All family members are Irish, British and/or European Union Passport holders

All passport holder in the family are Irish, British and/or EU/EEA: Immigration information for South Africans moving, immigrating, visiting or working in the Republic of Ireland

In the family unit that you wish to move to the Republic of Ireland, all members of your family have either Irish, British or European Union  passports. This rather rare, wonderful situation means none of you need to complete Immigration paperwork of any kind.

The following only applies if none of you are South African only passport holders, including minor children, your move involves climbing on a plane in South Africa with the appropriate paperwork, and move to the Republic of Ireland.

 

Irish passport holders, you are considered "returning home.”

 

EU passport holders, your move is government by the European Union Freedom of Movement Act.

An EU/EEA citizen may reside in the State for a period that is longer than 3 months if he or she:

  • is in employment or in self-employment in the State
  • has sufficient resources for himself or herself and his or her family members not to become an unreasonable burden on the social assistance system of the State, and has comprehensive sickness insurance in respect of himself or herself and his or her family members
  • is enrolled in an educational establishment accredited or financed by the State for the principal purpose of following a course of study here and has comprehensive sickness insurance in respect of himself or herself and his or her family members and has sufficient resources for himself or herself and his or her family members not to become an unreasonable burden on the social assistance system of the State

 

British Passport holders you are covered by the Common Travel area and the Good Friday Agreements.

Despite Brexit having removed the UK from the EU, these two special conditions between the UK and Republic of Ireland allow freedom of movement separate from the EU laws. It is only when a British passport holder wishes to bring South African passport holding dependand that a specific set of new rules apply.

 

Note: This does not apply if you have South African dependants!

If you do have South African dependants, who do not hold Irish, British or EU passports, you need to go back to the relevant information to your passport combinations.

If for example, both adults have EU passports, but your children are South African, there is immigration paperwork and conditions on your move.

If for example you are Irish but your spouse is South African, there is immigration paperwork and conditions on your move.

   Some family members have either or both: Irish and South African Passports

   Some family members have either or both: British and South African Passports

   Some family members have either or both: EU and South African Passports

 

If all of you and your family are, Irish, EU and British passport holders continue to the resources of this website to read more on the move and the information on Ireland that we are covering.

 


Dual Passport holders

 

South Africans who hold Irish, British or EU passports, if you were born in South Africa, or you took up citizenship of South Africa by naturalisation or other means, you need to have a South African passport in order to leave the airports in South Africa. 

A good check to see your status, is to open your South African Identification Document (ID BOOK), if it says South African Citizen on the front page where your details are, you need to apply for a South African passport.

If you open your foreign passport and you see where you were born, it will show this when you pass through South African passport control, and they will ask you for your SA passport.

Apply at your local Home Affairs. 

Dual Nationals depending on how and at what age you obtained your other citizenship, other than South African, may need permission to have that second passport. Please confirm this at your local Home Affairs office.

 

"Please note that in terms of the South African Citizenship Amendment Act of 2004 it is now an offence for a major South African citizen to enter the RSA or depart making use of the passport of another country. Essentially, the Amendment Act provides that a South African citizen, who has dual nationality, can freely use his or her foreign passport outside South Africa. However, they must use their South African passport to enter or to depart from South Africa." Citizenship Act 2004 download.pdf here


 

THE BIG LITTLE SUMMARY

 

Just because you're exempt from Immigration registration, does not however mean you want to leave without other documents and things sorted.

So read further:

This is broken down into pre-move and post-move documentation and processes:

   Admin before the move

   Admin once you are in Ireland

 

 


 

Important links:

 

   #MapMyMove- Our coaching Services - Confused or lost and need some direction, book a session with us to help untangle the confusion and work out your route of immigration

   Freedom of Movement - The rights of EU Citizens to bring Non-EU dependants with them to EU countries

   Rights of EU/EEA Citizens in Ireland - The rights of EU Citizens to bring Non-EU dependants with them to EU countries

   Common Travel Area - For British passport holders themselves (not if you have SA dependants)

   South African Home Affairs - On your SA Citizenship

   South African Home Affairs - On Passports & Travel Documents

   Retention of SA Citizenship - How to hold on to you SA citizenship before applying for a new one

   Irish Citizenship (Foreign Birth Registration FBR) - The basics on how to get your Irish citizneship by ancestry

   Getting prepared for your Foreign Birth registration (FBR) - The paperwork needed to get your Irish citizneship by ancestry

   FBR application if you are pregnant (BLOG) - Foreign birth regsitration is speeded up if you are expecting a baby

  Applying for first time Irish passport (2022)- this will download as a .pdf in your device's download files

   Admin before the move

   Admin once you're in Ireland

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