Our first 100 days in Ireland Immigration Information for South Africans moving to, immigrating to, working in and visiting the Republic of Ireland, Immigration Information for South Africans moving to Ireland
As a young couple both on SA passports - immigrating didn’t seem like a possible reality for either of us. We both loved SA and had no gripes about it - leaving was never a priority for us either. Both being Cape Town beach bums we spent most of our weekends on Llandudno beach soaking up the sun. We would talk about our future together and there was always a ‘what if’. I had always wanted to experience working abroad for my career, but having a secure job in SA made it more comfortable to stay planted there.
I had read about the critical skills list and came to realise my very specific job role was on it. I had been putting out feelers to international work but had always known that with only a SA passport that most job offers would not materialize. But I got a job offer in Ireland - one that I could not have passed up, and I knew I had to grab the experience and opportunity with both hands or regret it. It would be my first time ever setting foot into Ireland.
We were engaged at the end of 2019 and planned to have our wedding in December 2020. With the job offer secured and knowing covid was going to wreak havoc on most of 2020’s plans we decided to get married in our kitchen before lockdown in South Africa. We got married just a month after our engagement. We decided we would return to SA later and have a wedding with friends and family when life calmed down a little. We honeymooned in our lounge in a 5-star homebuilt pillow fort.
With lockdown in place and my work visa in progress, life became uncertain. My start date in March 2020 no longer seemed viable. I was working remote but without knowing a set date for when we would be able to leave, everything seemed up in the air. We moved out of our home and in with family so that we could start selling everything months before the move. Reducing your entire life down into 2 suitcases was daunting. I had many days of “what the hell are we doing?”
We flew to Ireland on my birthday at the end of October 2020. With the lockdown putting a pause on pretty much any celebration, I figured it would be a birthday I would never forget. It was a surreal feeling to know that we were leaving SA. But we had decided to experience Ireland while the opportunity was there and decide for ourselves if this was where we wanted to raise a family one day and set down roots.
The 14 days of quarantine on arrival were trying. The two of us cooped up in a tiny hotel room in Smithfield. I worked everyday from a small uncomfortable table in the corner while my husband spent most days bored to tears watching repeat hurling matches on the hotel tv. The most exciting part of the week was ordering beers to the hotel from Deliveroo. We lived off catered meals delivered by the hotel to the room. The hotel staff would drop our order at the door, knock and flee most times. Weird times to be alive.... We craved being able to walk, to do exercise or just to breathe fresh air. I was grateful to have some new work colleagues who would deliver Ben & Jerry’s or cake to the hotel foyer for me as motivation to keep my sanity. I felt like quarantine Rapunzel trapped in her 4th floor hotel tower.
We used the quarantine time to sort out sim cards and flat hunt as well as buy a few things we needed online. We signed a lease in Dublin 2 without being able to view the flat due to quarantine rules (glad we didn’t get scammed!) On the day that our quarantine ended we moved into our apartment. Rent is steep, but we are central and can walk to pretty much anywhere without needing public transport. Moving into a flat with most of the home stores closed was a challenge, especially when buying online has such delays. We made do with very little in the first few weeks of living in our new home.
Adjusting to a new country is hard enough. Doing it under lockdown is a challenge. We want to travel, we want to rent a car and do road trips around our new country and see further than Dublin but we can’t. All we know is the 5km around us...for now. But hopefully that changes soon.
We were grateful that my husband found work a month after getting his stamp, even amid lockdown. We had our first Christmas away from family which was hard. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary at a nearby park, eating cheese and bread under a pergola as it drizzled. We experienced our first snow, we explored nearby parks and monuments. I have taken endless photos. The year has been full of firsts, some good, some bad.
I have walked 3km alone to work, returning after dark every night and never felt safer. I see the same friendly faces most mornings and greet people along the way. I get offered umbrellas when it rains and I forgot mine…people are genuine and friendly. Back in Cape Town I lived 2km from work but would still drive as I tried walking a few days and had endless issues.I love the freedom, and I feel like my anxiety is so much better since being here.
100 days in and I miss the sun. I miss the beach..I miss the feeling of sunburn. It feels like someone turned the temperature of the sun down over here. The weather is still better than I anticipated however. I thought every day would be grey, gloomy and overcast and that we would never get a clear sky but on warm days when the sun does peek out and the skies do open up it's truly beautiful.
We look forward to visiting SA sometime soon for our very delayed wedding celebrations. But in the meantime we are enjoying the adventure and all Ireland has to offer, even in level 5 lockdown. Do we know if we want to call Ireland home forever? Not yet. 100 days is not nearly enough time to judge that - especially when the majority of those days have been in level 5 lockdown. But what we do know is that we feel lucky and grateful for the opportunity to be able to live and work in this beautiful country and are determined to enjoy it fully for as long as it makes us happy.
Important links:
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