Ireland Removes All COVID-19 Travel Restrictions for Visitors — What to Know

Ireland removed all COVID-19-related travel restrictions this weekend, allowing visitors to come to the country without any testing or quarantine measures in place.

Going forward, the country will not require travelers to show proof of vaccination, proof of recovery, or proof of a negative test to enter, and will not have any post-arrival testing or quarantine measures in place, according to the government. The new rules went into effect on Sunday.

Additionally, travelers will not be required to fill out a passenger locator form, which became very common for travel throughout the world during the pandemic.

"I've just signed the regulations removing the Covid requirements for incoming international passengers," Stephen Donnelly, Ireland's minister for health, tweeted. "These were the last remaining Covid regs… Another step forward in our Covid efforts."

When in Ireland, face masks are not required to be worn, but they are recommended on public transportation, according to the government.

While Ireland has removed all pandemic-era restrictions, travelers who wish to cross into Northern Ireland for a day trip or short stay are told they "should take a rapid lateral flow device test" before traveling, according to the government website for people living in Northern Ireland.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies Ireland as a "Level 4" destination, indicating a "very high" level of COVID-19 transmission in the country and recommending Americans "avoid" traveling there.

Ireland isn't alone in lifting COVID-19-related travel restrictions. Last month, Iceland also eliminated all COVID-19 restrictions, including all border-related travel rules, welcoming both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. Additionally, France is waiving all pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated travelers and Israel started welcoming unvaccinated travelers this month, but requires them to get tested before coming and after arrival.

In the United States, several cities have also started to lift pandemic-era restrictions, like New York City, which lifted its vaccine mandate for bars, restaurants, and other indoor spaces on Monday, and Hawaii, which plans to end its Safe Travels program for domestic visitors later this month.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.