Latest Notices
Updated: 21 June 2021
1. Travel to Ireland | 2. Travel to Belgium | 3. Embassy Services
1. Travel to Ireland
There is a Government Advisory in operation against all non-essential international travel. Passengers arriving in Ireland must complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form and submit it to the relevant authority at their port of entry.
Passengers are required to show a negative result of a pre-departure RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival in the State. There is a legal requirement (with limited exceptions) to home quarantine (what does this mean?) for all passengers arriving in Ireland at the address provided in your Passenger Locator Form.
There is no exemption from the testing and home quarantine requirements for those who are vaccinated (until 19 July).
Full details of the requirements for travel to Ireland are available at: gov.ie/covidtravel
From 19 July, subject to the prevailing public health situation, Ireland will operate the EU Digital COVID Certificate (details here).
If you have queries of an urgent nature regarding travel to Ireland in the context of COVID-19, the DFA Emergency Travel Advice Line number is +353 1 613 1700.
If you are unsure what is an essential reason for travel, please see Citizens Information. The Embassy is not in a position to advise as to whether any individual trip is essential or non-essential.
On 28 May 2021, Belgium was removed from the list of designated states requiring passengers to enter Mandatory Hotel Quarantine with immediate effect. However, a requirement to home quarantine remains in place.
If you are travelling onwards from Ireland into Northern Ireland (Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh & Tyrone), check this guidance on requirements in place for travel to Northern Ireland.
2. Travel to Belgium
Our travel advice for Belgium is available here. Follow @IrishEmbBelgium on Twitter for our latest updates. Further information is available on the Re-Open Europa website.
All passengers arriving by plane or boat must complete a Passenger Locator Form in the 48 hours prior to travel.
More information is available for those intending on travelling to Belgium is available from the Belgian Health Ministry.
Those arriving from red zone regions (check the colour classification of the region you are travelling from on the Belgian Health Ministry website) are subject to mandatory testing and quarantine requirements. Testing requirements differ for Belgian residents and non-residents. Find out more here.
Different measures (NL / FR) apply to those travelling to Belgium from a third country (non-EU & non-Schengen countries, including the UK).
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Details of expected changes in relation to travel to/from Belgium from 1 July can be found here.
- Those resident or visiting Belgium are encouraged to familiarise themselves with public health measures.
- Sign up to BE-Alert to receive the latest email updates directly from the Belgian Crisis Centre.
- Information on coronavirus testing in Belgium is available from the Belgian Health Ministry and a map of coronavirus testing centres in Belgium is available here.
Irish citizens travelling to or resident in Belgium are encouraged to register their contact details with the Department of Foreign Affairs so that we can contact you or your family in case of emergency.
3. Embassy Services
Our public office is closed. Appointments are available for Irish citizens requiring emergency consular assistance by contacting us.
For all other queries, please email us and we will respond as soon as possible.
If contacting us by phone, please ensure you include a phone number if leaving a voicemail message so that we can return your call.
Irish Passport Services
The Passport Office is now processing Passport Online applications. Passport Online is open to all applicants, including children, renewing their passports and those applying for their first passport who are resident in Belgium.
Information on processing times can be found here.
For the latest updates on passport services, please visit: www.dfa.ie/passports
You should not make travel arrangements without a valid passport.
It is currently not possible to apply for a passport at the Embassy in Brussels. Please do not use the paper passport application form (APS2) as these cannot currently be processed.
Passport Online FAQ | Passport Application Tracking & Postal Tracking: Belgium
If you need a travel document for a genuine emergency (death or serious illness of a family member, or emergency medical treatment), please contact us.
Visas for Ireland
Our visa office is currently closed. See the notice in our Visa Section for the latest updates on visa services.
