What is Ireland’s exact status regarding the ETIAS application required to enter the Schengen Area? Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area; therefore, it does not meet the requirements for visa-exempt countries that can travel to any Schengen member state by applying for an ETIAS.

However, although Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area, it has EU agreements in place that allow travelers to cross borders from and to the European Economic Area using a valid national ID card or passport. Therefore, when traveling between the EU and Ireland, a passport is not required; both borders can be crossed with just a national ID card. Ireland also cooperates partially with Schengen on matters such as the exchange of police information.

The situation is different when it comes to the UK. One of the reasons Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area is its relationship with the United Kingdom. For decades, the two countries have had a special agreement called the Common Travel Area, which allows their citizens to move freely between them without strict immigration controls.

Ireland is in the EU but has chosen to remain outside the Schengen Area, primarily to maintain its system of free movement with the United Kingdom and avoid complications between the two islands. If Ireland were to join the Schengen Area:

• It would have to implement different border controls at its border with the United Kingdom (especially in Northern Ireland).
• That could complicate a border that is currently virtually invisible—a highly sensitive political issue since the Good Friday Agreement.
• British citizens would have to fill out the ETIAS form to enter Ireland.

Currently, British citizens who hold a “withdrawal agreement”* (Brexit) issued by the Irish authorities to legally reside in Ireland must enter the Schengen Area with an ETIAS. In general, all British citizens residing in Europe under a “withdrawal agreement”* may only travel to the Schengen country that issued it without an ETIAS. If they wish to travel to other Schengen countries, they must apply for an ETIAS using their British passport.

*Withdrawal Agreement: This agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU primarily serves to protect British citizens who were already living in the EU before Brexit (before December 31, 2020). Beneficiaries receive a document issued by the European country where they were already residing.