TRAVEL TO IRELAND

The Irish Government continues to strongly advise against all non-essential travel overseas. Countries around the world are implementing restrictions on entry, and these are changing frequently. 

From 16 January, all passengers arriving into Ireland are required to have a negative / not detected result from a pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours before their arrival in Ireland.  Further information is available at www.gov.ie.  If your journey originated in South Africa, you will also be advised to self-isolatefor 14 days upon arrival in Ireland.  You will also be requested to phone a GP or GP out-of-hours service to arrange for a COVID-19 test, as soon as possible after 5 days post-arrival. This test will be free of charge if arranged through GPs. Irrespective of the result of this test, you are asked to continue to self-isolate for 14 days.  Further information on this is available here.   If you must travel to Ireland, you need to fill out a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form online before you travel. To fill out this form and for further information and advice go to https://gov.ie/locatorform.  

If a citizen has a genuine humanitarian emergency requiring urgent travel, they should contact the Embassy immediately for advice and consular assistance before commencing their journey.  If you have queries regarding travel to Ireland, please contact the Irish Embassy in Pretoria at  +27 12 452 1000 between 9am – 12pm Monday to Thursday or email pretoria@dfa.ie.

COVID-19

South Africa continues to experience community transmission of COVID-19 and a number of restrictions are in place to control the spread of the virus.  The lockdown measures remain under review and are adjusted from time to time. We advise Irish citizens in South Africa to respect lockdown regulations and follow public health requirements. The latest information on South Africa’s COVID-19 response and restrictive measures in place is available at www.sacoronavirus.co.za.  If you are visiting South Africa and are in need of support, please contact us.  All Irish citizens currently visiting South Africa are also asked to ensure that you have registered with the Embassy of Ireland and also ensure that you remain compliant with South African immigration requirements. 

International flights to and from South Africa are operating under certain restrictions. Travel from countries that are deemed to be high risk will continue to be restricted, and the list of high risk countries will remain under review. Travellers from Ireland are advised to check the list of high risk countries before making your plans, as it will be updated regularly. On arrival, all travellers will need to present a negative COVID-19 test result not older than 72 hours prior to the time of departure. All travellers will be screened on arrival and those presenting with symptoms will be required to have a COVID-19 test.  Where necessary, travellers will need to enter mandatory quarantine facilities at their own cost.  Travellers will also be required to download the COVID Alert South Africa mobile app.  

Before travelling, you are advised to confirm the requirements for entry to South Africa with the Embassy of South Africa in Ireland. Citizens intending to undertake essential travel to South Africa should also be aware that South Africa continues to adjust its COVID-19 lockdown measures in response to the rate of transmission of the virus, and it cannot be guaranteed that suspensions of international flights may not be reimposed on short notice.  Irish citizens travelling to South Africa should also be aware of the requirements for re-entry to Ireland or to their country of normal residence following their trip.

If you are in South Africa, you should monitor developments regularly and follow the advice of local authorities. See links to relevant websites below.

• Government of South Africa COVID-19 dedicated website: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/
• South African National Institute Disease Control http://www.nicd.ac.za/
• South African Department of Health http://www.health.gov.za/
• WHO World Health Organisation
• National airports: https://www.airports.co.za/ 

CONSULAR SERVICES

Please note the Embassy's new consular service arrangements, which will remain in place on a permanent basis.  Phone lines will operate between 9am – 12pm Monday to Thursday. The Embassy's public office is not open for walk-in customers. To submit an application, you are asked to arrange delivery of documents by courier between 9.00 a.m. and 12 noon, Monday to Thursday. If you have been advised that your documents are ready for collection, we also ask you to arrange collection by courier between these hours. If you are unable to use a courier service and must collect or deliver your documents in person, you can request an appointment.  Appointments are available on Monday to Thursdays between 9.00 a.m. and 12 noon.  Documents being delivered must be simply dropped off in a sealed envelope.  Payments must be made by EFT.  

Please note that all passport renewal applications, for adults and children, must be made online.  First-time applications must be made on paper application forms, which you can request from the Embassy.  Please note that the processing time for passport applications is significantly affected by COVID-19 response measures in South Africa and in Ireland.  

Foreign Birth Registration applications for those resident in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, and Zimbabwe are processed in Ireland.  When you make your online application you will be instructed to send your application directly to Ireland to the following address: Foreign Births Registration Section, PO BOX 13003, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, Ireland.  It is extremely important that you check you have all the correct documentation requested before sending your application and that you send originals documents where indicated. Once your application has been processed, all documentation relating to your application will be returned to you via the Embassy in Pretoria.  We recommend that you send your application to Ireland using a tracked international delivery service.

The Embassy can accept visa applications for long-stay visas only. Short-stay visa applications will only be processed for emergency or essential travel for a limited number of categories including medical personnel, immediate family members of Irish citizens, persons legally resident in Ireland, and persons entitled to avail of the provision of the EU Free Movement Directive.  If this applies to you, submit your visa application online in the  normal manner and contact the Embassy for instructions on completing your application. More information can be found here. 

Documents in support of long-stay visa applications for those resident in Zimbabwe must be sent to the Honorary Consul office in Zimbabwe at the following address: Honorary Consul of Ireland, Lamont House, 2 Robert Mugabe Road, P.O. Box 10424, Harare, Zimbabwe.