Nationals from Botswana and South Africa must obtain a visa before travelling to Ireland starting Wednesday, as stated by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

The Department of Justice has announced that a transit visa will also be necessary for individuals from these countries planning to transit through Ireland to another destination. This measure aims to align Ireland more closely with the Schengen Area for both countries and bring South Africa in line with the UK.

To streamline the visa application process, the Dublin Visa Office will establish a dedicated ‘South Africa desk’ for South African nationals, and three Visa Application Centres will be set up across South Africa in collaboration with visa service provider Global VFS. Botswana and South Africa are considered safe countries of origin for International Protection purposes, and they are the only ones on the list without an existing visa requirement. Despite not being among the top five nationalities seeking International Protection in Ireland, there has been a notable number of applications from nationals of Botswana and South Africa in recent years.

Transitional arrangements will be made for citizens of these countries with existing travel arrangements until August 9, 2024. Diplomatic passport holders from South Africa are exempt from the visa requirement. Additionally, the Government recently added Brazil, Egypt, India, Malawi, and Morocco to its list of safe countries, which also includes Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.

These additions are regarded as countries where there is a consistent absence of persecution, torture, and armed conflicts. Minister McEntee emphasized that visa requirements for South Africa and Botswana are subject to ongoing review to balance effective immigration controls with facilitating travel to Ireland for various purposes.