UAE comes off Ireland’s mandatory quarantine list

People travelling to Ireland with an approved vaccine will not have to present a PCR test result or undergo home quarantine from July 19 as travel rules ease

Police carry out Covid-19 stop checks outside Dublin Airport. People arriving from some countries are required to enter hotel quarantine. Alamy

The UAE has been been removed from Ireland’s mandatory hotel quarantine list.

Previously, anyone flying from the Emirates who was not immunised with an EU-approved Covid-19 shot – those of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – had to isolate in government-approved accommodation for two weeks on arrival.

The cost, about €2,000 ($2,360), was borne by the traveller.

The Irish Embassy on Saturday also confirmed from July 19, travellers to Ireland from UAE or Qatar who are fully vaccinated (with an applicable vaccine) will not need a negative PCR test or undergo home quarantine.

However, those travelling to Ireland from UAE or Qatar who are not vaccinated with an applicable vaccine need to present a negative PCR test result (taken in previous 72 hours before arrival) and undergo 14 days home quarantine. This can be reduced with a negative test taken on day five.

The rules regarding travel to Ireland change on July 19 when the country is expected to lift its advice against non-essential travel.

From this date, it will use the EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate, intended to ease movement within the bloc.

For non-EU countries, Ireland will operate what is being called an “emergency brake” mechanism. This is set to be co-ordinated in Brussels to tackle new variants.

Government advice will be to avoid travel to any country to which the emergency brake has been applied.

Anyone planning travel is asked to check the details with airlines, embassies and official government websites.

Bahrain, Egypt, Oman and Qatar are among the other 34 countries removed from the hotel quarantine list.