Ireland

Republic of Ireland to scrap testing rules for vaccinated travellers

At a meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, the Irish Government decided to revise travel rules for entry into the Republic of Ireland. Picture by Brian Lawless/PA Wire
At a meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, the Irish Government decided to revise travel rules for entry into the Republic of Ireland. Picture by Brian Lawless/PA Wire At a meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, the Irish Government decided to revise travel rules for entry into the Republic of Ireland. Picture by Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Republic of 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 Irish Government decided to revise travel rules for entry into the Republic of 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 Michéal 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”.

It is not yet clear when the change will be introduced but it is expected to be made in the coming days.

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