Visa FAQs for Dutch residents

The need for an Irish visa is based on your nationality.

More information on what to expect on arrival in Ireland, whether or not you need a visa, can be found on the Immigration Service Delivery website.

The full list of visa and non-visa required nationalities can be found on this page.

Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area and a Netherlands residence card (verblijfstitel) or Schengen visa does not entitle you to travel to Ireland without a visa.

Yes. Holders of the Netherlands 1951 Convention Travel Document (see example) require a visa to enter Ireland.

To apply for a visa for Ireland, please follow these steps:

1. Complete your online application form.
2. Print the Summary Sheet (this appears at the end of the online application), then sign and date it.
3. Check you have all the required supporting documentation (see below).
4. Check your passport photos meet the Photo Requirements (2 photos with a white background are required).
5. Pay the visa fee and the handling fee.
6. Send your application and supporting documents by registered post (aangetekende post) or courier to:

Embassy of Ireland,
Visa Office,
Scheveningseweg 112,
2584 AE, The Hague

You may also drop your application directly in our post box located at the front of the Embassy, in a sealed envelope.

How do I pay for my visa?

The Embassy in The Hague accepts payment for visa applications by bank transfer only.

The fee must be paid before you submit your application to the following bank account:

Account Name: EMBASSY OF IRELAND
IBAN: NL06 ABNA 0823 7767 35

Please include your name and your visa application number (available on the Summary Sheet) in the details / communication section of the online payment.

Please also include printed proof of payment when posting your documents to the Embassy.

The visa fee and handling fee can be made as a single payment. Families that are submitting more than one application can pay a single €15 handling fee to cover multiple applications.

Information on the visa fee and handling fee is available on our Visas for Ireland page.

Cash payments will not be accepted. Please do not send cash in the post.

Some applicants do not need to pay the visa processing fee. Please see the Immigration Service Delivery website for further information.

Information on the different types of visas and required documentation can be found on the website of Immigration Service Delivery.

For ease of reference, separate links for some of the most common Short Stay C Visas (less than 90 days) are set out below:

• Tourist visa
• Visit Family or Friend Visa
• Business visa
• Conference or event visa
• Joining an EEA or Swiss national (EUTR)

Find out more about the different types of Long Stay D Visas (more than 90 days) on the Immigration Service Delivery website.

• Employment visa
• Employment/Researcher
• Long Stay Study

If you have plans to travel while your application is being processed, please enclose a copy of all the pages of your passport (including blank pages) and an explanation in your Application Letter. You will still need to submit your original passport with your application material.

You can expect an acknowledgement email within 10 days of delivery of your application at the Embassy, after that you can email to request opening hours for passport collections.

You may collect your passport and when the visa decision is ready you will need to return to the Embassy with your passport to obtain the visa sticker.

The Embassy of Ireland in The Hague only accepts visa applications from those legally resident in the Netherlands.

A list of Irish Embassies and Consulates abroad is available in the Embassy Index.

The Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme allows certain nationals, who have entered the United Kingdom on foot of certain UK short stay visas, to travel to Ireland without the requirement to obtain a separate Irish visa.

Details of the conditions of the waiver programme and eligible nationalities are available from Immigration Service Delivery (ISD). Please note the Embassy cannot validate your UK visa for you.

If your nationality is not listed on the ISD website, you cannot use the waiver programme.

No. If you wish to travel to Northern Ireland, you will require a UK visa. Information on the requirements to travel to Northern Ireland are available from UK authorities.

Northern Ireland consists of counties Antrim (including Belfast), Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone. If your travel itinerary in Ireland includes a visit to Northern Ireland, you will need to apply for a multiple entry visa.

How long will my visa application take?

Applications processed in The Hague: The current estimated processing time for applications processed in The Hague is 5-6 weeks from receipt of a correctly completed online application with all the required supporting documents.

You can apply for an Irish visa up to 3 months before your intended travel date.

Applications forwarded to Dublin for processing: Certain categories of visa are forwarded to Dublin for processing, these include but are not limited to:

-Joining an EEA or Swiss national (EUTR)

-Joining a CSEP holder when the applications are not submitted together

-Van der Elst category of employment visa

-De Facto partners of: Irish citizens, work permit holders, researchers

-Internship

-All Pre-Clearance applications

The processing of these applications may take longer. Information on processing times for applications sent to the Dublin Office is available here.

Is there an express visa service? Can I pay an additional fee for my application to be processed faster?

There is no express visa service.

