South African passport holder entering N Ireland via Dublin, almost denied entry
My mother (South African) recently travelled to visit me in Northern Ireland and arrived in Dublin with her UK visa in her passport, as she has done 12 times before. She was given great trouble at immigration in Dublin airport and threatened with being sent back.
She was alone and in a wheelchair and eventually allowed entry with a warning to never do this again! She has previously traveled the same route many times with no problem. She was also told she had to activate her visa for the UK...
She was going to travel by car from Dublin to Northern Ireland, and with no hard border between NI and ROI she wouldn't have come into contact with any UK immigration.
Just wondering if anyone else has had the same issue recently?
Best Answer
The problem I see here is that South African passport holders do not require a visa to visit Ireland, but do require a visa to visit the UK. And as you know, there is (currently) no passport check at the land border between Ireland and Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK). I would wonder how and when your mother's visa would ever be checked for its validity by UK immigration. I doubt the Irish immigration officers have any obligation to check on behalf of UK immigration, so maybe that is what they were concerned about. Even though it all looks above board and proper, I am not sure it is their responsibility.
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Can South Africans enter Northern Ireland?
South African visitors can visit the Republic of Ireland without a visa, but need a UK visa in order to enter Northern Ireland. Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a full list of countries whose citizens do NOT need a visa to visit Ireland.What happens if you are denied entry to Ireland?
What happens if I am refused entry to Ireland? If you are refused permission to enter Ireland, you may be detained in prison. If your solicitor thinks that the refusal was unlawful, they may apply to court for an injunction to stop you from being deported.Can I go to Dublin with a South African passport?
South African passport holders do not need to apply for a visa for travel to Ireland at this time. However, other immigration procedures apply. You can find more information on these procuedures here. You can also check additional requirements for travel to Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic.Can South African passport holders enter the UK?
And yes, if you're travelling on a South African passport you'll need a visa to enter the UK. Once in, there are no border controls between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Island, which makes it a joy to travel around the UK, as only a single UK visa is required.IRELAND WILL BE GIVING OUT ONCE IN A LIFETIME PRACTICALLY FREE PASSPORTS
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