Roadtrip through Ireland and Northern Irland

Hello everyone,

My roommate and I wanted to travel to Ireland in March this year. We plan to rent a car and do a Roadtrip from Dublin along the coast to Northern Ireland (Belfast) and further on to Galway and Waterford and back to Dublin. We intend to stay in every city we stop for at least one night (in Dublin and Belfast for longer) and we informed ourselves regarding the current situation with the Corona virus and the entry regulations of the countries. We know we have to get our documents of vaccination and that we need a passport and negative Covid test for Northern Ireland and things like that but we are very confused about the fact if it it even  allowed to travel through the country and change the locations because I readt that there is a document to fill out 72h before departure to Ireland where we have to name an address where we staying for our trip. Does anyone can help me clear my confused mind? I hope you guys get what I want (I'm not a native speaker) and say thanks in advance.

Greetings, 
Julia

Hello Julia, 

It's so nice to hear, that you and your roommate would like to explore our green Island! 

I understand that the restrictions differ from country to country, and that things can get a little confusing. Let me try to help you: 
First, when travelling to Dublin, you will have to fill out the Passenger Locator Form within 72 hours PRIOR to your arrival in Ireland. You will enter the first address where you are staying into the form, and any further accommodation details would need to be addressed in an email directly to passengerlocatorform@plf.ie. Please, also keep proof of all the emails you'll send for your security. Keep also in mind that a PLF can be filled out only for one person.
Currently, vaccinated people with sufficient proof don't need any further testing upon arrival. You can find the official details of the government here. 
Once you travel to Northern Ireland, you will also need to fill out a PLF within 48 hours before arrival. All details for entry of fully vaccinated people that travel from a non-red list country can be found also on the official government webpage.

I hope, this will help you with the further planning of your road trip! Is there any specific sightseeing you would like to do? We have some information on our webpage around attractions, things to do and places to see. 

Many greetings from the Emerald Isle
Cindy

My wife and I intend to travel to NI and then on to Ireland by land route later this year. We will most likely be traveling from Derry to Enniscrone Co Sligo. I am correct in understanding that we should handle entry issues at a Garda station where there is a GNIB office? Does that have to be done: A)  at the nearest Garda station to our point of entry? ( As a general comment I think Donegal town is the closest GNIB office to our entry point but it might be a lot easier for us to go to the Sligo office...) B) on the day of entry? C) by appointment only? Thank you

Hello Joe,

It's great to hear you will be traveling to Ireland!

Where will you and your wife be traveling from? Currently, there are no routine passport controls in operation between the 2 countries. You will be asked for your passport or ID when you arrive in Northern Ireland, whether it is by ferry or airplane. You can read more about border crossings in the common area on the Citizen's Information website.

I hope this information is useful,

David.

I should have mentioned that we are both US Citizens and will be travelling from the US....

Hello Joe,

Thank you for reaching out about this upcoming trip! I do hope you and your wife have a wonderful time.

To expand on David's advice, American visitors aren't expected to travel to any checkpoint locations when traveling between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. That said, there are different entry requirements in Northern Ireland than there are in the Republic of Ireland and vice versa. Before traveling, please do make sure that you meet the entry requirements for both. 

These requirements may also change, as the situation continues to evolve. What I'd recommend is to check out our traveler health page to keep up to date with all the latest by following helpful links to the governments’ most recent guidelines.

I do hope this helps!

Warmly
Rochelle

Thanks; you may or may not be surprised that I never received  a reply to an email I sent to Garda National Immigration Bureau on this subject...

Hi Joe,

We are sorry to hear, but rest assured we are here to answer any questions you have. 

Cathaoir