Travel for South African with UK ILR into ROI

[LL-1975]

Hi, trying to find an exact answer to this, but haven't found this situation mentioned, although it must be fairly commonplace.

My wife is a South African with UK ILR and we want to travel to Ireland later this year for tourism purposes.

Our proposed method of entry to ROI is via ferry from Scotland to NI, and then by road into ROI.

I know that South Africans are afforded visa-free travel into ROI (unlike the UK), so the right to travel to the ROI isn't an issue - our query is more about the immigration mechanism into ROI for tourism as I have driven to/from the ROI from NI, and due to the Common Travel Area agreement there are zero border controls.

Basically does my wife declare her intention to enter the ROI and present her passport to anyone? If so, where?

[DanaMarie]

The CTA rules only govern citizens, not ILR holders. As for travel via ferry there may be immigration checks so she should be prepared to present her passport as a visitor, though as you said she doesn't require a visa unless you're intending to stay longer than 90 days.

[LL-1975]

Thanks - but not sure if there would be immigration checks on the Scot-NI ferry route due to both ends being in the UK?

Assuming we don't get checked on the ferry and obviously don't get checked when crossing the border, what happens if we get stopped by an official in ROI for whatever reason and it transpires my wife has entered the ROI without having presented herself at any sort of immigration control?

Surely, even although she is a visa-free national and a holder of ILR for another country in the CTA, she would still be seen as an "illegal entrant"?

[South African spouse]

Thanks - but not sure if there would be immigration checks on the Scot-NI ferry route due to both ends being in the UK?

Assuming we don't get checked on the ferry and obviously don't get checked when crossing the border, what happens if we get stopped by an official in ROI for whatever reason and it transpires my wife has entered the ROI without having presented herself at any sort of immigration control?

Surely, even although she is a visa-free national and a holder of ILR for another country in the CTA, she would still be seen as an "illegal entrant"?

South Africans are visa free in ireland so u should be ok just have your itinerary with return tickets on you aswell and u should be ok!!if u are still unsure ring the immigration at the ferry port and they should be able too advise you!!

[DanaMarie]

Thanks - but not sure if there would be immigration checks on the Scot-NI ferry route due to both ends being in the UK?

Assuming we don't get checked on the ferry and obviously don't get checked when crossing the border, what happens if we get stopped by an official in ROI for whatever reason and it transpires my wife has entered the ROI without having presented herself at any sort of immigration control?

Surely, even although she is a visa-free national and a holder of ILR for another country in the CTA, she would still be seen as an "illegal entrant"?

There's no immigration control to present to when traveling between NI and ROI by land. In the unlikely event you were to get stopped for a check on the road they will see that she's not visa required and probably ask the usual questions about the visit and duration of stay. She is certainly not an "illegal entrant" in any way.
Although it is a domestic ferry between Scotland and NI there have been reports of NI police checking identity documents but since you are traveling to another country she would be in possession of her passport anyway so no issue there.

[littlerr]

She won’t have any issue. It is perfectly fine to travel from the UK to Ireland by car. There is technically no ‘border‘ control between the UK and Ireland. Have a lovely holiday in Ireland.

[vabel]

I am a non EU ILR holder living in Northern Ireland.. I travel very often to the south for tourism and to fly to and from other countries in Europe, I have never been stopped for ID checks, never had any issues with border control either.

Occasionally I have been asked to show my ILR stamp (no BRPs when I first got my ILR) on arrivals. Often I just say I live in the north and I get an arrival stamp.

Curiously, I have never been questioned about expired stamps that are well over the 90 days normal visitor allowance.