Ireland Travel Update – June 2021

Welcome to our COVID-19 hub. It has been created to share with you the latest information on what's happening in Ireland and the safety measures in place for future travel.

SITUATION UPDATE:

After experiencing a 3rd wave of COVID-19 infections in the first quarter of this year, the situation in Ireland is now improving weekly and from May a phased re-opening of the country and easing of restrictions has taken place. The latest phase happened on 07 June which included a full re-opening of hospitality – hostels, hotels etc. for residents. Bars & restaurants are re-opened for outdoor dining. All visitor attractions, museums and galleries are re-opened. The next phase will take place on 05 July where bars & restaurants will re-open for indoor dining. All information and Government updates can be found here.

In the meantime, Ireland is continuing the roll out of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccine campaign. Presently (16 June 2021) the Health Service Executive reports that half of all adults in Ireland have received their first vaccine dose. The government plans to have 80% of the population over the age of 18 receive at least their first dose before the end of June 2021. 

Book with Confidence

So much has changed in the world in the last few months, and we know that people’s priorities are different when travel planning. We understand for organising group trips going forward peace of mind and safety are of vital importance to our customers. That’s why we have created flexible COVID-19 terms & conditions so you can book with confidence – you can cancel, postpone, amend dates etc. without incurring cancellation fees.

Keeping you safe

In terms of your group’s safety, as part of re-opening Ireland all sectors of the tourism industry from hostel accommodation, to coaching, attractions, restaurants, venues and activities were issued with guidelines created by Failte Ireland in conjunction with Irish Government bodies, Health Service Executive, Health & Safety Authority. These guidelines were created to ensure the health and safety of visitors and staff is the number one priority across the industry.

Travelling to Ireland

From 19 July Ireland will implement the EU Digital COVID Certificate ( DCC) for travel origination with the EU/EEA. The EU Digital COVID Certificate is designed to facilitate the safe free movement of citizens within the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be valid in all EU Member States.

The certificate – in digital or paper format – is proof that a person has either:

>been vaccinated against COVID-19;

>received a negative test result; or

>recovered from COVID-19

The very good news is that Passengers arriving into Ireland with a DCC will not have to undergo quarantine. However, passengers with a DCC based on a non-PCR test (for example, antigen), or those arriving without a DCC, will require proof of a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. Children aged between 7 and 18 who have not been vaccinated must also have a negative PCR test.

A passenger who has been in a non-EU/EEA country in the 14 days prior to arrival into Ireland will be subject to the rules applying to that country - please see here for more details and full Government update.

It is imperative before travelling to Ireland that you check with your Airline/Agent ref your Government requirements for travel.

Our commitment to you

CGH has been here for our clients throughout the pandemic, providing advice, support, dealing with booking cancellations, postponements and amendments. However, we are really eager to getting back to what we do best– making memorable experiences for groups on their study trips to Ireland. Team CGH is here to help you plan and prepare for your next trip. We look forward to welcoming your group to Ireland soon.

Please note as guidelines change all of the time to comply with the health authority’s advice, we will update these hub pages regularly to ensure you have the latest information.