If you’re a South African student planning to study in Ireland, you will now need to apply for a visa before entering the country. This has far reaching implications for prospective students from South Africa and Botswana.

South African students planning to study in Ireland will now have to obtain a student visa, otherwise known as a Long Stay ‘D’ visa before travelling to the country. Students from South Africa have not traditionally needed a student visa to study in Ireland, which has some of the best universities in Europe. Instead, they would get an entry clearance stamp in their passport at the border, and after enrolling at a university or college, would then have to register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) to get a residence card that allows them to study abroad in Ireland.

This change in law comes after the Irish Department of Justice’s announcement this week that all visitors from South Africa and Botswana will have to apply for a visa for travel, business and study. A transit visa will also be needed if you are passing through Ireland en-route to another destination.

The Dublin Visa Office has set up a dedicated ‘South Africa Desk’ to process applications from South African nationals. The Department of Justice has also established three Visa Applications Centres in South Africa.

Read more: Irish visas now a requirement for South Africans

How to get an Irish student visa

Before you apply for an Irish student visa, you will need to show that you have been enrolled in a privately funded course. Sable International’s Study Abroad team are experts at helping students get visas to study abroad and can help you apply for yours.

Our Study Abroad advisers will help you with your whole study abroad journey from helping you choose the right university for your studies to university application and visa application assistance. They take the stress out of the whole process, giving you peace of mind when it comes to your travel arrangements, offering pre-departure support, which includes on-campus accommodation booking, airport pick-up and a pre-departure checklist.

The Irish Embassy has indicated that visa applications should take approximately four weeks.

Considering a second passport

If your children are studying abroad, it might be a good idea to secure a second passport that allows you to travel easier. Many of our citizenship-by-investment programmes provide visa-free travel and greater global mobility enabling you to visit your children studying abroad without having to undergo a lengthy visa application process.

Grenada is one of the more popular options and offers you and your family the opportunity to fast track to a second citizenship and passport without having to leave your home country. The programme provides the opportunity for a six-month consecutive stay in the UK, visa-free travel to over 140 countries, great tax benefits, and the process can be concluded in as little as seven to nine months.

Contact Sable International’s study advisers if you are interested in applying for a visa or navigating the application process for various programmes and will provide support along the way – all free of charge. Contact us at +27 (0) 21 657 1543 or study@sableinternational.com.

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