Are we there yet? Your second Travel Megathread (threadbans in OP}

I’m just looking for clarity here on a returning passenger (friend of mine) to Ireland.

He’s returning from Amsterdam in June and is convinced that he will be facing a 2k fine. Has anyone heard of emigration police in Dublin airport arrivals issuing a 2k fine to an inbound passenger for “non essential” travel. ?

Ps , it wasn’t essential travel

dalyboy wrote: »

I’m just looking for clarity here on a returning passenger (friend of mine) to Ireland.

He’s returning from Amsterdam in June and is convinced that he will be facing a 2k fine. Has anyone heard of emigration police in Dublin airport arrivals issuing a 2k fine to an inbound passenger for “non essential” travel. ?

Ps , it wasn’t essential travel

There is no fine for returning to Ireland.

https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1393510752011661313?s=21

Mark1916 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1393510752011661313?s=21

Great. What happens when we come back in? Or best to fly to and from Belfast?

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

NO boards before coffee in future. Thanks



In theory they could fine him for the original journey but highly unlikely as they simple dont ask those questions. Theres no fine for the return journey,



All bookings are logged within the DAA traveller information system which is accessible by Gardai, revenue and defence forces via the Passenger Information Unit*. Your name would show more than one booking and that COULD be viewed as suspicious and a further look. I didnt claim it would be I just said it could, in theory as the system does allow for it. How do you think customs and Gardai catch drug smugglers? They profile


*"PNR data refers to information provided by, or on behalf of, passengers to air carriers for each journey booked. This includes details such as travel dates, travel itinerary, ticket information, contact details, passport or identity card details, travel agent at which the flight was booked, means of payment used, seat number and baggage information." (https://www.irishimmigration.ie/irish-passenger-information-unit/)

Presumably Niner if someone was flying on one ticket to London and then onwards there would be no issue (assuming CTA arrangements are agreed)? Or indeed if someone decides to fly via Belfast?

Ray Donovan wrote: »

dalyboy wrote: »

I’m just looking for clarity here on a returning passenger (friend of mine) to Ireland.

He’s returning from Amsterdam in June and is convinced that he will be facing a 2k fine. Has anyone heard of emigration police in Dublin airport arrivals issuing a 2k fine to an inbound passenger for “non essential” travel. ?

Ps , it wasn’t essential travel[/quote

What interaction did he have with the guards at Dublin Airport on way out, if any?

He didn’t have any interaction. He went through fast track checkin at about 5am to avoid interactions

IQO wrote: »

https://twitter.com/MinBZ/status/1393450796705058816

https://www.nu.nl/coronavirus/6133435/nieuwe-reisadviezen-je-mag-weer-naar-curacao-malta-en-nog-14-bestemmingen.html

Confusing messages (use google translate) from the Dutch authorities.. they have adjusted some destinations to their code 'yellow', including Ireland. Which is beneficial when traveling from Ireland to The Netherlands, it looks like no PCR test is even necessary anymore from next week.

The second link and article (the largest news website in The Netherlands) even reads "Naar deze bestemmingen kan per direct weer worden afgereisd:" meaning "You can travel to these destinations immediately:" which includes Ireland, not mentioning the two weeks of home quarantine that is required on arrival here.

Am flying to Ireland from Germany in a week and avoided going through the Netherlands as they had the strictest test policy (PCR not older than 24 hours both going and returning), and of course as soon as I book they drop the requirement. On the other hand, by mid June when I'm due to return the indian variant could be spreading in Ireland thanks to all these people insisting on travelling through UK/Belfast and country could be back on negative list throughout Europe.
Just shows the situation is still very fluid and you can really take nothing for granted.

rogber wrote: »

Am flying to Ireland from Germany in a week and avoided going through the Netherlands as they had the strictest test policy (PCR not older than 24 hours both going and returning), and of course as soon as I book they drop the requirement. On the other hand, by mid June when I'm due to return the indian variant could be spreading in Ireland thanks to all these people insisting on travelling through UK/Belfast and country could be back on negative list throughout Europe.
Just shows the situation is still very fluid and you can really take nothing for granted.

I would have no problem putting the UK on a red list and closing the border with NI. Would much prefer to be fully in the EU.

Ms.Sunshine wrote: »

Can anybody offer advice on this ,
I’ve family looking at flying from the UK to ireland next month.
Are they legally required to quarantine upon arrival to Ireland even if they have their negative Pcr test ? Or are they ok to come and fly in with just the negative test ? If that’s the case ... surely they can also stay in a local hotel !?

The Govt (Leo) were talking about less restrictions from the UK from next month but this may now be shelved with Indian variant. I understand that visitors from the UK have to have a negative test, quarantine for 14 days but can get a test after 5 days and leave quarantine. I am not sure what is the position if they are vaccinated. All a little incoherent.

rogber wrote: »

Am flying to Ireland from Germany in a week and avoided going through the Netherlands as they had the strictest test policy (PCR not older than 24 hours both going and returning), and of course as soon as I book they drop the requirement. On the other hand, by mid June when I'm due to return the indian variant could be spreading in Ireland thanks to all these people insisting on travelling through UK/Belfast and country could be back on negative list throughout Europe.
Just shows the situation is still very fluid and you can really take nothing for granted.

It's PCR alone within 24hrs or PCR (72hrs) + Antigen (24hrs), so it's less strict, but I get your point, it's fluid and confusing most of the time.

Just sharing my experience of travel to the UK this past week...

