Nationals from two of SA’s neighbouring states at the moment are topic to visa restrictions when travelling to the Republic of Eire.
This comes simply months after Eire imposed entry restrictions on passport holders from South Africa and Botswana final 12 months.
Passport holders of Eswatini and Lesotho at the moment are required to use for a visa earlier than travelling to Eire.
The brand new restriction got here into impact on Monday, 10 March.
As well as, Eire may even require a transit visa for travellers from these international locations.
That is in the event that they intend to journey to a different nation by way of Eire, in keeping with Schengen Information.
Fragomen states that some exceptions will apply for travellers from these states, who made journey plans earlier than 10 March 2025.
These guests should arrive in Eire on or earlier than 31 March 2025.
REASONS FOR SCRAPPING VISA-FREE ENTRY
Although Eire has not but made any official assertion, Irish media speculates that the visa restrictions are because of a spike in irregular migration from these international locations.
Eire’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, says that this visa requirement goals to facilitate professional journey to Eire, and never restrict entry to nationals of those international locations.
“I wish to be clear that introducing these necessities doesn’t stop nationals of Eswatini, Lesotho and Nauru coming to Eire to go to, to work, to check or to affix relations. Making use of for a visa is a screening mechanism to make sure we’re facilitating professional journey.” O’Callaghan stated.
The ending of visa-free journey implies that passport holders from these states should receive a visa to be able to be permitted entry to Eire.
Visas are required for all functions, together with transit by way of Eire’s ports to achieve different locations.
VISA RESTRICTIONS FOR IRELAND
South African nationals are additionally not visa-exempt when travelling to Eire.
The European nation scrapped visa-free entry for South African and Botswana nationals in July final 12 months.
On the time, Eire said that it was aligning its entry necessities for South Africa and Botswana nationals with these of the European Union and United Kingdom.
Imposing such visa restrictions typically leads to a backlash from the receiving nation. Eswatini will not be taking the matter calmly.
Schengen Information states that authorities in Eswatini have requested Eire to elucidate why it has imposed visa restrictions on Eswatini’s nationals.
Eswatini says it’ll have interaction in talks with Eire, to study the explanations for the newly imposed visa entry restrictions.
What are your ideas concerning these new visa restrictions?
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