Search
Contact
Login
Share this article
IMPACT – HIGH
Ireland has adopted new COVID-19 travel and immigration policies, including a new exemption to quarantine rules.
Exemptions to 14-day quarantine. Ireland requires most arrivals from abroad to quarantine for 14 days at the address listed on their Passenger Locator Form. The Feb. 3 statutory instrument provides exemptions to the 14-day quarantine for individuals traveling to Ireland to carry out essential repair, maintenance, construction or safety assurance of:
The exemption is not available to travelers from “Category 2” countries. Category 2 countries currently include: Angola, Austria, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Republic of South Africa, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. All other countries are in Category 1.
Obligations on travel organizers. The Statutory Instrument states that any company or facilitator of travel into Ireland must take appropriate action to notify travelers of applicable COVID-19 travel restrictions. It places an obligation on travel organizers to refuse to organize, effect or facilitate the travel of individuals to Ireland if they have not satisfactorily met all requirements.
Employment permit applicants from visa-required countries. The DETE continues to process applications for employment permits. However, given current restrictions, it may not be possible for individuals from visa-required countries to travel to Ireland, unless the individual qualifies for entry under priority/emergency situations.
As such, the DETE has begun a process of contacting all employment permit applicants (employers and employees) who hold passports from visa-required countries. These applicants will be asked if they would like to:
Employment permit applicants from visa-free countries. Employment permit applications for nationals from countries that do not require a visa will continue to be processed.
Travelers are encouraged to review the current policies before traveling to Ireland. Employers should note that if an employee is not subject to the exemption described above, they may need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
Analysis & Comments: The Irish government continues to take steps to mitigate the spread of new variants of the COVID-19 virus. Employers should consider that this might cause delays to intended start dates of their potential employees, if the employment cannot be carried out from home. The response to COVID-19 continues to develop, and Deloitte will provide additional updates as information becomes available. Please check Deloitte’s COVID-19 Digital Map, available here, for information on travel restrictions and immigration changes in other countries.
Rest of World Source: Deloitte. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), its global network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more. Deloitte Legal means the legal practices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited member firms or their affiliates that provide legal services. For legal, regulatory and other reasons, not all member firms provide legal services. This includes Deloitte Tax LLP in the United States which does not provide legal and/or immigration advice or services. This communication contains general information only, and none of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, its member firms or their related entities (collectively, the “Deloitte network”) is, by means of this communication, rendering professional advice or services. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your finances or your business, you should consult a qualified professional adviser. No entity in the Deloitte network shall be responsible for any loss whatsoever sustained by any person who relies on this communication. © 2020. For information, contact Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced it will fully decommission the legacy Permanent…
The government of Cuba has launched a new electronic visa platform, known as Evisa. Key Points: The new Evisa replaces…
The Qatari government has extended the validity period for the multiple-entry work visa (MEWV) for nationals of Bangladesh, India, Nepal,…
In this week’s episode, BAL’s Chad Li and Kyle McLaughlin discuss common questions about the PERM process and identify four…