How does a non-EEA citizen legally cross the Irish/NI border?

MJohnston

Not sure this is the correct forum for this q, but I can't find any more appropriate - my OH is an American citizen, we're temporarily staying in Northern Ireland with my family, until our accommodation in Dublin is ready and we can move there permanently. She has already had a necessary Irish Visa approved, we just have to get to INIS to finalise it.

But the question is, how does someone properly and legally cross from Northern Ireland into the south? Will she have to fly from Belfast to London and then back into Dublin? Or is one of those cross-border things that is dealt with through not really bothering to care about?

munchkin_utd

theres only spot checks on the border and US citizens traveling to the UK for holiday purposes dont need a visa.
So nothing to worry about
https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y/usa/tourism

MJohnston

Sorry, don't think you've correctly read my post there!

miamee

If you mean that she needs to be officially logged/registered as having entered the Republic of Ireland on a specific date for whatever purpose - this purpose will not be fulfilled by crossing the border on land - cars, buses, trains, there is no border check/passport control at all.

So as you suggest, coming via air may be the answer (even though it sounds ridiculous!)

munchkin_utd

well, its the same difference going that way either as US citizens dont need a visa to enter Ireland either.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/coming_to_live_in_ireland/visa_requirements_for_entering_ireland.html

btw, your location is down as Dublin, so quite logically I presume youre there now and the comments are a use of present tense in a narrative voice denoting something that will happen in the future.
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/future_facts.php

Seifer

munchkin_utd wrote: »

well, its the same difference going that way either as US citizens dont need a visa to enter Ireland either.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/coming_to_live_in_ireland/visa_requirements_for_entering_ireland.html

btw, your location is down as Dublin, so quite logically I presume youre there now and the comments are a use of present tense in a narrative voice denoting something that will happen in the future.
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/future_facts.php

Seriously read the OP:

we're temporarily staying in Northern Ireland with my family, until our accommodation in Dublin is ready and we can move there permanently.

munchkin_utd

Seifer wrote: »

Seriously read the OP:

I did. And its not clear.

I can say something like "we're visiting Belfast Zoo when the weather's good"

it can mean
a ) I'm there right now, and the weather's good so am taking the opportunity to visit the place
OR
b ) I plan to visit Belfast Zoo sometime in the future, when the weather is good

if my boards location showed me in Dublin, I'd presume the person is planning to head at some stage in the future rather than is there currently, at this moment.

MJohnston

Okay thanks for your help munchkin_utd, but I can confirm, for anyone unclear, that I am as mentioned, staying in Northern Ireland with my family currently. The move to Dublin will happen at some point in the near future.

I know about the lack of any border controls at the border as I lived in Dublin for many years in the past (hence the Boards location which I forgot existed), and am therefore wondering how someone travelling with me from Northern Ireland to Ireland could legally cross the border.

The main question is if we turn up at INIS in order to get the Visa finalised, will they take issue with there only being a UK entry stamp on their passport, and not an Irish entry stamp.

ProudDUB

MJohnston wrote: »

The main question is if we turn up at INIS in order to get the Visa finalised, will they take issue with there only being a UK entry stamp on their passport, and not an Irish entry stamp.

I doubt it. Where would she be expected to get an Irish entry stamp, seeing as there is no check point at the border, where she crossed over into the Republic?

Cushie Butterfield

I can understand that you want to 'do things by the book' in order to avoid any possible problems further down the line, so with that in mind I would contact INIS preferably by email to get a definitive answer that is on record.

As ProudDub says how can you be expected to get an entry stamp when her method of entry doesn't cater for this, but red tape is red tape, & you never know - there may be rule somewhere hidden deep down in INIS policy/T&Cs that requires her to enter at a point where there is passport control so I'd advise getting official clarification.

My guess is that she will be told to present herself at the INIS office in Burgh Quay as soon as possible after arriving in Dublin in order to get her passport stamped. Down the line if she was applying for permanent long term residence or naturalisation she has to have continous stamps in her passport (with no gaps) anyway, so doing that may suffice. She may have to do this anyway to register for her INIS greencard/Stamp4 depending on what sort of visa is in the pipeline.

If she can't get clarification she could at least get a bus over the border (you could meet her at the first stop in the Republic & continue your journey by car). Doing it that way & keeping her bus ticket would at least provide some sort of paper trail of her entry. I doubt of that would be necessary, but like everyone else I'm just guessing.

You may want to request a mod to move this thread over to Legal Discussion. If you're going to get a more informed answer anywhere on boards it will be there: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=633

MJohnston

Thanks - yeah I have already sent an email into INIS, but haven't had a response (methinks they don't get asked about this all that often). I'll try and get this thread moved over!

kerry4sam

Thread closed.

Feel free to commence a new thread in Legal Discussions as mentioned above. Please though, be very clear in what you are asking ie. what info you are looking for.

Thanks,
kerry4sam