Visa FAQs

The need for an Irish visa or preclearance is based on your nationality. To check if your nationality is visa required please consult this webpage.

Ireland is not a part of the Schengen Area. A Schengen visa or Italian residence permit does not entitle you to travel to Ireland without a visa. To check if your nationality is visa required please consult this webpage.

If your Residence Card is expiring soon, you must include proof of payment and proof of appointment for the renewal of your Residence Card with your documentation.

In order to process a visa for Ireland through the Embassy of Ireland in Rome, the applicant must be legally resident in Italy. If the applicant is not legally resident in Italy, they must apply through the Embassy of Ireland that corresponds to their country of habitual residence. To check which Embassy you should apply to, please consult Irish Embassies Abroad .

For information on non-EU family members of EU citizens, please consult this webpage.

If you are travelling to Ireland as part of a school group, accompanied by your teachers and your classmates, you can apply for the following visa exemption: Travelling as part of a School Tour - Immigration Service Delivery. Therefore, we recommend that you contact the local Questura (Immigration Office) to have the form available at the link signed and certified; in addition to this, it is always advisable to contact the airline you will be travelling with, to verify whether any additional documents are required.

Please note that as holder of a Residence Card/Carta di Soggiorno issued under Directive 2004/38/EC which states art. 10 or art. 20 on the card, you are visa exempt for Ireland and you can travel to the State without a visa, independently of whether your Union citizen family member accompanies or joins you in this State, for up to but not exceeding a period of 90 days.

Please note that the onus is on the holder of the “Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen” to provide this document to the appropriate authorities. Failure to provide the appropriate documentation may result in you being refused exit at the point of departure or entry to the State. Boarding of passengers is an operational matter for all carriers to determine whether or not to carry a passenger.

Please note that a Carta di Soggiorno is different from a Permesso di Soggiorno. If you are unsure about your status, please email us at rome.visa@dfa.ie.

To apply for the visa please fill in the online form on AVATS, Ireland’s online visa application portal. Full instructions for completing an application on AVATS are available at this webpage.

For a complete list of supporting documentation for the types of visa which you may apply for, please consult the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section of the Visas for Ireland webpage on Embassy Rome’s website.

The Embassy accepts applications sent by post or courier. All applications should be sent to

Embassy of Ireland
Visa Section
Villa Spada
Via Giacomo Medici 1
Roma 00153

The Embassy does not recommend that important documents such as passports are sent via the standard postal system.

Please note that applications sent by post or courier must be paid by bank transfer (details below). The Embassy does not accept cash or postal orders for payment for visa services.

On processing of your visa application, if you do not wish to collect your passport in person we recommend that you use a courier service. If you wish the Embassy to arrange a courier service for you, an additional fee of €23 is payable. This should be made as a separate payment.

Please note that applications sent by post or courier must include payment of the cost of return post.

In order to submit your application in person at the Embassy, you must make an appointment by contacting us at Rome.Visa@dfa.ie.

Applications will not be accepted without an appointment.

The Visa Office needs to see your original passport and original residence card but, if you require these documents while your application is being processed, we provide different options for keeping them. Please note that other original documents will be returned once a decision is made on your visa. Please read the following information carefully.

In-person appointments

You should bring your original documents and a photocopy of each original document with you to your in-person appointment for presentation to the Visa Office. The Visa Officer will assist you during the appointment. Please note that if a visa is granted, you will be required to return your passport to the Embassy so that the visa can be placed in your passport.

Postal applications

Alternatively, if you send your application by post, you may send your original resident card and passport and request their return on receipt of the application. Please include:

• A letter clearly requesting the return of your residence card / passport on reception of the application. You must also indicate the complete address with the postal code. Please note that other original documents will be returned when the decision is made.
• Original valid passport and photocopy.* You must also include copies of previous passports but do not include original previous passports.
• Original residence card and photocopy of both sides.
• Proof of payment for the visa fee and additional courier fee, if relevant. Payment must be made by bank transfer (details below). Please note that the Embassy does not accept payment in cash or postal orders for visa services.
• You must pay a courier fee of €23 for return of these documents. You should clearly indicate the address to which the documents must be sent, and we suggest you include your telephone number (9 digit format). Please note it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they provide the complete correct address. The Embassy will not be responsible for delays in delivery or loss of documents owing to an incomplete or incorrect address.
• We endeavour to post the documents within 3 working days of reception at the Embassy. If the address you provide is incomplete, the delivery time may take longer.
• Please note that if the visa is granted, you will need to return your passport to the Embassy.

