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.

If you are the holder of a document called "Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen" (Family Member of EU [Union] citizen, Article 10, Article 20) as referred to in Articles 5(2) and 10(1) of Directive 2004/38/EC on the rights of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of Member States, then you are not a visa required national for Ireland. This means that 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.

Should you have any queries regarding the above Directive, please contact Border Management Unit (BMU) at Dublin airport on +353 1 944 0440.

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.

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, they will contact you once a decision on the visa application has been made.

Please note: Applications in Portugal

Please note that holders of a Portuguese Residence Permit (*) require a visa if they come from a visa-required country. Please consult Irish Immigration Service Travel Path to check if your nationality requires a visa.

We have compiled a supporting Visa Application quick guide (EN/PT) for applicants applying through the Embassy in Lisbon.

You can use this sample application letter as the basis for your application letter, adding the relevant details for your own application. SAMPLE visa application letter.

Please note there is no dedicated visa telephone line. The main Embassy line cannot provide visa information.

The Visa Office does not respond to queries covered by Visa Application quick guide, Embassy website, Irish Immigration website, or the auto-reply to the Visa Office email.

We do not require biometrics for visa applications.

If you applied at an Embassy, you will be contacted by email once a decision on the visa application has been made.

For the Embassy of Ireland in Portugal please DO NOT submit your original passport. Please provide a copy of all the pages of your passport, including blank pages. Should your application be granted, you will need to provide your original passport to receive your visa sticker. Your passport must be valid for six (6) months after you are due to leave Ireland.

Please submit your visa application with all the required documents by registered post or courier to the Embassy of Ireland in Portugal (Embassy of Ireland, Visa Section, Avenida da Liberdade, Nr. 200, 4th floor, Lisbon 1250-147). It is not possible to book an appointment to deliver the visa application in person.
We DO NOT acknowledge receipt of applications nor documents. Applicants must consult the tracking service of CTT or their chosen courier.

Please note that multiple-entry visas are usually only issued to applicants who have shown a compliant travel history in Ireland. The type of visa issued is at the discretion of the deciding officer. Visa fees are not refundable. Please see guidance on Home - Immigration Service Delivery.

There has been changes to supports for new arrivals from Ukraine.

Please see gov.ie for more information.

We accept the following forms of payment:

You can pay by bank transfer to the following account:

Account Name: ACCOUNT DEPART. FOREIGN AFFAIRS IRELAND

Account Number: 7-2008508.000.001

IBAN: PT50001000002008508000180

BIC/SWIFT: BBPIPTPL

If you pay by bank transfer, you should include a print-out of the payment confirmation (for online payments), or a copy of the bank transfer counterfoil slip (if you paid in person at a bank), with your visa application documentation.

You should include the name of the applicant and the Visa Application Number as the transaction description – otherwise we may not be able to match your payment with your application.

Your application will not be processed until the Embassy has received proof of an electronic payment or bank transfer.

The Embassy does not accept cash payments, personal cheques or bank drafts.

Once a visa application is being processed, the fee cannot be refunded, regardless of whether or not the visa is granted.