It is not possible to pay an additional fee to have your application processed faster.

In order to ensure that all visa applicants receive fair and equal treatment, we process applications in the order that they are received.

Can I track my visa application online?

There is no online tracking facility for visa applications.

You will be informed of the result of your application as soon as a decision is available.

We recommend that you keep your postal tracking number and use this to confirm receipt of delivery on the PostNL Tracker or your courier’s website. The Embassy normally will acknowledge your application is received by email within 10 days of delivery at the Embassy.

To ensure that resources are used to the best effect, we ask that you do not contact the Embassy to seek updates on your visa application. We will contact you by email if we are seeking clarifications in relation to your application.

If you are a non-EU/EEA school student resident in the Netherlands and wish to travel to Ireland as part of a group school excursion, you may be exempt from the requirement to be in possession of a visa, arising from the implementation of a European Council decision.

This exemption applies to primary and secondary / high school students. It does not apply to university students.

Your school principal/director must complete and stamp the List of Travellers Form and the trip must then be authorised by Netherlands Immigration. This authorisation can then be presented to the Irish Immigration Officer on arrival in Ireland.

Information on submitting the List of Travellers Form is available from the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service. Any queries should be directed to Dutch Immigration.

Please note these forms should not be sent to the Embassy of Ireland, which has no role in authorising such trips.

Can I apply for a multiple entry visa?

Multiple entry visas are usually only issued to those who have previously been issued at least 2 single entry visas.

Read more on the policy considerations for multiple entry visas on the Immigration Service Delivery website.

The granting of a multi entry visa is at the discretion of the Visa Officer. If you apply for a multiple journey visa but are granted a single journey visa the difference in the visa fee will not be refunded.

Can I deliver my application in person?

Visa applications must be submitted by registered post or private courier. We recommend that you keep your postal tracking number and use this to confirm receipt of documentation. The PostNL can be used to track packages sent by registered post.

The Embassy does not allow in-person submissions of visa applications to the Consular Office. Applicants that present in person will be directed to submit their material in the post box.

The Embassy does not provide delivery confirmations.

Visa applications can involve providing of a lot of supporting documentation. Please ensure you package your supporting documents appropriately (i.e. use an appropriate sized envelope and ensure it is properly sealed).

Applications cannot be submitted via email.

My visa application was refused. How do I appeal this decision?

Information on appealing a negative decision is available from Immigration Service Delivery. Do not include your passport with your appeal unless instructed to do so in the letter of refusal.

Appeals are not processed at the Embassy in The Hague and must be sent directly to Dublin by post. It is not possible to lodge an appeal via email.

I want to join my non-EEA/non-Swiss/non-UK spouse who is moving to Ireland, can I apply for a long stay visa to accompany him/her to Ireland?

You may be able to submit a visa application to join your non-EEA/non-Swiss/non-UK spouse, civil partner, de facto partner or parent (if you are a minor child under 18 and unmarried) immediately if their status falls under the categories listed below and on the Immigration Service Delivery website.

You must submit your Join Spouse visa application at the same time as the primary applicant (e.g. Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder), and travel together to Ireland, in order for the Embassy to process your application locally. A join family application submitted separately will be referred to the Irish Immigration Service for final decision. Further information on the latest visa decision times can be found here on the Immigration Service Delivery website.

Category A

• Those granted refugee status or subsidiary protection status who are resident in Ireland where the application is not within the scope of Section 56 and 57 of the International Protection Act 2015.

Category B:

• Critical Skills Employment Permit holder
• Investors with permission under the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP)
• Entrepreneurs with a permission under the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)
• Researchers on Hosting Agreements
• ISD-approved Scholarship programme students (e.g. KASP)
• Intra-company Transferees
• PhD Students (subject to conditions, including no recourse to social welfare payments)
• Full time non-locum doctors in employment
• Minister of Religion (under the relevant Scheme (subject to conditions including having no recourse to State funds).

You may apply to join your spouse, civil partner, de facto partner or parent (if you are a minor child under 18 and unmarried) after they have been legally working in Ireland for a year if their status falls under:

Category C:

• Non-Critical Skills Employment permit holders
• Independent Stamp 4 holders not covered by categories set out as above, who are eligible to sponsor a family reunification application.

All other non-EEA nationals are not eligible for sponsorship.

Other Questions?

If your question is not covered above, in the visa section or on the Immigration Service Delivery website, please email us at thehagueembassy@dfa.ie including your application number in the subject line of the email.

We endeavour to reply to emails within three working days.