Is tourism a valid reason to enter the Republic of Ireland?

Will tourism be accepted as a valid reason to enter The Republic of Ireland?

I am a South African currently living in London on an Ancestral Visa, with a British Resident Permit.
My friends and I want to plan a long weekend to Dublin, the Irish Embassy in South Africa have assured me that I won’t need a visa but I will need a Valid reason, Covid pass and other documentation to support my case.

Can tourism in my case a long weekend in Dublin be a valid reason for entering Ireland?

Thanks
Abigail

Hi Abigail,

It's great to hear that you and your friends are planning a trip to Dublin. The island of Ireland is currently open to visitors and non-essential travel, so tourism is definitely a great reason for travelling to the island!

All travellers to Ireland will need to fill out a Passenger Locator Form before they arrive in Ireland. If you are fully-vaccinated, you will not have to under go any travel-related testing or quarantine; and you can provide proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative COVID test result using the using the Digital Covid Certificate. There are differing regulations for those who are not vaccinated and cannot provide proof of recovery from COVID in the last 180 days so please take a look at our Health Information page for more info on this!

It is possible that guidance can change at short notice so I would recommend that you check the Irish Government website before you travel for updates or any changes.

Travellers arriving from the UK are not currently subject to mandatory hotel quarantine, unless they have been in a designated high-risk country in the preceding 14 days. Can I just confirm with you that you have been in the UK in the last 14 days?

I hope this answers your question and allows you to now plan for your trip to Dublin. Have you already thought of an itinerary for your time there?

Sincerely,
Aimee

Hi Aimee,

Thank you so much for your reply to my question and for your advice about Dublin. 
I'm glad to hear Ireland is open to visitors and non-essential travel, therefore allowing me to travel with tourism as my valid reason for travelling.

Thank you for also providing me with links to additional materials about the passenger locator form, Covid certificate and health information.

To confirm yes I have been in the UK for the last year and a half and will be staying here before and after my trip to Dublin.
We have a loose itinerary planned but if you have any recommendations I'd love to hear them.

Thank you again for your help and for putting worries to bed.
Best Regards
Abi

Hi Abigail,

It's my pleasure to put your mind at rest before travelling! As you have been within the Common Travel Area in the last 14 days then you will not have to worry about any mandatory hotel quarantine.

My personal favourites to visit when in Dublin would have to be Phoenix Park and Dublin Zoo, of course! I would also recommend Kilmainham Gaol and The Little Museum of Dublin, if you are into all things history.

We do have some great pages all about Dublin over on our website which may help you with finalising your itinerary. I would suggest checking out the Dublin trip idea, Dublin city's top attractions and this page all about food and drink in the city!

Please also feel free to post here on the community asking for recommendations from fellow travellers, as they would be more than happy to help you out. I would love to hear what your final itinerary consists of so please do let me know if any of these suggestions work for you!

Have a lovely evening,

Aimee