Department of Foreign Affairs on Southern Africa consular support
Statement
29 November 2021The Department of Foreign Affairs and its Embassy network in Southern Africa continues to provide consular assistance to Irish citizens impacted by the evolving travel restrictions.
The Irish Embassy in Pretoria is engaging directly with around 200 citizens and family members who have been attempting to secure flights back to Ireland. A number of this group have managed to depart South Africa. Individual support and assistance is being offered on a case by case basis as required.
The Department of Foreign Affairs expects that flights on some routes will resume by mid-week which would then provide more options for Irish citizens. This should ease the disruptions and enhance availability on commercial flights from South Africa, including on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights.
The Embassy is working with the airlines and with EU and other partners in order to secure extra flight options over the coming week and to ensure that citizens secure seats on all available flights.
The number of travellers in the surrounding countries in southern Africa is smaller and people are exploring various options for travel. The advice to those Irish citizens travelling in the region remains to seek commercial means to return to Ireland, where available, and to maintain contact with their airline or travel agent.
We will continue to monitor the situation, in coordination with our EU and other partners - including the necessity for organisation of future repatriation flights should commercial options become unavailable. In the meantime, we encourage citizens to avail of commercial flight options. The Department and Embassy will notify those seeking consular assistance in the region of further confirmed travel options as they become operational, and will provide regular updates through the DFA press office and its social media accounts.
Concerned Irish citizens travelling in South Africa can make direct contact with the Irish Embassy in Pretoria by emailing pretoria@dfa.ie. For those in other countries in the region contact details are available at www.dfa.ie/embassies. Concerned Irish citizens should also register at https://citizensregistration.dfa.ie/
ENDS
Press Office
29 November 2021
Notes:
From tomorrow 30 November, Irish residents and others who are entering Ireland from the affected countries are required to have a negative/not detected PCR test result taken 72 hours prior to arrival to Ireland. This will be irrespective of vaccination/recovery status.
All travellers arriving in Ireland from a designated State are required to:
- Quarantine at home for 14 days, from date of arrival, at address declared on the Passenger Locator Form.
- Undergo post-arrival PCR testing on day 2 and day 8 of quarantine. If both of post arrival PCR tests have returned negative, Home Quarantine may be ended at day 10.
The travel advice for the affected countries can be found at www.dfa.ie/travel. Citizens are advised to avoid non-essential travel to South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
