It seems that Ireland is to implement a hotel quarantine programme, with it due to go live on Friday 28th March.
Welcome to Ireland. Please have your PCR Test results ready and in some cases, you’ve booked your hotel quarantine have you?
This will be for passengers who arrive in the Republic of Ireland, who have failed to complete the required negative PCR test for COVID-19, or if you are coming into Ireland from any country that is deemed ‘high risk’.
If you’re coming in from one of the high-risk countries, you’re looking at €1875 for a 12-night stay. If you arrive in Ireland without a negative or ‘not detected’ PCR test, you will be paying a “day rate” of €150 per night.
Ireland’s “High Risk” Country List
Countries that are on Ireland’s “high risk” list include (at the time of writing):
South African Countries
- Angola
- Botswana
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Eswatini
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Republic of South Africa
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Tanzania
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
South American countries
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Suriname
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Other countries
- Austria
- United Arab Emirates
Booking
The up to date list can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b4020-travelling-to-ireland-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/#what-to-do-if-you-travel-to-ireland-from-high-risk-category-2-countries.
Should you need to take advantage of this, head to https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a6975-mandatory-hotel-quarantine/, or head to https://www.quarantinehotelsireland.ie/
Upon completion of your mandatory hotel quarantine, you will obtain a letter of completion – and can leave the facility.You will be required to complete 14 days of mandatory hotel quarantine at a designated facility. This could be reduced if you receive a not-detected result of a COVID-19 test that is taken after ten days. It may also be extended if you test positive during their stay.
According to RTE, The Tifco Hotel Group will be providing full board accommodation, along with transportation, security, health and well-being services. Initially, they will be housed at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel in Santry.
The new quarantine rules come into effect from 4 am on Friday and anyone who does not comply can be fined up to €2,000 or face a prison sentence of up to one month.
Limited exemptions
There will be limited exemptions to this – namely,
- for those travelling for medical reasons which are time-sensitive,
- Aircrew, maritime crew
- Defence Forces or An Garda Síochána members on active duty
- HGV Drivers
- Diplomats
Check and plan before you travel
It goes without saying that you should check before you travel, as well as have a negative COVID-19 PCR test to enter the state.
As usual, the list can adjust without much notice so caution is required for now if you are intending to enter Ireland. With the possibility of long and expensive quarantines, it will pay to get tested and be aware when you travel.
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