Visas for Ireland

Whether you need a visa to travel to Ireland depends on what country you're from. Visit the Irish Immigration Service Travel Path for more information regarding your personal requirements for travelling to Ireland.

Information on visa requirements for transiting through Ireland is available on IrishImmigration.ie

Please note that Ireland is not party to the Schengen Agreement, and a Schengen visa or residence permit does not entitle you to travel to Ireland without a visa.

Unless you qualify for the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme or the British Irish Visa Scheme a valid UK visa does not entitle you to travel to Ireland without a visa. Further information on these schemes is available on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.

Note: A visa allows you to travel to Ireland only. It does not give you permission to enter the country or to stay here. An immigration officer at border control can refuse entry even if you have a visa.

Remember…

If you're a citizen of a non-EEA country, whether you need a visa or not, you will be subject to immigration control when you enter Ireland.

Full information on the different types of visas, required documentation, and how to apply can be found on the website of the Irish Immigration Service. 

• Information on applying for a short-stay (less than 90 days) tourist visa is available on the Coming to Visit section of IrishImmigration.ie.
• Information on coming to work in Ireland is available on the Coming to Work section of IrishImmigration.ie.
• Information on coming to study in Ireland is available on the Coming to Study section of IrishImmigration.ie.
• Information on coming to join family in Ireland is available on the Coming to Join Family section of IrishImmigration.ie.

You need to:

• Complete the online application form
• This will generate an application summary form and declaration at the end, which you must print, sign and date.
• Gather your supporting documentation, passport photograph and fee.
• Submit your application

To complete the process, you must submit your passport and supporting documents for processing. Where you submit your application depends on where you are living. The summary application form will direct you to the relevant Embassy, Consulate or Visa Application Centre.

If you applied directly to an Irish Immigration Service Visa Office or if your application was referred to the Irish Immigration Service for a decision, you can check the Irish Immigration Service Visa Decision Weekly Listing using your reference number.

If you applied at an Embassy or Consulate, they will contact you once a decision on the visa application has been made.

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 the website of the Irish Immigration Service.

All appeals are handled directly by the Irish Immigration Service.

Further information on what to expect on arrival in Ireland can be found on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.

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.

Check the website of the Irish Immigration Service for information on preclearance and entry visa fees, including information on visa fee exemptions.

See the below Payment details section for further information on fees and payments.

We accept the following forms of payment:

Check the website of the Irish Immigration Service for information on preclearance and entry visa fees, including information on visa fee exemptions.

You can also contact your local Embassy or Consulate for more details on fees and payment methods

Embassy of Ireland, Cairo partners with VFS Egypt to ensure high standards and efficient visa processing.

If you wish to apply for a visa to Ireland or have a query in relation to your visa application, please contact VFS Egypt.

The Embassy of Ireland, Cairo will not be able to answer any visa queries and will refer to you to VFS Egypt.

VFS Cairo Contact Details:

For any queries in relation to visas for Ireland, or to book an appointment to submit your visa application please see below details:

VFS Website for Ireland in Egypt: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/egy/en/irl

Visa Appointment link: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/egy/en/irl/book-an-appointment

Ireland Call Centre Number: +(2) 0248837974

Ireland Call Centre Email: info.IrelandEgypt@vfshelpline.com

Visa Application Process:

Please follow the below steps when seeking to apply for a visa for Ireland:

1. Applicants should visit IrishImmigration.ie  for further information on visa types/ categories, required supporting documents and processing times.  
2. Applicants must then create and submit an online visa application on the AVATS website found here: www.visas.inis.gov.ie/AVATS.  Once applicants have submitted their visa application on AVATS, applicants must view, print, sign and date an AVATS visa summary sheet of their application.
3. Once all required supporting documents have been gathered, please contact VFS Cairo (see contact details above) with your AVATS visa reference number (which will be generated following step 2 above) for any questions and to arrange a date to submit your visa application, along with your supporting documents.

We strongly advise applicants to familiarise themselves with the visa requirements available on the Irish Immigration website, and specifically the Frequently asked questions section to ensure your visa application documentation is complete and ready to submit.