Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 January 2026
470. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason for the delay in short stay visa applications (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5217/26]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that on 10 July 2024 visa requirements were introduced for nationals of South Africa, bringing our arrangements into alignment with the visa requirements of Schengen members states, and with those of the UK.
The Dublin Visa Office have established a dedicated “South Africa Desk” to process applications from residents of South Africa. My Department also established Visa Application Centres, located throughout South Africa, with visa service provider VFS Global. This is to ensure the facilitation of legitimate travel with processes that are robust, effective, and fair.
I can advise the Deputy the majority of visas received by the South Africa Desk are being processed within the target processing times. In the first eight months of 2025 the average processing time for a short term visit visas was 11 weeks, for short term business visas it was 6 weeks, and for long term employment visas it was 9 weeks.
There are several categories of visas being processed by the South Africa Desk, each with an individual processing target.
Table 1 below details the current target processing times for visa applications submitted to the South Africa Visa Desk.
Table 1. Target processing times by visa category at the South Africa Desk.
|
Visa Category |
Target Processing Time (From date of receipt by the South Africa Visa Desk) |
|
Visit Family/Friend |
6 – 8 Weeks |
|
Tourist |
Approx. 12 Weeks |
|
Business / Conference / Event |
6 – 8 Weeks |
|
Employment |
6 – 8 Weeks |
|
Study |
Approx. 12 Weeks |
|
Other Short Stay Categories e.g. Exam, Training |
6 – 8 Weeks |
|
Join Family (Sponsor is an Irish citizen or is in Category A) |
Approx. 6 Months |
|
Join Family (Sponsor is in Category B) |
Approx. 12 Months |
If an application has significantly exceeded the above times, it is possible that, on initial assessment, the application has not met the criteria to be issued a visa, and further assessment/verification is required. In such instances, processing times will be longer than those stated above.
The South Africa Desk publishes guidance for applicants, target processing times and weekly decision reports, at the following webpage: www.irishimmigration.ie/south-africa-visa-desk/.
People are advised that unforeseen delays can arise, which are outside the control of the Visa Desk. Processing times for all applications are influenced by a number of factors. The time it can take varies depending on the type and complexity of application; individual circumstances; peak application periods, such as holidays or the start of the school year; and, crucially, the quality and completeness of the application lodged.
In 2025, approximately 206,000 visa applications, of all types, were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This reflects an increase of 2% compared to 2024, with over 3,900 additional applications received. This follows a 21% increase in applications in 2024 compared to 2023. My officials are working to meet the increased level of demand, and over 8,700 additional visa decisions have issued in 2025, compared to 2024.
I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants, and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible.
Any applicant can now directly check the status of their visa application on the Immigration Service’s new Customer Service portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/.