Essential travel to visit my dying Mum, who I haven't seen for 17 months. I got there in time to spend her last 2 days with her before she passed.

Outbound to the UK

• I got a PCR test done prior to leaving Ireland, but it wasn't needed to enter the UK.
  
• At Dublin airport security I was asked by Guards what the purpose of my travel was. Verbal answer was acceptable, no evidence needed to be shown.
  
• I tried to do the UK's online passenger locator form, but I couldn't as it doesn't accept UK passport holders.

So the UK had sh!t control and I arrived with no PCR check (even though I had one done), and no passenger locator.

In the UK

• AT UK immigration I was asked by a police officer what the purpose of my travel was, and whether I'd been anywhere other than Ireland in the past 10 days. Verbal answers without evidence were fine.
  
• I got a PCR test done for the return home to Ireland, and after just 5 mins googling found a place nearby. Needs to be within 72 hours of travel, and cost 99 pounds sterling.
  
• I filled in Ireland's online Passenger locator form in 5 mins tops.

Return travel to Ireland

• Airline (Ryanair) checked that I had a PCR test result at bag drop and again at the gate. Email copy showed on my phone was fine.
  
• At immigration I had to show email confirmations of both PCR test results and online passenger locator form receipt.

In Ireland

• I'm now in self quarantine at home, and my wife has temporarily moved out. I'm alone.
  
• I received a text from GOV.IE telling me to home quarantine for 14 days, or take a PCR test on or after day 5 and can exit quarantine if negative.

I was very proud and relieved at the controls that Ireland have in place, except I would go further given the current situation over there...

...I went to a town that is a current hotspot for the Indian variant, the town of Blackburn. I heard many stories from family, and saw for myself, how poorly the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities were adhering to protocols - not a mask in sight, lots of people socialising, gatherings etc, and the pharmacist who did my PCR test there said he's seeing people testing positive after 1st jab - AND with mild symptoms, only mild so the vaccines are preventing serious disease BUT with symptoms enough to be shedding and contagious - he also said the nearby town of Bolton has an R0 rate of 2! Also the vaccine uptake in the BAME communities is lower than the UK average. This was before the festival of Eid last Thursday which would have the likelihood of increased household visits. With the stories from family members over there, including from a neice who is a nurse, sister-in-law an ex nurse who is giving vaccinations in a Mass Vaccination Centre, brother a postman in a district with an almost exclusively BAME community, from an airport shuttle bus driver, and the owner of the nursing home... I predict massive surges of cases in these 'hotspots' in the next fortnight. The authorities do too and opened up surge testing and surge vaccinations (for anyone over 20 in Blackburn) whilst I was there.

Personally I would be happy for Ireland to close down travel from GB right now, even though I have my Mum's funeral to try to get to in a fortnight.

Fortunately I was vaccinated earlier this week (I'm in cohort 7), so although I have had no protection from the vaccination this last week, I should have some when I go back for the funeral. The care home I was in had NHS Rapid Antigen Testing every day to enter, and PPE, and gave me a bunch of boxes of these tests to take away, so I'm using those here whilst in self quarantine, until I get another PCR on day 5 or 6.

Hi Guys, really sorry to be asking a uestion that I'm sure has been asked a million times already, just in a bit of a panic.

I live in Spain, as does my aunt, my uncle needed to stay in Ireland whilst waiting for his pension to come through - and during this waiting period covid happened.

He lives alone in Dublin and having been speaking to him lately his mental health had taken a real tumble, constantly talking about suicide from the loneliness etc :cool:

Are there any loopholes he could use to get over here to Spain (it would be one- way of course), maybe getting to the UK and trying from there, or have the government managed to plug all of these potential escapes?

Again apologies for probably asking the obvious, but I said I'd try as my aunt is now starting fall apart hearing his mood deteriorate day by day.

Thanks for any help lads, and have a good weekend.

Rynaldo wrote: »

Hi Guys, really sorry to be asking a uestion that I'm sure has been asked a million times already, just in a bit of a panic.

I live in Spain, as does my aunt, my uncle needed to stay in Ireland whilst waiting for his pension to come through - and during this waiting period covid happened.

He lives alone in Dublin and having been speaking to him lately his mental health had taken a real tumble, constantly talking about suicide from the loneliness etc :cool:

Are there any loopholes he could use to get over here to Spain (it would be one- way of course), maybe getting to the UK and trying from there, or have the government managed to plug all of these potential escapes?

Again apologies for probably asking the obvious, but I said I'd try as my aunt is now starting fall apart hearing his mood deteriorate day by day.

Thanks for any help lads, and have a good weekend.

One way ticket. Fly via Belfast. Book him dental treatment. Anything you can. Just do it.

normanoffside wrote: »

In those circumstances he was always able to travel abroad.
He'd just need to explain he was living alone and was travelling to his support bubble abroad.
No reasonable Gard hearing his story would try to fine him for travel.

Thats a bit of hope at least for him, thanks - would a letter from his GP explaining his mental health and isolation without any support bubble suffice, and where would he sent that letter to, or just show it at the airport? Sorry for all the questions, today was the first time I'd been in contact with him for a while and just hearing him sobbing I thought I need to find somewhere to end the hell he's going through


@Gozunda I'll have to do abit of research on that, but I dont think he'll mind trying to find a way around that as long as he can manage to get on Spanish soil, he's well on in years now and really just wants to see some family again. Not sure if that could be quantifiably differentiated from a lads trip to Benidorm etc

Thanks again for the responses lads.