Effective July 10, 2024, nationals of Botswana and South Africa will no longer enjoy visa-exempt status in Ireland and will need to have a visa in order to enter the country for tourism, business, work or residence purposes, or for transit through the country.
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has announced that South Africans will be required to obtain a visa before travelling to Ireland. A transit visa will also be required, if intending to transit through Ireland en-route to another destination.
Minister McEntee said: “This is a carefully considered decision which will bring Ireland into closer alignment with the Schengen Area in respect of both of these countries, and into line with the UK in respect of South Africa.
“Irish visa requirements are kept under ongoing review, having regard for the need to ensure that effective immigration controls are in place whilst also facilitating those who wish to travel to Ireland for the purposes of a visit, to work, to study, or to join family members.”
In recent years, a significant number of International Protection applications have been received from nationals of Botswana and South Africa. Both countries are designated as safe countries of origin for International Protection purposes and are the only countries on that list which are not currently visa required.
The Dublin Visa Office will establish a dedicated ‘South Africa desk’ to process applications from South African nationals. The Department will also establish three Visa Applications Centres (VACs) in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria, with visa service provider VFS Global.
"The visa system is an essential part of our immigration system to determine who can travel to Ireland," McEntee said. “A wide range of factors are taken in account when introducing visa requirements to ensure we can continue to facilitate travel with processes that are robust, effective, and fair.”
The current standard government processing times for Irish employment and business visas is approximately two months.
Irish authorities have contextualized this policy change amid a rise in asylum claims from Batswana and South African nationals.
The broader objective of the Irish authorities is to curb irregular migration. Measures include designating certain countries as ‘safe’ for asylum claims and ramping up workplace inspections. The government has indicated that additional related efforts will be announced in the future.
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