These Categories Are Eligible for Accommodation for Emergency Travel
As mentioned above, the Department of Justice has clarified that nationals of Eswatini, Nauru and Lesotho who had made plans to travel earlier than March 10, were eligible for emergency travel accommodation for certain situations.
This applies to the following situations:
- Critical medical cases that include family members, with evidence from competent authorities being required.
- Visiting for a family event such as a birth, wedding or funeral – for each sufficient evidence is needed.
- Getting employed and holding an Employment Permit for Ireland
- Travelling for business.
New Measures Introduced As Part of Efforts to Facilitate Legitimate Travel
Jim O’Callaghan, the Irish Minister pointed out that these measures aim at facilitating legitimate travel and not limit nationals of Nauru, Eswatini and Lesotho.
Moreover, the Department of Justice points out that Irish visa requirements are under ongoing review, aiming at ensuring that effective immigration controls will remain effective but also to facilitate travel for those who want to enter Ireland for the right reasons.
According to data published by the Department of Justice, third country nationals were granted 392,217 Ireland short-stay visas in 2024. That is a record number of visas granted between 2017 and 2024.
The data reveals that the countries of origin for nationals who obtained Ireland visas the most are India and China, receiving 39,942 and 12,267 visas, respectively, while Türkiye ranks third with 4,795 visas granted.
