Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
1150. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice if a South African citizen with residency in the UK can enter Ireland for holidays without the requirement of a visa; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31524/21]
View answerI can confirm that the entry and transit visa restrictions which were brought into effect on 28 January 2021, as a necessary interim measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect public health are being lifted with effect from tomorrow, 16 June 2021.
This move is in line with the Government’s Resilience and Recovery Plan for Living with COVID-19 and will be welcome news for people from South Africa, Brazil and other South American countries who need to travel to Ireland for essential reasons.
The general policy against non-essential travel for all travellers arriving into Ireland continues; essential travellers must comply fully with the public health measures required by law. These include completing a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form, pre-arrival PCR test and quarantine in a designated facility or at home.
The lifting of the visa restrictions follows the resumption of the processing of all long-stay visa applications.
