Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Ireland to scrap testing rules for vaccinated travellers

At a meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, the Government decided to revise travel rules for entry into Ireland.

Dominic McGrath
Wednesday 05 January 2022 08:56 EST
Travellers will no longer need to show a negative Covid test (Liam McBurney/PA)
Travellers will no longer need to show a negative Covid test (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Ireland is set to remove the requirement for vaccinated passengers to show a negative Covid-19 test before entering the country.

At a meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, the Government decided to revise travel rules for entry into Ireland.

The requirement for vaccinated passengers to show either a negative PCR or professionally administered antigen test was introduced late last year following concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin, speaking following the Cabinet meeting, said the rule was no longer needed given the fact that the Omicron variant was now dominant in Ireland.

He said it was not “necessary because Omicron now constitutes 96% of all cases in the country”.

The agreed changes are expected to come into effect from tomorrow.

Unvaccinated travellers will still need to show a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in