Visas for Ireland

Whether you need a visa depends on:

• Your nationality
• The purpose of your visit
• How long you plan to stay.

To check if you need a visa and what type to apply for, visit the Irish Immigration website.

Does your trip requires a transit visa?

If you are transiting through Ireland, you should check IrishImmigration.ie to see if you require a visa or transit visa for Ireland. A transit visa is used to allow those who are transit visa required to pass through an Irish airport or seaport to travel to another State, for example, on a connecting flight.

Important

• A Schengen visa is not valid for travel to Ireland.
• A UK visa is not valid for travel to Ireland, except in limited cases under specific schemes such as the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme (further details below).
• All non-EEA nationals are subject to immigration control on arrival, whether you need a visa or not.

Special arrangements

• Check if you meet the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme requirements on IrishImmigration.ie. If so, you may be able to travel onto Ireland from the UK without needing a separate Irish visa. If not, you will need to apply for an entry visa before you travel to Ireland.
• Chinese nationals living in China and Indian nationals living in India may be eligible to apply for the British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS), which allows you to travel to and around the Common Travel Area (Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) on a single visa for short stays only.

A list of the different visa types and what documentation is required as part of your application is available on IrishImmigration.ie.

Please see the most common visa types below.

Coming to visit Ireland

If you are a Visa-required national and you would like to visit Ireland for 90 days or less, you will need to apply for a Short Stay ‘C’ Tourist Visa. Visit IrishImmigration.ie for full details on what you need to apply.

Coming to Ireland to work

Business (including meetings and conferences)

If you are a visa-required national and coming to Ireland to attend meetings, negotiate or sign agreements or contracts and work for 14 days or less, you will need a Short Stay ‘C’ Business visa. Visit IrishImmigration.ie for full details on what you need to apply.

If you are a visa-required national and coming to Ireland to attend a conference, symposium or event, you will need a Short Stay ‘C’ Conference/Event visa. Visit IrishImmigration.ie for full details on what you need to apply.

Coming to Ireland to study

Depending on your nationality and the duration of your study, you may have to apply for either a Short Stay ‘C’ visa or Long Stay ‘D’ visa before coming to Ireland. If you want to study in Ireland and are a non-EEA/non-Swiss national, you will need to have a letter of enrolment and have paid your fees. Depending on your nationality, you may also need to apply for a visa.

Visit IrishImmigration.ie for full details on the most appropriate study visa and how to apply. There are two common study visa types:

Short stay ‘C’ visa (Study)

If you are from a visa-required country and coming to Ireland to study, and you wish to attend a short course of study of 90 days or less you will need to apply for a short stay ‘C’ visit (Study).

Long stay ‘D’ visa (Study)

If you wish to come to Ireland to study for more than 3 months, you need to apply for a long term ‘D’ study visa.

Coming to join family in Ireland

If you want to join a family member in Ireland and you are a non-EU/EEA and non-Swiss national, you will need to apply for the relevant permission. Visit IrishImmigration.ie for full details on joining options and what you need to apply.

If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss national, you must hold a ‘Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen’. If you do not hold this document, you are a visa-required national.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens may seek to apply under their EU treaty rights (Directive 2004/38/EC), which allow EU citizens and their family members to visit, enter or live in another EU country if they meet certain legal conditions. Visit IrishImmigration.ie for full details and what you need to apply.

When should I apply

Apply as early as possible before your planned travel date. We recommend applying at least 8-12 weeks before your intended travel date.

Some categories of visa (e.g. Study) can take longer depending on the time of the year, while Join Family visa applications currently take over 2 years to process.

Where do I apply

You normally apply from your country of residence. Your AVATS Summary Application Form will tell you where to submit your documents.

This may be:

• Your nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate
• A designated visa office
• Immigration Service Delivery in Dublin, Ireland.

To apply for any visa for Ireland, you will need to:

1. Create an Online Application
   • Use the Automated Visa Application and Tracking System (AVATS) to apply for your visa online.
   • Answer all questions fully and honestly.
   • Follow the instructions on the AVATS Summary Application Form, created by the system when you complete the online application. This will tell you where to submit your supporting documentation.

2. Print, sign and date the AVATS Summary Application Form, and submit it along with all of the required supporting documentation.

3. Pay the visa application fee

• Follow the steps on your AVATS Application Summary Form on how to pay your fee. Payment methods and currency options may differ depending on the Embassy or Consulate. You may be asked to pay an administrative or for delivery fee.

4. Send your supporting documents

• Follow the steps on your AVATS Application Summary Form for information on what documents are required and where to submit them.
• Submit all the required documents. Incomplete applications may be refused. Submit original documents, where requested, photocopied documents will not be accepted if an original is requested.

If you submit false, misleading or fraudulent information or documents in your application, it will result in your application being refused. This can affect future opportunities to obtain a visa for Ireland.

The visa officer considers each application on its merits and may request additional information or documentation.

