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VISAS, CUSTOMS REGULATIONS AND TAX |
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British nationals born in the UK do not need a passport to enter the
Republic or the North, but it is useful to carry one in case you use the
medical services, and for cashing travellers' cheques. If you don't take
a passport, be sure to have some other form of convincing ID. British
passport holders not born in Great Britain or Northern Ireland must have
a valid passport or national identity document. If you are a British
national of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Far Eastern or African
descent, it is advisable to take along your passport (or your birth
certificate), in spite of the fact that, technically speaking, you don't
need one.
If you are an EU national, you can enter the Republic with either a
national ID card or, even better, a passport, and you are entitled to
stay for as long as you like. Travellers from the US, Canada, Australia
and New Zealand are simply required to show a passport and can stay for
up to ninety days, after which you'll need to apply to the nearest
superintendent's office in the Garda Siochana (police) in the district
in which you intend to stay - in Dublin apply to the Aliens Registration
Office, Harcourt St (tel 01/475 5555). All other visitors to the
Republic should contact the Irish Embassy, in their home country, in
advance as regulations vary. A comprehensive list of Irish consulates
and embassies, along with visa information, is available on the
Department of Foreign Affairs Web site: www.irlgov.ie/iveagh .
In the North , British regulations apply. This means that under the
European Economic Area agreement of 1994 citizens of the European Union,
Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland can visit Northern Ireland with just a
passport or national ID card. UK and Irish citizens need no ID or
passport.
US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens can enter the country
for up to six months with just a passport, provided they have an onward
or return ticket and evidence of sufficient funds to support themselves
for the duration of their stay. To extend a visit you need to apply for
an extension of leave, before the six months period expires, to the Home
Office Public Enquiry Office, Immigration and Nationality Directorate,
Block C, Whitgift Centre, Croydon CR9 1AT (tel 0870/606 7766). To
arrange a visit of more than six months prior to your arrival, contact
the British embassy or High Commission in your home country.
Citizens of most other nationalities require a visa, obtainable from the
British consular office in the country of application. To find out if
you need a visa, either contact your nearest British embassy or High
Commission, or visit the British Foreign Office Web site: www.fco.gov.uk
.
Travellers coming into the Republic or the North directly from another
EU country do not have to make a declaration to customs at their place
of entry and can effectively bring in almost as much wine or beer as
they like - although the general rule for imports of alcohol and
cigarettes is that goods should be for personal use only. However, there
are still strict restrictions - details of which are prominently
displayed in all duty-free outlets - on tax- or duty-free goods. There
are import restrictions on a variety of articles and substances, from
firearms to furs derived from endangered species, none of which should
bother the average tourist. Visitors from mainland Britain can bring
pets into the North and the Republic, although animals brought from
elsewhere overseas are subject to tight quarantine restrictions. These
restrictions can be addressed through the new pet passport scheme, which
takes around seven months to prepare for and is only eligible for pets
entering Britain via Dover, Portsmouth or the Euroshuttle. Once in
England, pets with passports can be freely taken to Northern Ireland and
the Republic. Detailed information is available from the Pets Travel
Scheme helpline (tel 0870 241 1710) and the website of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Fisheries: www.maff.gov.uk .
Throughout Ireland most goods are subject to Value Added Tax (VAT) at
17.36 percent in the Republic and 17.5 percent in the North. Visitors
from non-EU countries can save a lot of money through the Retail Export
Scheme , which allows a refund of VAT on goods to be taken out of the
country. Note that not all shops participate in this scheme - enquire
before you make your purchase - and you cannot reclaim VAT charged on
hotel bills or other services. In order to make a claim you have to
leave the country within three months of purchase. Some shops offer the
lower price directly to the customer, and all you are required to do is
hand in a receipt to customs as you leave the country, but this
procedure does vary, so check at the time of purchase. Information
online can be found at www.revenue.ie .
Embassies and consulates
IRISH
Australia : 20 Arkana St, Yarralumla, Canberra, ACT 2600 (tel 02/6273
3022).
Britain : 17 Grosvenor Place, London SW1X 7HR (tel 020/7235 2171).
Canada : 130 Albert St, Suite 1105, Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 (tel
613/223-6281).
New Zealand : 2nd Floor, Dingwall Building, Queen St, Auckland (tel
09/302-2867).
United States : 535 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116 (tel 617/267-9330);
400 N Michigan Ave, Suite 911, Chicago, IL 60611 (tel 312/337-1868); 345
Park Ave, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10154 (tel 212/319-2555); 44
Montgomery St, Suite 3830, San Francisco, CA 94104 (tel 415/392-4214);
2234 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel 202/462-3939).
Information available online at www.irelandemb.org .
BRITISH
Australia : (High Commission), Commonwealth Ave, Yarralumla, Canberra,
ACT 2600 (tel 02/627 06666, www.uk.emb.gov.au/ ).
Canada : (High Commission), 80 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5K7 (tel
613/237-1530, www.britain-in-canada.org ).
Ireland : 29 Merrion Rd, Dublin 4 (tel 01/205-3700,
www.britishembassy.ie ).
New Zealand : (High Commission), 44 Hill St, PO Box 1812, Wellington
(tel 04/472-6049, www.britain.org.nz ).
United States : 3100 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel
202/588-6500, www.britainusa.com/ ).
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