Visas for Ireland

You need to check if you need an Irish visa on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.

Residents of the United Kingdom are not exempt from an Irish visa based on their UK eVisa or Sharecode.

Please note that it is only permitted to apply for an Irish visa to the Embassy of Ireland in London if you are legally resident in the UK. Those in the UK on temporary visas (e.g. tourism) cannot apply for an Irish visa through this Embassy.

Applicants for Irish visas worldwide must do so from their country of ordinary residence, in advance of travel, and in accordance with the arrangements in place for visa applications for that country.

As such, this page contains information for permanent residents of the UK who may require a visa to travel to Ireland. Please be aware that possession of a residence permission in the UK has no bearing on the requirement for a visa to travel to Ireland.

Ireland is not a member of the Schengen Area. An Irish visa does not permit travel to the Schengen Area, nor does a visa issued by a country in the Schengen Area allow for travel to Ireland.

If your application has been refused, you will be sent a letter outlining the reasons for refusal.

If you still wish to travel to Ireland, you can appeal this decision within two months of receiving the refusal notice.

Further information on appealing visa decisions can be found on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.

Important information about appeals for short stay visa refusals

With effect from 1 June 2026, visa applicants will no longer be able to appeal the refusal of a short-stay visa application. Further information is available on the Irish immigration website: www.irishimmigration.ie .

Appeals will continue to be permitted for those applying for short stay visas under the EU Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC), including the following categories:

• Family Member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit. (de facto partner)
• Family Member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit. (other)
• Family Member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit. (spouse)

If you have been refused a short stay visas and still wish to travel to Ireland in the future, you will need to submit a new visa application on the AVATS system.

Information on the required documentation for each visa category is available on the Irish immigration website. Applicants who carefully follow this published guidance are more likely to receive a positive outcome.

www.irishimmigration.ie provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about applying for a visa to travel to Ireland.

https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-visit-ireland/frequently-asked-questions/