Irish (Gaelic) and English are the two official languages of the Republic of Ireland and street and road signs are all bilingual. In Gaeltacht areas Irish is spoken daily; however, everyone speaks English.

In Northern Ireland, English is the official language. The Irish language, Gaelic, is also taught in many schools and summer schools. Ulster Scots, spoken in Northern Ireland, is on the increase and is being taught to those who are keen to explore another facet of their national identity.

Currency
The Euro is the local currency of the Republic of Ireland. One Euro consists of 100 cent. Notes are €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500. Coins are €2, €1, 50c, 20c, 10c, 5c, 2c and 1c.

In Northern Ireland the currency is the £ Sterling consists 100 pence Notes £5 £ 10 £ 20 £ 50 £ 100 £200 £500.
Coins are £2 £1 50p 20p 10p 5p 2p 1p. Many shops Esc in the border areas will accept both currency's.

Credit Cards
Any credit cards that bear the Visa, Master Card or American Express symbol will be widely accepted in Ireland. Visitors with other cards should ask in advance or see if that card is on display where they wish to use it.

Banks
Banks in Ireland generally open around 9.30 am and close about 4.30 PM Monday through Friday and 5 PM on Thursday. ATM (cash) machines are located at most banks and accept most credit and debit cards.

Passport & Visa's.
A valid passport is required to visit Ireland north and south.

Mobile Phones
For mobile phones, only digital phones with GSM subscriptions and a roaming agreement will work in Ireland. Visitors should consult with their supplier before departure. You can rent a mobile phone. Check with the local tourist information office.
Pay Phones
For pay phones, prepaid phone cards are widely available both in the Republic and Northern Ireland and are both convenient and effective to use.

Telephone Codes
If calling Northern Ireland from abroad, all telephone numbers must be prefixed with 0044 (drop the first 0 of the local code).
If calling Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland, replace the prefix code 028 with the code 048.

If calling the Republic of Ireland from abroad all telephone numbers must be prefixed with 00 353 (drop the first 0 of the local code).

Telephone Esquires

In Northern Ireland contact:

Directory Esquires - Tel: 118 500
International Directory Esquires - Tel: 118 505
Talking Pages - Tel: 0800 600 900 or visit This Site

In the Republic of Ireland contact:

Directory Esquires - Tel: 11850
International Directory Esquires - Tel: 114

Golden Pages Talking - Tel: 1 618 8000 or visit This Page

Letters & Cards.

The cost of mailing a standard letter or postcard is:

E-mail

Libraries in major towns sometimes have an E-mail service available free of charge. Some hotels have Internet lines in the rooms, inquire when booking.

Many service stations now offer free customer wi fy.

The standard electricity supply is 220 volts AC in the Republic of Ireland and 240 volts AC In Northern Ireland (Both are 50 cycles). Visitors may require a transformer and a plug adapter.

A plug adapter is necessary to convert 2-pin plugs to the standard 3-pin plugs and these can be bought at any airport or electrical supplier.

Smoking Ban.

Southern Ireland has introduced a blanket ban on smoking in all public buildings, this includes all bars, night clubs and restaurants. and also places of work.

Hotel bedrooms are exempt from the ban, it will be applied to all other areas within hotels.

Medical System

For all visitors from Ireland, private medical Insurance is highly recommended. Click here

Senior Citizens.

Men and women over the age of 60 are recognized as being Senior Citizens or Old Age Pensioners and enjoy a variety of discounts and privileges.

Students.

Many attractions offer a reduced student rate admission charge obtainable on the presentation of a valid student ID card.

Customs operate green and red channels at most ports and airports. If you need to declare goods over the duty and tax-free allowances for non-EU visitors you must use the red channel. Pass through the green channel if you have nothing to declare.

Visitors must not bring agricultural produce into Ireland.

US visitors can take home US$400 worth of goods per person including 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, 1 liter of spirits or 2 liters of wine. Canadians are allowed up to Can$750 worth of goods per person including 200 cigarettes and 1.4 liters of spirits or wine (if out of Canada for 7 days).

VAT and Tax Refunds

To be eligible to claim a tax refund you must be a non European Community visitor to Ireland. Look for the ‘Tax Free Shopping’ sign in the windows of participating shops. You must complete a valid tax refund document obtained from the retailer and present the tax refund document and goods to Customs on departure from the European Community. A customs officer will check the goods and validate the tax refund document. You can receive your refund on the spot at some airports, otherwise you should mail the validated tax refund document back to the shop and a refund will be issued.

VAT is charged on almost everything, but remember that refunds only apply to goods being taken out of the country, VAT is not recoverable on services.

VAT and tax refunds are not available to EU visitors.

For goods obtained outside the EU
The following goods may be imported by persons over the age of 17 years of age without incurring customs duty:
800 cigarettes, 200 cigars or 1 kg of tobacco
10 liters of spirits (more than 22 per cent) or 20 liters of intermediate products (e.g. port, sherry Esc but not sparkling wine) or 90 liters of wine (of which only 60 liters can be sparkling) or 110 liters of beer.
50g of perfume and 250 ml of eau de toilette
Other dutiable goods to the value of €40.63.

For further information please contact
The Revenue Commission (Republic of Ireland) Web Site
HM Customs & Excise (UK) Web Site

These numbers are free but should only be used in cases of genuine emergency.
On answer, state which service you require, (Police, Fire, Ambulance or Coastguard.) Wait to be connected to that service, then clearly state the location of where the assistance is required.

Vehicle Breakdown:

Check our listings for accident and breakdown service's.

Ireland both north and south is generally well equipped to provide for disabled visitors Most hotels and public amenities comply with relevant EU legislation.

Contacts for disabled travelers below.

Vaccines are not compulsory or necessary unless you are traveling from an infected country.

Find out about Travel Vaccinations for world travel.