Ambassador O'Neill June message for Irish Citizens in Jordan
09 June 2020Dear Irish Citizen,
I’m sure you have all noticed the significant easing of restrictions in Jordan over the past number of days. This easing follows a difficult number of months during which we are all limited to spending much of our time at home and away from friends and family. In Jordan, most economic sectors have now reopened and curfew is limited to the hours of 12am -6am. I’m sure you will be glad to see places like cafés, restaurants and gyms reopen. However, we all still have a responsibility to take caution, adhere to social distancing and hygiene measures. Other countries are beginning to experience a second wave of Covid infections, and Jordan is not immune to this trend.
Unfortunately, Jordan’s borders still remain closed and there is little clarity on when those resident in Jordan will be able to fly overseas to take holidays, or visit family and friends. Once instruction is received the Embassy will update you.
The Embassy is now operating, once again, from its offices in Zahran Plaza at 7th circle. Please note that consular services are by appointment only. Should you wish to make an appointment or enquiry, please email AmmanEm@dfa.ie . Passports can only be renewed online and no paper applications are being accepted (except in case of emergency). Similarly, while VFS in Galleria Mall has reopened, we are currently not accepting any visa applications (unless in case of emergency).
Removal of restrictions in Ireland
You will be aware of the phased approach that is being adopted by the Irish Government to re-open our country. A road-map consisting of 5 stages was published some weeks ago and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/news/58bc8b-taoiseach-announces-roadmap-for-reopening-society-and-business-and-u/?referrer=/roadmap/
Last weekend, the Government made the decision to move to phase 2 of the roadmap to re-open the country. This means that persons may travel within their own county, or up to 20km from their home if crossing county boundaries; you may meet up to 6 people from outside your household both indoors and outdoors for social gatherings; organised outdoor exercise, sporting, cultural or social activities of up to 15 people may take place; all retail is opening; work from home continues where possible. For full details regarding phase 2, please see this link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/7ae99f-easing-the-covid-19-restrictions-on-june-8-phase-2/
Travel advice
Travel advice to and from Ireland remains as avoid non-essential travel. As mentioned above, we do not have any indication yet as to when Queen Alia International Airport in Amman will reopen. We advise all Irish nationals to exercise caution when approached by airlines or travel agents regarding air travel outside of Jordan, as no official communication has yet been made by the Government of Jordan.
Anyone arriving in Ireland from overseas at the present time is required to enter a quarantine period of 2 weeks and to register the location where they will be staying (for follow up by the public health authorities). Passengers must complete a passenger locator form which can be downloaded here.
Government travel advice can be accessed through the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/e885b2-covid-19-coronavirus-travel-advice/
Embassy Events
Although we are currently unable to hold physical events, please keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates on virtual events taking place in Ireland. This month, the annual Bloomsday Festival takes place which has a full virtual programme available here.
Cruinniú na n-Óg, a national day of free creative activity for young people, will take place online on 13 June. This is a collaboration between the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Creative Ireland, local authorities and RTÉ. Further details are available here.
The National Concert Hall are moving into the live-streaming space with four weekly one-hour concerts, live-streamed from the stage of the NCH, on Fridays at 8pm. The series continues tonight Friday with Paul Noonan, and performances by Lisa O'Neill and Barry Douglas to follow.
Key contacts
- Citizens requiring information regarding passport renewals can find it through the following link https://www.dfa.ie/passports/
- The travel advice for Jordan is accessible on the following link https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/jordan/
- Follow us on Twitter and Facebook @IrlEmbJordan for Embassy notifications. Our website address is www.dfa.ie/jordan
- For consular queries please email AmmanEm@dfa.ie or call 07 9971 5428. The Embassy's emergency phone number is +962 799732370
Please note that all future updates will be on our website, notification will issue through our social media.
Please stay safe during this difficult and unprecedented time,
Vincent
