How to get through Irish immigration

The IrishCentral guide to safely navigating Irish immigration

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Two big stories have prompted us here at IrishCentral.com to create a easy guide for tourists going into Ireland.

Both the Plano 3 and a travel writer were banned from Ireland after inadvertently raising red flags at Irish immigration.

One tourist did not know the address of the place where he was staying and the other did not have a return ticket and no proof of an intending return.

As someone who can barely summon the vocabulary to order a cup of tea after flying through the night I can only sympathize with those who need their wits about them at 6am!

The key thing is to be able to demonstrate to the officer in charge that you have no intention of overstaying your welcome.

You need to know where you're staying, how long you're staying for and how you are going to pay for it all.

It's no different in Ireland than it is in the U.S. or Australia, two countries that I have been lucky enough to live in.

Here then is the IrishCentral.com guide for tourists who want to get through Irish immigration. 

• Keep your passport up to date: Make sure it does not expire while you are out of the U.S.
   
• Especially for all you Sean/Johns out there: Make sure your name is consistent on your passport, travel and immigration documents. Don't gove the officer an extra headache with different names on different forms.
   
• Use roundtrip tickets or, at the very least, be able to prove a return date.
   
• Know the name and address of the place you will be staying.
   
• Bring your most recent bank statement so you can show you have enough funds for the trip.
   
• Pay attention to the officer and be polite.

Bon voyage!

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