From 4am on Friday (26 March), arrivals from a list of "category two" countries – 17 in Africa and 14 in southern and Latin America, as well as the UAE and Austria – will be required to pre-book hotel quarantine accommodation.

The new hotel quarantine rules come in addition to an existing pre-departure test requirement prior to travel to Ireland. It also applies to those transiting category two countries.

Arrivals will have to present evidence of their hotel quarantine booking to their flight or ferry operator if they are arriving from a category two country, as well as evidence of their negative pre-departure Covid test.

Arrivals from all other destinations are also still required to test negative prior to departure, and to quarantine for two weeks at home, although they can cut their quarantine short if they obtain a negative Covid result from a PCR test taken no less than five days after their arrival.