All documents submitted must be original (unless otherwise stated). We cannot accept scanned documents sent by email or photocopies of original documents.

• You must include a photocopy of any documents you want returned, including your valid passport and residence card.
• Applications that do not have a photocopy of original documents such as current passport, residence card, birth certificates, marriage certificates and title deeds.
• Please note that we do not return bank statements or tax documents so it is not necessary to provide a photocopy of your bank statement.

We will return original documents when the decision is made. You must:

• Include a list of the documents you want returned and
• Include a photocopy of each document.
• If you do not provide a photocopy, we will not return the documents.

Email queries: Rome.Visa@dfa.ie

We strongly recommend reading all the information in the Frequently Asked Questions before sending an email. The Visa Office will not reply to queries that are covered in the FAQs.

We endeavour to reply to emails within three working days. However, during peak times such as Christmas, Easter and summer, waiting times may be longer given the volume of queries the Embassy receives.

Public office: The Visa Office is open on an appointments-only basis.

• Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10:00 – 12:30 and 15:00 – 16:30
• Address: Embassy of Ireland, Villa Spada, Via Giacomo Medici 1, Roma 00153

Please note that the average visa processing time from the receipt of a complete application form is approximately 6 to 8 weeks, and longer in high season. Please note that any timeframe given acts as a guideline only.

You are advised not to purchase travel tickets before you know the outcome of your visa application. Doing so may lead to unnecessary additional costs in circumstances where a visa is not granted.

Applications are processed strictly in the order they are received and there is no expedited process. If you are planning to travel at Christmas, Easter or in the summer, you may submit your application up to 12 weeks before the intended travel date.

The following fees apply:

• Single Entry Visa: €60
• Multiple Entry Visa: €100

Some applicants are exempt from the requirement to pay a visa fee. Check the visa fee page of the Irish Immigration website to see if the fee applies to you.

Nationals of the countries included in the Irish Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme who are long term legal residents in Italy are currently exempt from paying the visa fee. This applies until further notice. Please see the visa fee section of the Irish Immigration website.

When applying for a business visa or a visa to visit family, or for certain long-stay visas, you may apply for a multiple entry visa. You must justify your request for a multiple entry visa and, as with all visa applications, the granting of a multi-entry visa is at the discretion of the Visa Officer. Paying the fee for a Multiple Entry Visa does not guarantee that one will be granted. Please note that Conference visas are generally issued as single entry.

Some applicants are exempt from the requirement to pay a visa fee. Check the visa fee page of the Irish Immigration website to see if the fee applies to you.

We accept the following forms of payment:

Visa applicants must pay by electronic bank transfer. This payment must be made before the application is submitted to the Embassy and proof of payment must be included with the documents submitted in your application. Please note that the Embassy cannot accept payment in cash or postal order for visa services.

When paying by bank transfer, transfer the fee to the Embassy of Ireland bank account (details below) and include a printed confirmation of your fee transfer with your completed application. Please note that visa applications which do not have proof of payment included will not be processed.

In the Causale section of the bank transfer information, you must enter a payment reference formatted as follows: “Visa-<Application Number>-<Surname>”, e.g. “Visa-70235601-Smith”. Each application payment should be made separately. Please note that failure to correctly label the payment may lead to delays in the processing of your visa application.

Applicants that wish to have their documents returned by courier must pay a fee of €23. This must also be paid via bank transfer. Please include proof of payment of the postage fee with your application.

If you require further assistance with payment, please email Rome.Visa@dfa.ie.

According to the requirements, all documents that are not in English must be translated by a certified translator.

• You must submit the original document with the certified translation. Please note we cannot accept the translation without the original document.
• If you want the certified translation returned, you must provide a photocopy of the translation.

The following documents do not need to be translated if they are in Italian:

• Identity documents or renewal of Italian residence card
• Bank statements and tax documents

Given the volume of applications that the Visa Office handles, the Embassy does not acknowledge receipt of applications or documents nor provide status updates.

• You may receive record of delivery of your application if you send by registered mail with a courier.
• We will be in contact by email when a decision on your visa application is made.

For the return of your documents following a decision in your visa application, you may choose one of two options:

• Collect your passport from the Embassy by appointment, which can be made by emailing Rome.Visa@dfa.ie. Please note that appointments can only be arranged Monday–Friday at 10:00–12:30 and 15:00–16:30.
• The Embassy can arrange a courier for the return of your documents at a cost of €23. This payment must be made by bank transfer and proof of payment must be included with the visa application. The Causale of the bank transfer should be formatted as “Courier fee-<application number>-<surname>”, e.g. “Courier fee- -70235601-Smith”.