Safety and Security

Travelers should exercise sound personal safety practices to minimize their chance of becoming a victim of petty street crime. Travelers should be vigilant at all times and be aware of their surroundings.

We remind you that even demonstrations and protests intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. You should avoid the areas of such gatherings if possible, and be careful within the vicinity of any demonstrations. You should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Note that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but shares a mostly unpatrolled land border with Ireland.

Crime: Though Ireland has a relatively low rate of violent crime, you should always practice sound personal security practices and maintain an awareness of your surroundings when traveling 

• Rates of theft and petty crime have risen in recent years, and thieves often target rental cars and tourists, particularly in the vicinity of tourist attractions. In rare cases, these crimes have involved physical assault or violence, more commonly in Dublin city center and in popular tourist areas.
  
• Rental cars can be targeted for crime as they are easily identifiable by the rental company stickers on the rear window of the vehicle. If possible, remove these stickers and always lock your car when leaving it unattended, even for brief periods. Keep car doors locked while driving. Don’t leave luggage or valuables visible inside a parked car and don’t leave luggage attached to a roof rack. When visiting city center areas, park your car in a secure car park and retain the parking ticket on your person. At night, park in well-lit areas. When picking up and dropping off your rental car, do not leave the keys in the ignition while loading or unloading luggage. We have received reports of cars and belongings being stolen in such situations.

ATM Fraud: Crimes involving ATMs are a concern. Protect your PIN at all times and look closely at ATMs for evidence of tampering before use.

• Criminals have used “skimmers” on ATMs, especially in tourist areas. Skimmers are usually small electronic devices attached to the outside of an ATM to steal the ATM or credit card data.
  
• In busy areas, thieves use distraction techniques such as waiting until the PIN has been entered and then pointing to money on the ground or asking for loose change. While the ATM user is distracted, another person will quickly withdraw the cash and leave. If you are distracted in any way, cancel the transaction immediately.

See the Department of State and the FBI pages for information on scams.

Victims of Crime:

• Report crimes to the local police at 999 and/or 112. and contact the U.S. Embassy at +(353) (1) 630-6200.
• Remember that local authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting the crime.
• See our webpage on help for U.S. victims of crime overseas.

We can:

• help you find appropriate medical care
• assist you in reporting a crime to the police
• contact relatives or friends with your written consent
• explain the local criminal justice process in general terms
• provide a list of local attorneys
• provide our information on victim’s compensation programs in the U.S.
• provide information on victims compensation programs in Ireland
  • The Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) is a free nationwide service offering support and assistance to tourists who are victimized while visiting Ireland. If you are a tourist victim of crime, report the incident to the nearest garda station (police station), which will contact ITAS.
• provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical
• support in cases of destitution
• help you find accommodation and arrange flights home
• replace a stolen or lost passport

Domestic Violence:  U.S. citizen victims of domestic violence may contact the Embassy for assistance.

For further information:

• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.  
• Call us in Washington at 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• See the State Department's travel website for Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts.
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. 
• See traveling safely abroad for useful travel tips.