Ireland now requires visas for South Africans

Pippa Hudson interviews consumer journalist Wendy Knowler.

Listen below (skip to 15:00).

Ireland had previously allowed South Africans to enter without a visa, but just days after South Africa's 27-20 victory over the Irish rugby team at Loftus in early July, Ireland announced that visas would now be required.

This change came with minimal notice, leaving little time for those with existing travel plans to adjust.

One such individual affected was Erika from Stellenbosch, who was scheduled to travel to Ireland for a work conference.

She believed she had ample time to secure her visa, but complications arose because she and her husband had already booked and paid for a trip to Botswana with other couples.

To accommodate her travel plans, Erika scheduled the earliest possible visa application appointment with VFS Global, requesting that her passport be returned by 9 August to ensure she had enough time before leaving for Botswana.

Unfortunately, her passport was not returned by the promised date, and she received no updates on her situation despite multiple inquiries.

"She was trying everything to not forfeit the trip."

- Wendy Knowler, Consumer journalist

After contacting VFS Global, Knowler was informed that the company is responsible only for the administrative aspects of the visa application process.

The decision to issue or deny visas is solely that of the relevant government authorities.

"It's a very unfortunate situation because you only deal with VFS Global and they can't help you with anything."

- Wendy Knowler, Consumer journalist

After receiving a contact from the Embassy of Ireland in Pretoria, Evan Cunningham informed Knowler that, since the announcement of the new Irish visa requirement, the Department of Justice in Dublin has received over 2600 visa applications.

To handle this surge, the department has established a dedicated South Africa Visa Desk.

Cunningham explained that due to the high volume of applications, and to accommodate existing travel plans, the Department of Justice is prioritising applications based on travel dates.

He also noted that the Embassy does not handle the processing of visa applications for South African residents; all decisions are made by the South Africa Visa Desk in Dublin.

The Department of Justice is working to ensure that all travellers receive a decision on their application before their planned travel date, Cunningham added.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.