This Talk On Ireland Is Going South

(I am South African and my husband is British. After a lot of research, we decide to emigrate to Ireland because that seemed the most welcoming EU country to a South African citizen. I did extensive research to make sure that what I read first was correct, which is that South Africans don’t need a visa to visit Ireland for up to three months, and because I was married to an EU citizen, I could apply to stay once I got there. This conversation happens when we’re checking in at the airport on the morning that we’re leaving.)

Me: “Good morning, here’s our tickets and passports.”

Agent: *flipping through all the pages of my South African passport* “You’re going to Ireland? Where’s your visa?”

Me: “I don’t need a visa for Ireland.”

Agent: “Of course you do! We can’t let you on this flight unless you have a visa, sorry.”

Me: *annoyed, but prepared for this* “No, you’re confusing Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. I am not going to Northern Ireland; I’m going to the Republic of Ireland. South Africans don’t need a visa to visit the Republic; they only need a visa for the UK.”

Agent: “I’m not sure; let me check.”

(The agent then calls out to another agent, but in one of the other South African languages, so I don’t understand them. After a shouting discussion between them, he eventually looks back at me.)

Agent: “Okay, so it seems you don’t need a visa for Ireland, but you should really check these things first.”

Me: “…”

(I got checked in, and had no further issues luckily. I’m still amazed that somebody who does that job doesn’t know that Ireland and Northern Ireland are different. I couldn’t have been the first South African wanting to visit Ireland. Maybe he was new.)