Ireland and Schengen: Do I need ETIAS to visit Irish territory?

ETIAS, the European Travel and Information Authorisation System, will be implemented by 2026 . Citizens of over 50 countries will need ETIAS to enter the Schengen zone.

People who wish to travel to Ireland in the future may have questions in regards to the need for an ETIAS to visit Ireland. Is Ireland part of the Schengen zone? Is it a member country of the EU? Isn’t Ireland part of the UK?

ETIAS can be used to visit any of the countries in the Schengen Area. Ireland is not part of the Schengen zone, but it is an EU member country.

It is important to keep in mind that there is a difference between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Only the latter is part of the UK and, as a result, several issues regarding the border between Ireland and the UK have arisen during the Brexit negotiations, more information can be found below.

This article explains everything travellers need to know about Ireland, it’s relationship with the Schengen Area and the ETIAS authorisation.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IRELAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND?

Ireland is not part of the UK. However, while Ireland is not a member of the Schengen Area it's a member of the European Union.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Other countries that encompass the UK are England, Scotland and Wales.

Even if the UK hadn’t voted to leave the EU, ETIAS would not have been valid to travel to the UK, because the UK did not sign the Schengen Agreement. ETIAS will be necessary to travel to the Schengen zone and countries in the process of joining the Schengen zone.

In short, Northern Ireland and Ireland are separate countries. While Ireland will remain part of the EU, Northern Ireland will continue to be part of the United Kingdom.

THE IRISH BORDER IN RECENT HISTORY

To understand the situation better, it is useful to have some understanding of the history of the Irish border. Known internationally as the Northern Ireland Conflict, a political and nationalistic conflict began in the late 1960s fuelled by historical events.

One of the key issues was the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. Unionists and loyalists, mostly Protestants, wanted Northern Ireland to remain in the UK. Irish nationalists and republicans, mostly Catholics, wanted Northern Ireland to join a united Ireland.

The conflict began during a campaign to end discrimination against the Catholic minority by the police force and the Protestant/unionist government. The authorities tried to suppress the campaign and were accused of police brutality.

Violence between the groups led to riots in August 1969 and the deployment of British troops. Additionally, paramilitary organisations emerged and all of these events led to disturbances that lasted three decades.

The border has once again been the focus of political negotiations, this time with regards to Brexit. The Northern Ireland border proved a sticking point for former Prime Minister Theresa May and has continued to cause issues for current PM Boris Johnson.

Only recently, after years of discussions, have the EU and the UK outlined rules aimed at preventing border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from January 1st.

WHY IS IRELAND NOT PART OF THE SCHENGEN AREA?

Éire, or Ireland, is a member of the European Union, but it has not joined the Schengen Area.

Currently, Ireland and the UK maintain a Common Travel Area with passport-free travel for their citizens and the three British Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, which are not part of the European Union.

In the case of Gibraltar, the territory will be part of the Schengen scheme after the agreements reached by the United Kingdom and the European Union for the post-Brexit era.

The UK declined to sign up to the Schengen Agreement arguing that for an island nation, frontier controls are a better way to prevent illegal immigration than other measures.

Ireland, for its part, did not want to sign the Schengen Agreement because it "would not be in the interest of Ireland to have a situation where the common travel area with Britain would be ended and Ireland would impose both exit and entry controls on persons travelling between here and Britain and, in addition, on the land frontier".

In conclusion, the main reason Ireland did not join the Schengen Agreement is because they wish to control the immigration status of non EU citizens. Ireland is not part of mainland Europe, and it made sense for the country to control their borders the way they see fit.

SCHENGEN VISA AND ETIAS

The Schengen Agreement was designed to provide uniform border rules for all its member countries. The Schengen visa, for instance, grants its holders a stay of up to 90 days in the region. Meaning, a Schengen visa can be used to travel around the countries that signed the agreement for a stay of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

ETIAS is not a replacement of the Schengen visa. ETIAS is a visa waiver for citizens of countries that are exempt from visa requirements to the Schengen Area.

WILL I NEED ETIAS TO VISIT IRELAND OR NOT?

The straight answer is no, you will not need an ETIAS visa waiver to travel to Ireland. The ETIAS travel authorisation only grants entry to Schengen countries. This does not include Ireland. ETIAS is also for countries in the process of joining Schengen, like Cyprus.

However, non-EU citizens who wish to make the most of their trip and visit other European nations such as Italy, Spain, or France, will need to acquire an ETIAS permit.

Citizens of over 50 countries will be eligible for ETIAS when it comes out in 2026 .

Travellers heading to Ireland must check the entry requirements based on their nationality. Other permits may be required to visit Northern Ireland or any country in the United Kingdom.

IRELAND AND THE SCHENGEN INFORMATION SYSTEM

The EU recently approved Ireland’s connection to the Schengen Information System. From 15th March 2021, Ireland has access to SIS II, Europe’s largest and most widely used IT security system.

An Garda Síochána, the national police service of the Republic of Ireland, will share information on missing persons and stolen or lost objects and vehicles with 30 participating countries.

This is a major security boost as the data can be used to detect potentially dangerous individuals attempting to enter Ireland and locate sought after people and objects elsewhere in Europe.

The An Garda Síochána PULSE system and the Garda National Immigration Bureau databases are being integrated with SIS II to better detect and prevent serious crime. Ireland will remain outside the Schengen common travel zone but will benefit from the increased safety and security of shared knowledge.