covid-19 test.

This means that on arrival, travellers are required to stay at home, in a room with a window you can open, for two weeks. During this self-isolation period, you must stay away from other people, especially elderly or anyone with a long-term medical condition. You must use a different bathroom to other members of your household, if possible. More information on how to self-isolate is available on the HSE website.

All individuals who travel from the UK to Ireland, whether they have symptoms or not, are asked to phone any GP or GP out-of-hours service to arrange a COVID-19 test. This should be done as soon as possible after 5 days post-arrival. This test will be free of charge if arranged through GPs.

Despite the result of this test, individuals who travel from UK to Ireland are advised to complete the entire 14 days period of self-isolation.

If at any point in the 14 days following arrival, a traveller develops any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, they should immediately phone a GP and alert them of their recent visit from Great Britain.

Thank you for reading our blog ‘Travel from the UK to Ireland: Everything You Need to Know’. For more information on travelling from the UK to Ireland please visit www.gov.uk. Are you travelling to Ireland from the United Kingdom? Book your PCR test with Nomad Travel today.