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.

All applicants who are resident in South Africa should submit their application and their payment to VFS Global. This applies to South African citizens living in South Africa and citizens of other visa-required countries who are resident in South Africa. These applicants should not send documents to the Embassy or pay visa fees to the Embassy directly (doing so will result in considerable delays to your application). Information on visa fees for these applicants is available at VFS Global.

If the application originates in the Botswana, Lesotho or Mauritius the Embassy will only accept Swift bank transfers directly into our bank account. When making payment, please select the option to pay all related charges. The Embassy cannot process the application until the full amount is lodged into our bank account, this may take up to three working days or more. 

Our bank account details are as follows: