General COVID-19 Travel Advisory in Operation

Ireland is implementing the new EU ‘traffic lights’ approach to travel, which applies to countries in the EU / EEA (+ UK). Our current advice for travel to these countries is ‘exercise a high degree of caution’. Our general advice for any other overseas travel remains ‘avoid non-essential travel’ or in some cases, ‘do not travel’. Travel within the island of Ireland can continue as normal, subject to domestic public health restrictions as outlined on gov.ie.

Our TravelWise app has been suspended while we move to implement the new EU system. We apologise for this inconvenience. Updated information will continue to be provided on this website.

On 13 October, Member States adopted the EU Recommendation on a coordinated approach to travel restrictions in the context of COVID-19. This ‘traffic lights’ approach provides for regions across the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) to be categorised as green, orange, red or grey, on the basis of the risk levels associated with COVID-19. A combined indicator map will be published each week by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), based on agreed criteria, including the 14-day cumulative incidence rate, testing rate and testing positivity rates.

In line with the EU Recommendation, there will be no entry restrictions on passengers travelling from green regions. Each Member State will decide in due course what entry restrictions it will apply to passengers travelling from red, orange and grey regions. This website will gradually provide more information as it becomes available.

Information about what to do on entering Ireland from abroad:

All passengers arriving into Ireland from overseas are obliged to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form before entry. In line with the EU traffic lights approach, there are no entry restrictions on travellers from green regions. Currently, all passengers entering Ireland from red, orange and grey regions are requested to restrict their movements for 14 days. For further details please see the Irish Government Advice Page. Everyone is asked to comply with restrictions within Ireland, including those under the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. These are listed on the Official website of the Irish Government.

If you are considering travelling outside of Ireland:

In accordance with Government policy, which is based on official public health advice, the Department of Foreign Affairs continues to advise against non-essential travel overseas, other than to countries that are part of the EU ‘traffic lights’ approach, where the advice is to exercise a high degree of caution (this includes Great Britain but not Northern Ireland). The situation in relation to COVID-19 continues to evolve quickly around the world. Citizens who are considering any overseas travel are advised to carefully monitor the official advice and information from the public authorities in their destination.

Should you decide that you need to travel, you should inform yourself about any requirements in the destination to which you are travelling. Information about entry restrictions currently applied by other countries is available on the country-specific travel advice pages. Additional restrictions may be imposed, including during the duration of your visit. Flight restrictions and route cancellations continue to occur worldwide and there is no guarantee that air routes will operate as scheduled. It is important to check with your insurance provider on coverage at this time. Any Irish citizen considering any overseas travel should monitor news and information from the public authorities in their country or region of destination. Citizens are advised to follow the public health guidelines of the local health authorities and to continue to practice physical distancing measures, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette etc.

The purpose of the Department’s Travel Advice is to provide information to the general public so that individuals can make informed decisions for themselves. There are significant risks associated with international travel in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future. Citizens should be aware of the possible limitations to any consular assistance that could be provided. Any citizens who are considering travel abroad, or those already abroad, are advised to monitor our travel advice, and follow us on Twitter. They are also advised to register with their local Irish Embassy or Consulate and regularly check their website and Twitter accounts for details of any local public health measures and travel restrictions.

Where to go for further travel information:

• DFA Travel Advice for over 200 countries
• Follow us on Twitter
• Register with your local Irish Embassy or Consulate
• Check Embassy websites and Twitter accounts

Overview

Security Status

Avoid non-essential travel.

Security Status Last Updated: 16 March 2020

Latest Travel Alert

COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus

The Maldivian government have advised that all tourists and short-term visitors travelling to Maldives on or after 10th September 2020 must present a negative PCR test result for Covid-19 upon arrival. The health document stating the negative PCR test result for Covid-19 must be in English and conducted within a maximum of 72 hours prior to departure from your home country.

Emergency responses to the Covid-19 crisis in many countries have included restrictions of flights to/from Europe; imposition of new mandatory quarantine arrangements and new restrictions affecting the admission of Irish people travelling to and within the Asia Pacific region.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade strongly advises against any non–essential travel to the region until further notice.

For more information, please see the latest update on our webpage.

A number of cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Maldives. The Government of Maldives declared a Public Health Emergency for a period of 1 month on 12 March. This has now extended until 30 April.

The Maldivian authorities have introduced a number of measures to limit the spread of the virus including the suspension of visas on-arrival for all nationalities.

The Maldives Government has imposed a temporary ban on all cruise ships, safari boats, yachts and other passenger vessels arriving to Maldives from any overseas location. Travel from and to resorts from all inhabited islands is suspended. Malé International Airport remains open; however, there are very limited commercial options available.

Any person who has been in the last 14 days to Mainland China (not including Hong Kong), Iran, South Korea (North Gyeongsang and South Gyeongsang Provinces), Italy, Bangladesh, Spain, Germany (Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg), France (Île-de-France and Grand Est), Malaysia and Sri Lanka are not allowed to enter or transit through the Maldives. The list of countries and territories is liable to change as the global outbreak of COVID-19 continues and you should check with your airline and/or tour operator for the latest immigration requirements before travelling to the Maldives. You must complete a Health Declaration Card upon arrival in Maldives and you will be requested to undergo health-screening procedures.

If you are in Maldives, you should monitor developments regularly, consult the management of your resort/hotel and follow the advice of local authorities.

See links below for details.

Maldives Ministry of Health

Maldives Health Protection Agency

World Health Organisation [WHO]

Be alert to common signs of infection: respiratory problems, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Seek medical advice if you experience these symptoms.

HSE medical advice to protect yourself from getting COVID-19 is below.

Do:

• wash your hands properly and regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze
• put used tissues into a bin and wash your hands

Don’t:

• touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
Additional information on COVID-19 can be found via the following links:

HSE

HPSC

ECDC

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Maldives has limited medical facilities. There are two hospitals in Malé that deal with routine medical problems, but some island resorts can be several hours' travel away from Malé. Medical evacuation, which can be very expensive, may be necessary in the event of serious illness or injury, so make sure your travel insurance covers this eventuality.

There is currently an outbreak of Zika Virus (a dengue-like mosquito-borne disease) in Central and South America, the Caribbean and other locations including the Maldives. Infection with Zika virus has been increasingly linked with a serious birth condition called microcephaly where the baby is born with an abnormally small head and/or brain damage. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, and plan to travel to areas affected by the Zika Virus, you are advised to discuss your travel plans with your healthcare provider and to consider postponing your travel to affected areas. Irish Citizens are advised to follow the advice of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

Emergency Assistance

Because there is no Irish Embassy or Consulate in the Maldives, we're limited in the help we can offer you in an emergency. However, if you need assistance, you can contact the Irish Embassy in New Delhi on +91-11-49403200 or you can request consular assistance from the Embassy or Consulate of any other EU member state in the Maldives.

We suggest you learn as much as you can about the Maldives before your trip from travel agents, tour operators and guide books. The best help is often close at hand so if you have problems when you’re in the Maldives, try talking to your local contacts, tour operator representative or hotel management.

EU Directive on Consular Protection

Under the EU Consular Protection Directive, Irish nationals may seek assistance from the Embassy or Consulate of any other EU member state in a country where there is no Irish Embassy or permanent representation.

Our tips for safe travels

• Purchase comprehensive travel insurance which covers all your intended activities
• Add an alert for your destination within the Travelwise App.
• Register your details with us so that we can contact you quickly in an emergency, such as a natural disaster or a family emergency
• Follow us on twitter @dfatravelwise for the latest travel updates
• Read our Topical ‘Know Before You Go’ guide