Ireland Is Back And Canadians Are Welcome

Ireland is now welcoming back visitors from Canada who have valid proof of vaccination.

And for those who are fully vaccinated, no travel-related testing or quarantine will be necessary.

The welcome mat for Canadians is being rolled out by none other than Tourism Ireland CEO, Niall Gibbons.

Gibbons writes: “I hope that you, your teams, and your families are all doing well during this ongoing period of uncertainty for the tourism and travel industry across the world. Today, I’m pleased to confirm that from July 19th Ireland will be welcoming visitors from Canada who have valid proof of vaccination. For those that are fully vaccinated no travel-related testing or quarantine will be necessary.”

Now for those who do not have valid proof of vaccination, they will need to:

• present evidence of a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours prior to arrival into Ireland
• self-quarantine
• undergo post-arrival testing – this will be provided through the Health Service Executive in Ireland

Ireland will be applying an ‘emergency brake’ mechanism that will be coordinated at EU level to react swiftly to the emergence of a variant of concern or variant of interest. In the event that this ‘emergency brake’ mechanism is applied to Canadian visitors the requirements will change and more detail can be found on the Irish Government website.

Before arriving into Ireland, Canadian visitors will need to complete a Passenger Locator Form .

The form will be checked prior to departure to Ireland by the relevant carrier and visitors may be asked to provide the vaccination certificate indicated on their form.

On arrival in Ireland, spot checks will be carried out on proof of vaccinations and negative RT-PCR tests as appropriate.

Unfortunately, the introduction of these additional checks may cause some disruption to journeys and visitors may experience delays so visitors should give themselves extra time either side of departure and arrival.

From July 19, children between the ages of 12 and 17, must have a negative RT-PCR test to travel into Ireland, even with fully vaccinated or recovered adults. Children under 12 do not need to take a RT-PCR test prior to travelling to Ireland. If there are any further changes we will update you or please check the Irish Government website for the latest information.

It is important to note that only those fully vaccinated or with proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 6 months will be able to avail of indoor hospitality during their stay in Ireland. It is anticipated that this will apply from July 26. Those staying in hotels can avail of the indoor hospitality options within the hotel.

Northern Ireland are operating a system of green, red and amber countries and the measures in place will depend on the countries the visitor is travelling from or passing through. Canada is currently on the amber list of countries which means that if visitors are travelling to Northern Ireland, either directly or via another country including Ireland, they must:

• provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to three days before departure
• book post-arrival testing • complete a UK passenger locator form either on arrival, or in the 48 hours before arrival
• self-isolate for 10 days

You can find further details on the Northern Ireland Government website.

Gibbons observes that: “The tourism industry right across the island of Ireland are very much looking forward to welcoming back your clients from overseas and will ensure they enjoy their visit. The health and safety of all our visitors continues to be the priority, and we will ensure they are protected alongside a very warm Irish welcome and a great holiday experience.”

And he continues: “We know and understand the very great difficulty uncertainty causes for your business and will continue to do everything we can to help and will update you on any developments as they take place. If you have any further questions, please talk to the Tourism Ireland team in Toronto who will be happy to help and provide answers where they can.”

Gibbons concludes: “Many thanks for your ongoing support for Tourism Ireland and the tourism industry on the island of Ireland. We very much value your business and look forward to working with you to rebuild it in the months and years ahead.”