Ireland Documents And Formalities

Requirements

Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US need valid passports to enter Ireland and to re-enter their home countries. Ireland does not allow entrance if the holder’s passport expires in under six months; returning home with an expired passport is illegal and may result in a fine.

New Passports

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US can apply for a passport at any post office, passport office, or court of law. Any new passport or renewal applications must be filed well in advance of the departure date, though most passport offices offer rush services for a very steep fee.

One Europe. European unity has come a long way since 1958, when the European Economic Community (EEC) was created to promote cooperation. Since then, the EEC has become the European Union (EU), a mighty political, legal, and economic institution. On May 1, 2004, ten South, Central, and Eastern European countries—Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia—joined the 15 member states: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. Bulgaria and Romania joined on January 1, 2007.
What does this have to do with the average non-EU tourist? The EU’s policy of freedom of movement means that border controls between the first fifteen member states (minus Ireland and the UK, but plus Norway and Iceland) have been abolished, and visa policies have become harmonized. While you’re still required to carry a passport (or government-issued ID card for EU citizens) when crossing an internal border, once you’ve been admitted into one country, you’re free to travel to other participating states. Britain and Ireland have also formed a common travel area, abolishing passport controls between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
For more important consequences of the EU for travelers, see The Euro and Customs in the EU.

Passport Maintenance

Photocopy your passport, as well as your visas, traveler’s check serial numbers, and other important documents. Carry one set of copies in a safe place, apart from the originals, and leave another set at home. You can also carry an expired passport or an official copy of your birth certificate separate from other documents.

If you lose your passport, notify the local police and your country’s nearest embassy or consulate. To expedite its replacement, you will need to know all information previously recorded and show ID and proof of citizenship. In some cases, a replacement may take weeks to process, and it may be valid only for a limited time. Any visas stamped in your old passport will be lost. In an emergency, ask for temporary traveling papers to re-enter your home country.

Visas

Citizens of most countries, including Australia, Canada, the EU, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, do not need visas for visits of less than 90 days. For longer stays, non-citizens of the EU must register for free with the Garda National Immigration Bureau, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 (☎01 666 9100) or in the local police station. If in doubt, or if your home country is not one of these, check with your embassy.

Double-check entrance requirements at the nearest embassy or consulate of Ireland for up-to-date info before departure. US citizens can also consult www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/travel/foreign/foreignentryreqs.html.

Work Permits

Admission as a visitor does not include the right to work, which is only authorized by a work permit. Students studying in Ireland may enter without a visa but must apply to the Aliens Office (Harcourt Sq., Dublin 2; ☎01 475 5555) upon entering the country (not necessary for UK residents). Contact your embassy for information, and see Beyond Tourism, .

Identification

When you travel, always have at least two forms of identification on you, including at least one photo ID; a passport and a driver’s license or birth certificate is usually adequate. Never carry all of your IDs together; split them up in case of theft or loss, and keep photocopies of all of them in your luggage and at home.

Student, Teacher, And Youth Identification

The International Student Identity Card (ISIC), the most widely accepted form of student ID, provides discounts on some sights, accommodations, food, and transport; access to a free 24hr. multilingual emergency helpline; and insurance benefits for US cardholders (see Insurance). Applicants must be full-time secondary or post-secondary school students at least 12 years of age. Because of the proliferation of fake ISICs, some services (particularly airlines) require additional proof of student identity.

The International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC) offers full-time teachers the same insurance coverage as the ISIC and similar but much more limited discounts. For travelers who are 25 years old or under but are not students, the International Youth Travel Card (IYTC) offers many of the same benefits as the ISIC.

Each of these identity cards costs US$22-25 or equivalent. ISICs and ITICs are valid for a maximum of 16 months; IYTCs are valid for one year. Many student travel agencies issue the cards; for a list of agencies or more information, see the International Student Travel Confederation website (www.istc.org).

The International Student Exchange Card (ISE) is a similar identification card available to students, faculty, and youth aged 12 to 26. The card (US$25) provides discounts, medical benefits, and access to a 24hr. emergency helpline. Call US ☎800-255-8000 or international 480-951-1177 for more info, or visit www.isecard.com.

Customs

Upon entering Ireland, you must declare certain items from abroad and pay a duty on their value if they exceed the allowance established by Ireland’s customs service. Goods and gifts purchased at duty-free shops abroad are not exempt from duty or sales tax; “duty-free” merely means that you need not pay a tax in the country of purchase. Duty-free allowances were abolished for travel between EU member states but still exist for those arriving from outside the EU. Upon returning home, you must likewise declare all articles acquired abroad and pay a duty on the value of articles in excess of your home country’s allowance. In order to expedite your return, make a list of any valuables brought from home and register them with customs before traveling abroad, and keep receipts for all goods acquired abroad.

If you’re leaving for a non-EU country, you can reclaim any Value Added Tax (VAT) you paid on goods purchased in Ireland.

Customs In The Eu. As well as freedom of movement of people within the EU, travelers in the 15 original EU member countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK) can also take advantage of the freedom of movement of goods. This means that there are no customs controls at internal EU borders (you can take the blue customs channel at the airport), and travelers are free to transport whatever legal substances they like as long as it is for their own personal (non-commercial) use—up to 800 cigarettes, 10L of spirits, 45L of wine, and 55L of beer. Duty-free allowances were abolished on June 30, 1999 for travel between EU member states; however, travelers between the EU and the rest of the world still get a duty-free allowance when passing through customs.