The Minister for Justice, Heather Humphreys has today announced the lifting of the temporary entry and transit visa restrictions that came into effect on 28 January 2021.

From 16 June 2021 passport holders of the following countries can now travel to Ireland without applying for an entry or transit visa in advance of departure:

•  Argentina
•  Bolivia
•  Brazil
•  Chile
•  Guyana
•  Paraguay
•  South Africa
•  Uruguay

It should be noted that Nationals of these countries, even though they are no longer required to be in possession of an entry visa to travel to the State, they are still required to meet the conditions of entry that attach to their particular purpose of stay in Ireland. They will have to satisfy an Immigration Officer on arrival that they meet these conditions of entry.

People who do not satisfy the conditions of entry or people who have previously been unlawfully present in the State or have otherwise failed to comply with Irish immigration requirements, run the risk of being refused entry to the State at the border. The conditions of entry may include a requirement to have obtained a pre-clearance for certain purposes of stay or to have a valid Employment Permit associated with their work in Ireland.

Nationals of the countries listed below required a visa to travel to Ireland prior to the signing of the visa order in January and it remains the position that they require an entry visa in advance of travelling to the State. However, the requirement for those nationals to have a transit visa has now been removed:

• Colombia (transit visa no longer required – this country was already subject to an entry visa requirement and this requirement remains in place)
• Ecuador (transit visa no longer required – this country was already subject to an entry visa requirement and this requirement remains in place)
• Peru (transit visa no longer required – this country was already subject to an entry visa requirement and this requirement remains in place)
• Suriname (transit visa no longer required – this country was already subject to an entry visa requirement and this requirement remains in place)

Further details can be found on the Immigration Service website www.inis.gov.ie along with a Frequently Asked Questions document.