The Irish Travel Agents Association has advised those with plans to travel to or currently in the Gulf States to contact their travel agent immediately.
The association recommended checking DFA advice and travel insurance before bookings due to potential coverage issues. The Department of Foreign Affairs upgraded its travel advice for the Gulf States, in particular the United Arab Emirates, to avoid non-essential travel on 1 March 2026. Travel advice continued to state that Irish citizens should not undertake travel to Iran or Israel.
No evacuation routes existed for Gulf countries, so authorities advised to shelter in place until instructed otherwise.
ITAA President Tom Randles shared “I would strongly recommend that anyone thinking of traveling to the Middle East should read the Department of Foreign Affairs travel advice and check with their ITAA travel agent before making any bookings. The ITAA advice to any prospective Irish travellers who may have already booked a holiday to any destination in the Middle East is to immediately check with both your travel agent and your travel insurance. When the DFA advise to ‘Avoid Essential Travel’ to a particular country, UAE in this instance, it usually means that the travel insurance policy will not cover travel to that country”
“Our advice to anyone in any of the Gulf States is to maintain contact with the airline you travelled on, maintain contact with your travel agent or tour operator, keep your mobile phone charged, and follow closely local media reports and advice. It is also strongly recommended that you register with the Department of Foreign Affairs online at https://citizensregistration.dfa.ie/. You can also contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade consular team in Dublin at +353 1 4082000.”
“As of now, there are no evacuation routes recommended for Gulf countries and so the advice is to shelter in place. Remain where you are until instructed otherwise.”
