Latest Official Travel Advice
Update 20 November
Ireland continues with Level 5 restrictions (the highest level possible) under the National Framework on Living with Covid 19. These measures will be in place until at least 1 December. The passport office is not processing passport applications until that time at the earliest.
The Government of Ireland continues to recommend against any non-essential travel to Ireland at present (as does the US government). For those who do travel to Ireland please make sure you are reviewing the most recent official guidance which is available here.
In parallel to the approach being taken by the Government of Ireland, the additional restrictions arising from the City and County of San Francisco being placed in the Red Tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy mean that the Consulate has reduced operations to essential services only. This includes the issuing of emergency travel documents, visas and provision of consular assistance.
We continue to be available to answer your queries. For the most up-to-date information or for details of how to contact the Consulate see below.
Passports
We have suspended passport application processing pending the re-opening of the Passport Office in Ireland. If you have previously submitted a passport application to the Consulate, your documents are being held and your application will be processed once normal operations resume.
We ask that you not return application forms to our office until December or otherwise notified.
Citizens seeking to renew existing passports (as distinct from those applying for an Irish passport for the first time) may still submit an application through the Irish Passport Online service. Online applications will be the first processed when the Passport Office resumes full operations.
In the event of a genuine emergency, where a passport is required to travel for bereavement or urgent medical treatment, please contact us directly.
Details on passport requirements are listed on our website.
Foreign Birth Registration / Irish citizenship
Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications are also not currently being processed. If you have already sent an application for FBR, your application is safe, and will be processed once this service resumes in Ireland.
Details on this process are available here.
or if you prefer, we have prepared a video detailing the process which can be viewed here.
Consular Assistance
In line with guidance issued by the state of California and the city of San Francisco, we are operating under the auspices of the public health and social distancing regulations in place locally.
At the present time, our public office remains shut.
Consulate officers remain on call to assist as we have been during the pandemic. We would ask that, if you are in need of emergency assistance, you contact the Consulate through our website "Contact us" form.
Alternatively you can call +1 415 823 7150 and leave a message.
The mailbox and answering machine are both monitored regularly and an officer will contact you as soon as possible.
We continue to discourage people from attending in person unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. We are not open to the public and therefore require all communication with the Consulate to be conducted by post, by phone and by email.
If you feel that you absolutely need to have an in person appointment, please outline in your email or call the reasons for this. We will be happy to advise.
Visas
We continue to process visas for those seeking to move to Ireland for long stay (in excess of 90 days) only.
Visas for short stays (less than 90 days) are only being processed on an exceptional basis. Those requiring a short term visa to visit Ireland at this time should contact the Consulate through the “Contact Us” tab on our website.
Details on visa requirements are here.
Working Holiday Authorisations
Applications for Working Holiday Authorisations for US national graduates are not currently being processed.
Details on requirements are here.
Other services
Other consular services are not available except in cases of genuine emergency.
Again if you have a need for consular assistance which you feel is an emergency, we would ask that you contact us as per the above.
Latest Official Travel Advice
Latest Travel Alert
There is an increased threat of terrorism and extremist violence worldwide and this should be borne in mind by Irish citizens living and working in the USA. The USA has also witnessed a number of mass shootings in recent years.
Protests, in some cases violent, have taken place in major cities across the United States in recent months. Curfews were enforced in many cities as a result. There remains the potential for further protests and curfews. Irish citizens are advised to avoid large gatherings of people, and to follow the advice of the local authorities.
Travel to Ireland
The Irish Authorities require anyone coming into Ireland to restrict their movements for 14 days. This includes citizens and residents returning to Ireland. Restricting your movements means staying indoors in one location and avoiding contact with others.
To ensure that this is being observed all passengers arriving to Ireland from overseas are obliged to complete a mandatory Public Health Passenger Locator Form and to submit it to the relevant authority at their port of entry. Exemptions are in place for providers of essential supply chain services such as hauliers, pilots and maritime staff.
Check the Irish Government Advice Page for full information on these requirements. Further advice is also availble from the HSE.
Travel to the USA
We continue to advise against all non-essential travel to the USA in response to the outbreak of Covid-19.
We are also urging all Irish visitors to the USA, including those on short-term visas (including J1) who risk losing employment, financial security and access to healthcare to return to Ireland from the USA, as soon as possible. Direct flights continue to operate from Chicago, New York (JFK) and Boston.
Covid-19 in the United States
Cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the USA including the region covered by the Consulate General of Ireland in Los Angeles.
Irish citizens in our consular region can access localised up-to-date information for region through the authorities listed below:
California: Website and Twitter
Washington: Website and Twitter
As a result of the Covid- 19 outbreak the US has implemented special entry restrictions for their territory.
Entry into the US is restricted for those travelling from Ireland, the UK, Schengen Area countries, Brazil, China and Iran.
Non US nationals including Irish nationals who have visited, or are resident in the countries listed above for 14 days or less prior to their travel to the USA will be denied entry, unless they are legal permanent residents of the US, or the spouse or child of a US national.
Non-US nationals with legal permanent residence in the US (e.g. green card holders) and their immediate family, as well as immediate family (spouse and children) of US nationals are not restricted from entering the US. However, if travelling from a restricted country they will now be required to enter the country through one of thirteen designated airports and will undergo additional screening on arrival. Further information can be found here. The US Center for Disease Control have also recommended staying home for 14 days from the time of arrival after international travel. Further information can be found here.
The US Government will not permit entry to the USA of any foreign nationals who have visited China or Iran 14 days or less prior to their travel to the USA.
There are currently no restrictions on flights from the USA to Ireland or the UK. You should check with your airline for any additional information they may require before you can board.
There are also a number of restrictive measures in place at the state or city level. If you are an Irish citizen planning to travel to, or resident in, the US we ask that you refer to us, or to your nearest Irish consulate and the local health authority for the most up to date advice.
For further information related to the Covid-19 pandemic, please see links below for details.
US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
If you are in the USA, you should monitor developments regularly and follow the advice of local authorities.
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:
