This section last updated on 15th June 2021

The Minister for Justice, Heather Humphreys TD has today announced the lifting of the temporary entry and transit visa restrictions for nationals of South Africa, Brazil and other South American countries that came into effect on 28 January 2021.

The lifting of the temporary restrictions will come into effect from Wednesday 16 June 2021.

The move to lift temporary restrictions is in line with the Government’s Resilience and Recovery Plan for Living with COVID-19.

From 16 June 2021 passport holders of the following countries can now travel to Ireland without applying for an entry or transit visa in advance of departure:

  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Guyana
  • Paraguay
  • South Africa
  • Uruguay

Nationals of these countries should note that, even though they are no longer required to be in possession of an entry visa to travel to the State, they are required to meet the conditions of entry that attach to their particular purpose of stay in Ireland. They will have to satisfy an Immigration Officer on arrival that they meet these conditions of entry.

People who do not satisfy the conditions of entry or people who have previously been unlawfully present in the State, or have otherwise failed to comply with Irish immigration requirements, run the risk of being refused entry to the State at the border. The conditions of entry may include a requirement to have obtained a pre-clearance for certain purposes of stay. You can check here to see if you require a pre-clearance which must be obtained before travelling to Ireland.

Nationals of the countries listed below required a visa to travel to Ireland prior to the signing of the visa order in January and it remains the position that they require an entry visa in advance of travelling to the State. However, the requirement for those nationals to have a transit visa has now been removed:

  • Colombia (transit visa no longer required – this country was already subject to an entry visa requirement and this requirement remains in place)
  • Ecuador (transit visa no longer required – this country was already subject to an entry visa requirement and this requirement remains in place)
  • Peru (transit visa no longer required – this country was already subject to an entry visa requirement and this requirement remains in place)
  • Suriname (transit visa no longer required – this country was already subject to an entry visa requirement and this requirement remains in place)

If you are unsure as to whether you require a visa/preclearance to enter Ireland you can check here by entering your nationality.

Other arrangements in relation to Visa/Preclearance processing and issuance remain as stated in the web notice dated 01 June 2021.

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This section last updated on 1st June 2021. It was originally published on 29th January 2021.

As part of Government efforts to tackle the pandemic, the Minister for Justice signed an order that imposed new visa requirements on passport holders from a number of South American countries and South Africa. This order and the associated measures came into effect at midnight on 27 January 2021.

On that date, we also took the decision to temporarily cease accepting new visa/preclearance applications with the exception of the Priority/Emergency case types listed below, which we have continued to accept in the intervening period.

We can now confirm that we are accepting all long stay visa and preclearance applications, effective immediately.

We can also confirm that, as per the web notice of 21 May last, we have added the following categories to the list of Priority/Emergency cases and will resume processing of these categories immediately:

  1. Long-stay Join Family Members including:
    • All Long Stay D Visa join family applications (includes Third country national family members of Irish nationals)
    • Preclearance applications for: De Facto Partner of an Irish National; De Facto Partner of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder, or of a non EEA Researcher on a Hosting Agreement and Non EEA Family members looking to join a UK National in Ireland.
  1. People travelling for business/employment purposes and granted an employment permit by Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment to meet an enterprise’s key business ‘.
  2. Persons exercising free movement under the EU Directive. (NOTE – persons in this category should apply for a short stay C visa which will permit you to enter and reside in the State for up to 3 months. In the event that you wish to remain in the State for more than 3 months as a family member of an EU citizen exercising their free movement rights, you must apply (when in the State) for a Residence Card of a family member of a Union citizen).

It remains the position that we are not accepting any short stay visa applications, except for cases that fall under the Emergency/Priority criteria set out below. The suspension of short stay applications will continue to be reviewed in consultation with the relevant authorities in the coming weeks.

We have and will continue to process applications received and on hand. However, for successful applications, unless your application meets the Emergency/Priority criteria set out below, a visa or preclearance approval letter will not issue until such time as restrictions have been lifted. You will be notified if your application is successful. Refusal letters for unsuccessful applications on hand will continue to be issued.

We continue to accept and process appeals. However, for successful appeals, unless your appeal meets the Emergency/Priority criteria set out below, a visa or preclearance approval letter will not issue until such time as these restrictions have been lifted (we will notify you that your appeal was successful). Refusal letters for unsuccessful appeals will continue to be issued.

Current travel restrictions and the measures introduced as part of the Government’s efforts to interrupt the transmission of COVID-19 means that travel may not be possible and even if possible is not advisable unless absolutely essential.

The Priority/Emergency cases that will continue to be accepted and processed include the following:

  • All long stay Employment applications, supported by a work permit or Atypical permission;
  • patients travelling for imperative medical reasons;
  • transport workers or transport service providers, including drivers of freight vehicles carrying goods for use in the territory as well as those merely transiting;
  • pupils, students and trainees who travel abroad on a daily basis and Third-country nationals travelling for the purpose of 3rd level study;
  • Join Family applications;
  • Preclearance applications from De Facto Partner of an Irish National, De Facto Partner of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder, or of a non EEA Researcher on a Hosting Agreement and Family members looking to join a UK National in Ireland;
  • persons travelling for imperative family* or business reasons;
  • Persons entitled to avail of the provision of the EU Free Movement Directive;
  • diplomats, staff of international organisations and people invited by international organisations whose physical presence is required for the well-functioning of these organisations, military personnel and police officers, and humanitarian aid workers and civil protection personnel in the exercise of their functions;
  • passengers in transit;
  • seafarers;
  • journalists, when performing their duties.

When making their applications, we ask applicants to keep in mind that processing times still apply. Due  to local pandemic measures Visa Offices and Missions might be operating restricted hours. Furthermore, the addition to the list of visa required countries introduced on 28 January will add considerable processing demands on visa services in these countries which may cause delays in processing times and decisions issuing. We will do our best to keep these delays to a minimum. You can find out the current processing time for your visa application type by checking the website of the visa office or Embassy to which you sent it. Once a decision is made on your application you will be contacted to notify you of same. Therefore, we would ask that you not contact the visa office or Embassy seeking updates on your application to ensure that resources can be concentrated on processing applications.

* Applicants seeking to travel for imperative family reasons are assessed on an individual basis and are largely confined to emergency cases that may arise in a family situation. Applications will be determined by examining the circumstances and supporting documentation of each case on an individual basis. While we appreciate how difficult it is to be separated from a loved one or to miss a family occasion or milestone, unfortunately these do not constitute an imperative family reason for a short stay visa application at this time due to public health concerns.

If you are seeking to make a short stay visa application and believe that your application falls into one of these Emergency/Priority categories, you can apply on-line in the usual way. Before proceeding with your on-line application, you should check with your local Irish Embassy/Honorary Consulate/Visa Office to confirm that your application meets the Priority/Emergency criteria. Once you’ve completed the on-line application, you should follow the instructions given on the summary page as to where you should submit your application.

Please note, the capacity of individual Embassies and Consulates abroad to accept visa applications will be dependent on public health restrictions that are in place in each location. Please check the website of the relevant Embassy or Consulate for further details.

If you are unsure as to whether you require a visa/preclearance to enter Ireland you can check here by entering your nationality.

These measures are designed to support our public health restrictions on movement, including into and out of Ireland. The strong advice therefore is that everyone, regardless of their nationality or visa/preclearance status, or where they started from, who cannot provide proof of an essential purpose to travel to, should not travel to Ireland.

Please note that all passengers arriving into Ireland from designated states after 4am on the morning of Friday 26 March are now required to pre-book accommodation in a designated quarantine facility, and to pre-pay for their stay. Further information can be found here.

As of midnight 27 January 2021, in addition to countries who were visa required prior to that date, passport holders of the following countries are now also required to apply for an entry visa or transit visa, as appropriate, before travelling to Ireland:

  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Colombia (transit visa now required – this country is already subject to entry visa requirements)
  • Ecuador (transit visa now required – this country is already subject to entry visa requirements)
  • Guyana
  • Paraguay
  • Peru (transit visa now required – this country is already subject to entry visa requirements)
  • South Africa
  • Suriname (transit visa now required – this country is already subject to entry visa requirements)
  • Uruguay

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Notice | Brexit – Important notice for non-EEA family members of UK nationals seeking to move to Ireland after 31 December 2020
23 December 2020

With effect from 11pm on 31 December 2020 following the end of the Brexit transition period, all non-EEA family members of UK nationals seeking to join, or accompany, their UK national family member in Ireland will need to apply (depending on nationality) through a preclearance or visa scheme from outside the State. 

The Preclearance Scheme only applies when a UK national has come to live in Ireland after 31 December 2020. If a UK national is living in Ireland on or before that date they and their eligible non-EEA family members will be a beneficiary under the Withdrawal Agreement. 

Details of the preclearance and visa schemes, can be found here: Joining your UK national family member in Ireland and Policy Document – Brexit Scheme for Non-EEA Family Members of British Citizens seeking Immigration Permission in the State.

Applications will be required from visa required and non-visa required nationals and will be assessed under the relevant policy document. All applications must be made from outside of Ireland and applicants must remain outside the State while their application is being processed. 

Visa required nationals: You will only have to make a visa application under the relevant scheme. Your visa, if your application is successful, will outline your reason for travel to Ireland.

Non Visa required nationals: You will need to apply for preclearance, and if your application is successful, you will receive an approval letter from the preclearance unit which must be presented to an Immigration Officer at the port of entry.

Please note that you will be unable to apply for a visa or preclearance until after 11pm on 31 December 2020 through the Online Visa Preclearance Application Facility.

 

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Notice | New application process for Preclearance applicants

20 November 2020

As of 21/11/2020, preclearance procedures are changing for the following existing schemes:

All preclearance application forms will move to the online application system AVATS. Instructions on how to apply and use the application system, will be provided on the relevant webpage for each scheme above.

Applications for both visa required and non-visa required nationals will continued to be assessed under the relevant policies. All applications must be made from outside of Ireland and applicants must remain outside the State while their application is being processed.

  • Visa required nationals: The requirement for you to apply through two procedures (preclearance and visa) will be changed. You will no longer apply for a letter of preclearance. You will only have to make a visa application under the relevant scheme. Your visa, if your application is successful, will outline your reason for travel to Ireland. 
  • Non Visa required Nationals: You will continue to apply for preclearance, and if your application is successful, you will receive an approval letter from the preclearance unit which must be presented to an Immigration Officer at the port of entry.
  • Transition Period: We will continue to accept applications submitted under the previous application procedures up to 31 December 2020, in order to ensure that those applications which may have been submitted on or near the commencement date of the new application procedures, are processed.