Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 June 2021
227. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice if she will reverse the new visa requirements on passport holders from a number of countries which came into effect at midnight on 27 January 2021 which were originally introduced to last until 5 March 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32493/21]
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 have been lifted with effect from today, 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 and all travellers arriving into Ireland continues and 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.
