Important Update: Consular Services & Covid-19 Travel Information
News
19 January 2021
Consular Services Update & Travel Information during Covid-19
REQUIREMENT FOR NEGATIVE COVID-19 TEST RESULT ON ARRIVAL INTO IRELAND
As of Saturday, 16 January, passengers arriving into Ireland from all countries, including the US, are required to show a negative result of a pre-departure PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival in the State. Checks will be made by the Border Management Unit at Dublin Airport and by An Garda Síochána at other points of entry. Children aged six and under are exempt from this requirement.
You should be aware that the Irish Government continues to recommend against any non-essential travel to Ireland at present. The US government also advises against most non-essential international travel currently, including to Ireland.
Ireland has implemented the EU ‘Traffic Light System’ whereby restrictions are based on the location of the passenger during the 14 days prior to arrival. In general, you are requested to restrict your movements for 14 days if you arrive into Ireland from another country. This applies to all travellers entering the State, including Irish citizens coming home and people with no symptoms. Restricting your movements means avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as possible. Ireland’s Health Service Executive has provided guidance on how to restrict movements on their website.
Passengers entering Ireland from red regions (which currently includes the United States) can exit quarantine early following receipt of a negative/not-detected result from a Covid-19 PCR test taken a minimum of five days after arrival in Ireland. Test results can take a few days; passengers are requested to continue to restrict their movements until they have the negative result. The PCR COVID-19 test is currently the only test type considered acceptable by public health authorities in Ireland in relation to international travel. Testing provision under Ireland’s framework for international travel will not be provided through the public health system, but will be met by the private commercial sector testing supply and paid for by passengers.
The general request to restrict movements does not apply to persons travelling for an essential need or function as defined by Paragraph 19 of the EU Council Recommendation on Travel for an Essential Purpose. It is the responsibility of each individual to determine if their circumstances fall into one of the categories in Paragraph 19 of the EU Council Recommendation on travel for an essential need or function.
For up-to-date information on what to do if you are travelling to Ireland at this time, please see the Irish Government website.
To ensure that this is being observed, all passengers arriving to Ireland from overseas are obliged to complete a mandatory Public Health Passenger Locator Form and to submit it to the relevant authority at their port of entry. Exemptions are in place for providers of essential supply chain services such as hauliers, pilots and maritime staff. Check the Irish Government Advice Page for full information on these requirements.
Further advice for people who have recently returned from abroad is available from the HSE. Please heed this restriction carefully in order to protect yourself and others. Please also download the new tracker app which will help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ireland.
PASSPORTS
Passport application processing through the Consulate is currently suspended in line with the move to Level 5 of the Irish Government’s National Framework on Living with COVID-19 from 24 December.
Ireland has moved to Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19, meaning that routine first-time application are not being accepted at this time. Applications received after 8 January 2021 will be returned to applicants as is and will not be reviewed. To avoid unnecessary expense and even further delay, all applicants are advised to carefully read the instructions that accompany the application form.
Please continue to monitor our website and social media channels for updates on resumption of passport services.
If you have previously submitted an application to us, your documents are being stored at the Consulate and your application will continue processing once normal operations resume. Status updates are not available during the application process.
For those seeking to renew a passport that has expired within the last 5 years for an adult or child, you must apply using the online service here: https://www.dfa.ie/passportonline/
Where an applicant is eligible to renew their passport online, they must use this online system. The passport office will no longer process paper applications from those who are eligible to apply for their passport online.
As a result of this increased demand, and combined with the above noted restrictions, please expect significant delays. Average processing time is 16+ weeks. We ask for your patience as we work to resume normal operations and address COVID-19 related processing delays.
If you currently hold another valid passport, and/or an Irish passport is not essential for your upcoming confirmed travel, we urge you to wait to submit your application until normal processing times resume.
If you have contacted us to request a passport application, you will not be sent an application form until normal passport operations resume in Ireland. We kindly ask that you do not make multiple requests for application forms.
VISAS
The Consulate is currently accepting applications for long stay (D) visas. All application materials, including original passports and fees, must be sent to the Consulate by mail as the walk-in office is closed to the public. Applications for short stay (C) visas are suspended until further notice, excluding cases of emergency. This policy is in place until further notice.
Please do not submit a visa application without contacting the Consulate first.
Information on visa services during COVID-19, including the criteria for Emergency/Priority visas, can be found here: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/COVID-19-updates-and-announcements
WORKING HOLIDAY AUTHORISATION
The processing of Working Holiday Authorisations is temporarily suspended until further notice.
FOREIGN BIRTH REGISTRATIONS / CITIZENSHIP
The processing of Foreign Birth Registrations or FBRs (through which Irish citizenship can be claimed by persons with a grandparent born on the island of Ireland) has also resumed following the lifting of the level 5 restriction on December 2nd. Applications that have been sent to the FBR team have been securely held and will now be processed in strict date order. At present, due to the complex nature of the FBR it takes between 12 to 18 months to process a completed FBR application.
Please note that the Consulate has no role in the processing of FBR applications. As such, we are unable to advise on the eligibility of an applicant, on the content of applications or the status of existing applications. https://www.dfa.ie/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/
