S.I. No. 708/2003 - Aliens (Visas) Order, 2003

1. This Order may be cited as the Aliens (Visas) Order, 2003.

2. (1) In this Order-

“alien” has the meaning assigned to it by the Aliens Order 1946 (

S.R & O. No. 395 of 1946

).

“port” has the meaning assigned to it by the Aliens Order 1946 (

S.R. & O. No. 395 of 1946

).

(2) The Interpretation Acts, 1937 to 1997, apply to this Order.

3. An alien coming from a place outside the State other than Great Britain or Northern Ireland who is a citizen of a State specified in the First Schedule to this Order shall not enter a port in the State unless he or she is the holder of valid Irish transit visa.

4. Citizens of the States specified in the Second Schedule to this Order are hereby designated as a class of persons not requiring an Irish visa.

5. The Aliens (Visas) (No.2) Order, 2002 (

S.I. No. 509 of 2002

) is hereby revoked.

FIRST SCHEDULE

States whose citizens require a transit visa

Afghanistan

Ghana

Albania

Iran

Bulgaria

Iraq

Cuba

Lebanon

Democratic Republic of Congo

Moldova

Ethiopia

Nigeria

Eritrea

Romania

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Somalia

(Serbia and Montenegro)

Sri Lanka

Zimbabwe

SECOND SCHEDULE

States whose citizens do not require an Irish visa

Andorra

Guatemala

Nicaragua

Antigua & Barbuda

Guyana

Norway

Argentina

Honduras

Panama

Australia

Hong Kong(Special

Poland

Austria

Administrative Region)

Portugal

Bahamas

Hungary

Saint Kitts & Nevis

Barbados

Iceland

Saint Lucia

Belgium

Israel

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

Belize

Italy

San Marino

Bolivia

Japan

Seychelles

Botswana

Kiribati

Singapore

Brazil

Latvia

Slovak Republic

Brunei

Lesotho

Slovenia

Canada

Liechtenstein

Solomon Islands

Chile

Lithuania

South Africa

Costa Rica

Luxembourg

South Korea

Croatia

Macao(Special

Spain

Cyprus

Administrative Region)

Swaziland

Czech Republic

Malawi

Sweden

Denmark

Malaysia

Switzerland

Dominica

Maldives

Tonga

Estonia

Malta

Trinidad

Fiji

Mauritius

United States of America

Finland

Mexico

United Kingdom & Colonies

France

Monaco

Uruguay

Germany

Nauru

Vanuatu

Greece

Netherlands

Vatican City

Grenada

New Zealand

Venezuela

Western Samoa

Given under my Official Seal

This 18th day of December, 2003

Michael McDowell

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation)

This Order specifies the classes of persons who are required to have a transit visa and the classes of persons exempt from Irish visa requirements. It adds the Slovak Republic to the list of States whose citizens do not require an Irish visa. It also removes Jamaica from the list of States whose citizens are exempt from Irish visa requirements.

I, Michael McDowell, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by

section 5

of the

Aliens Act, 1935

(No. 14 of 1935) as adapted by the Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1997 (

S.I. No. 298 of 1997

), hereby order as follows