Submit your application

You will need to submit your signed AVATS Application Summary Form, along with your passport photograph, supporting documents and your visa fee to one of the following, as indicated in the AVATS application summary form:

• The most appropriate Irish Embassy or Consulate for your country of residence
• The dedicated Visa Offices in Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Beijing, London, New Delhi or Ankara.
• Direct to Immigration Service Delivery, Burgh Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland.

The documents you need to submit vary by visa type, but all listed documents for each visa type must be submitted as requested, to avoid visa processing delays. Processing will not begin until all necessary documents have been submitted.

The required documents are listed on IrishImmigration.ie for each of the most common visa types:

• Visit: Short stay ‘C’ (tourist) visa
• Business/Meetings: Short stay ‘C’ business visa
• Business/Conference: Short stay ‘C’ conference/Event visa
• Study: Short stay ‘C’ visit (Study) visa (less than 90 days)
• Study: Long term study visa (90+ days)
• Join Family: Documents are dependent on your situation. Visit the Join Family section of IrishImmigration.ie for more details on this option.

If you are applying for other types of visas not listed here, select the options relevant to you on IrishImmigration.ie, and follow the steps to reach the required documents list for the selected visa type.

Translations and certified documents

If your documents are in a language other than English or Irish, you will need to get a certified translation.

Any official documents issued by a non-EU, EEA or Swiss country must be stamped as genuine (apostilled) by your country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Any original documents, including marriage, birth and death certificates will be returned to you after your application has been processed. Photocopies of documents are generally not returned unless you request this.

Standard, non-refundable visa application processing fees are:

• Single journey: €60
• Multiple journey: €100
• Transit: €25

This fee cannot be refunded if your application is refused or withdrawn.

You may also need to pay local administrative or delivery fees. Contact the Embassy or Consulate handling your application for payment details.

Some applicants may qualify for fee exemptions. Full details are available on IrishImmigration.ie.

Processing times vary depending on:

• The visa type
• The location where you apply
• The number of applications received.

Processing time begins when a complete application with all required documents is received. Incomplete applications may cause delays or refusals. We advise you to apply for your visa 8-12 weeks before the date you plan to travel.

Approximate processing times by visa category:

Visa decision-making times can differ by location, please refer to the respective Irish Embassy or Consulate webpages for information on their processing times. Visa applications are processed in sequence, and decision-making times may be longer at busier times of the year.

Visa categories and the approximate processing times are set out below:

• Visit/Tourist – Minimum of 8-12 weeks
• Business/Conference etc. – Minimum of 8-12 weeks
• Employment – Minimum of 8-12 weeks
• Study – Minimum of 8-12 weeks
• Join Family – Minimum of 2 years

If you submitted your application through Immigration Service Delivery in Dublin, you can check the Visa Decision Weekly Listing using your reference number.

If you submitted your application at one of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration visa offices in Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Ankara, Beijing, London, New Delhi or South Africa, you can check their Visa Decision pages using your reference number:

• Abu Dhabi
• Abuja
• Ankara
• Beijing
• London
• New Delhi
• South Africa

If you submitted your application through an Irish Embassy or Consulate, you will be contacted once a decision has been made.

Please check the advertised processing time for the relevant Office or Embassy prior to contacting them for an update. You may not receive a reply if the processing time window is not complete.

If your visa application is refused, you will receive a letter from the visa office telling you why it has been refused and if you can appeal the decision.

Further information on appealing visa decisions is available on IrishImmigration.ie.

All appeals are handled directly by the Irish Immigration Service.

A visa allows you to travel to Ireland, but it does not guarantee permission to enter Ireland. Permission to enter is granted by an Immigration Officer at the port of entry.

The Immigration Officer will decide whether you may enter and how long you may stay.

In addition to your visa, you may be asked to show the Immigration Officer your accommodation bookings and return flight details, as well as to provide your contact information in Ireland.

• Information on arrival at an airport or port in Ireland can be found on IrishImmigration.ie.
• Information on entry for EU/EEA and Swiss nationals is available on IrishImmigration.ie.
• Information on entry for non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals is available on IrishImmigration.ie.
• Information on travelling with children is available on IrishImmigration.ie.
• Information on transiting through Ireland is available on IrishImmigration.ie.

Length of stay

The validity period shown on your visa indicates the dates you may travel to Ireland, and does not indicate how long you can stay. The stamp placed in your passport by the Immigration Officer on arrival shows how long you are allowed to stay in Ireland.

Staying for longer than 90 days

Non-EEA nationals staying longer than three months (90 days) must register with the Immigration Office and apply for permission to remain. If you intend staying longer than 90 days, you must apply for a ‘D’ type visa before travelling to Ireland. A ‘C’ type visa does not allow you to remain longer than 90 days.

Visa conditions

You may only undertake the activity for which your visa or permission was granted. If you wish to change your activity, you must leave Ireland and apply for a new visa. You cannot return to Ireland while you are waiting for a decision on your new application.

Overstaying your visa may result in prosecution or deportation.

The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration is responsible for matters relating to visas for travelling to Ireland. Review IrishImmigration.ie for relevant visa policy and application information, or to submit a query.

If you are an Irish citizen enquiring about visa requirements for travelling abroad, you should contact the nearest Embassy of the country you are travelling to.