The island of Ireland sits in the North Atlantic, to the west of Great Britain. It’s the second‑largest island in the British Isles and the third‑largest in Europe, and is made up of 32 counties. There are two jurisdictions across the island of Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, made up of 26 counties, and Northern Ireland made up of six counties and part of the United Kingdom.

Key facts about the destination

• Population: 7 million
• Landscape: Known for green countryside, rolling hills, rugged coastlines, and thousands of lakes (or loughs).
• Major cities: Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Derry/Londonderry
• Currency: The Republic of Ireland uses the Euro while Northern Ireland uses pound sterling.
• Plug sockets: Both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland use Type G, the same as England, Scotland and Wales.
• Time zone: Ireland and Northern Ireland are in the same time zone as England, Scotland and Wales.
• International dial code: +353 Republic of Ireland +44 Northern Ireland
• Entry requirements: British nationals are not legally required to show a passport to enter Ireland, but it may be useful to carry in case clients need to prove their identity. See full details at gov.uk.

Common Travel Area

The Common Travel Area (CTA) is a long-standing arrangement between the UK, the Crown Dependencies (Bailiwick of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man) and Ireland that pre-dates both British and Irish membership of the EU and is not dependent on it.

Under the CTA, British and Irish citizens can move freely and reside in either jurisdiction and enjoy associated rights and privileges, including the right to work, study and vote in certain elections, as well as to access social welfare benefits and health services.

For visitors from outside the UK, learn more about the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) that is required to travel to the UK, including Northern Ireland.

Tourism Ireland