Do I Need A Visa For Ireland
Do I Need A Visa For Ireland – This article is a guide for applying for a visitor’s visa for Ireland. It has information on the types of visas available, the documents required, and what is needed to complete the application procedure. I also have information on family members accompanying you to Ireland.
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Visa free travel does not apply to people who have a British passport as a ‘British protected person’.
Do I Need A Visa For Ireland
If you are moving to Ireland to live with your Irish partner, a spouse or partner who holds a Critical Skills Employment Permit, or your UK spouse or partner, you have to apply for preclearance even if you are from one of the countries listed above (this does not apply to citizens of Switzerland or the UK). See ‘Do I need preclearance’ below.
If you have a short stay visa for the UK and are an Indian or Chinese citizen, you can travel to Ireland without a visa. See ‘Visa waivers for UK visa holders’ below.
Family members of EU citizens
If you are coming to Ireland to join or accompany your EEA family member, you must apply for a visa if you are from a country that is not in the list above. If you are already living in another EEA country and have a residence card because you are an EEA family member, you do not need a visa to travel to Ireland.
If you plan to stay in Ireland for more than 3 months you must apply for residence after your arrival.
Types of visa
The type of visa you need depends on the purpose and length of your stay in Ireland.
Short stay visas
If you want to come to Ireland for less than 3 months, you should apply for a short stay ‘C’ visa. You should apply for this type of visa if you want to come to Ireland as a tourist or to visit someone, for a business meeting, or to attend a short course.
You cannot stay for longer than 3 months on a ‘C’ visa. You must leave Ireland and apply for another visa if you want to return.
Long stay visas
If you want to come to Ireland for more than 3 months, for example to study, for work or to settle permanently in Ireland with family members who live in Ireland, then you can apply for a long stay ‘D’ visa.
If you are granted a long stay ‘D’ visa and wish to remain in the State for longer than 3 months you must register and get an Irish Residence Permit (IRP).
You can read more information about different types of visa available on the ISD website.
Re-entry visas
The first visa issued to you is valid for a single entry to the State. If you wish to leave the State for a short period of time you may need to apply for a re-entry visa – including travel to Northern Ireland.
If you have a valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) you do not need a re-entry visa when traveling to and from Ireland.
Non-EEA nationals aged under 16 do not have to register for an IRP and do not need a re-entry visa to travel to and from Ireland. They must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who has legal permission to live in Ireland.
Transit visas
If you are travelling through Ireland on your way to another country, you may need a transit visa when arriving in Ireland on their way to another country. A transit visa does not permit you to leave the port or airport. If you are a citizen of one of the following countries, you will need a valid Irish transit visa when landing in the State:
| Afghanistan | Iran |
| Albania | Iraq |
| Cuba | Lebanon |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Moldova |
| Eritrea | Nigeria |
| Ethiopia | Somalia |
| Georgia | Sri Lanka |
| Ghana | |
Visa waivers for UK visa holders
The Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme allows nationals of a number of Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries who have a short-term UK visa, to come to Ireland without the need for a separate Irish visa. The countries included in the scheme are:
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- China
- Colombia
- India
- Indonesia
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Oman
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
Citizens of India and China, who have a short stay UK visa can travel to Ireland under the British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) without a separate Irish visa. You can also use your Irish visa to travel to the UK. Your visa must be endorsed with ‘BIVS’.
Do I need preclearance?
If you do not need a visa to come to Ireland, you may still have to apply for preclearance. Preclearance is permission to enter Ireland to apply to reside for certain reasons. You have to apply for preclearance if you want to come to Ireland:
- To volunteer
- As a minister of religion
- As the de facto partner of a Critical Skills Employment Permit or Hosting Agreement holder
- As the de facto partner of an Irish citizen
- As the family member of a UK citizen
A de facto partnership is when you are in a relationship with someone that is like a marriage.
You can apply for pre-clearance online. If you are approved, and you intend to stay in Ireland for more than 3 months, you have to register for an Irish Residence Permit after you arrive in Ireland.
How to apply for a visa or preclearance
You must apply for an entry visa or preclearance online.
There is information on how to complete an online application in English (pdf) as well as in Arabic (pdf), Chinese (pdf), Russian (pdf), Hindi (pdf), French (pdf), Turkish (pdf) and Urdu (pdf).
You should apply at least 8 weeks before you plan to come to Ireland. Details of the photographic requirements and current processing times are on the ISD website.
Biometric data: All visa applicants residing in Nigeria must provide biometric data. Applicants residing in Pakistan, India and China must provide fingerprints.
Appeals: If you are refused a visa you can appeal the decision by writing to the Visa Appeals Officer at the INIS Visa Section – see ‘Further information and contacts’ below.
Rates
The standard non-refundable visa application processing fees are:
Entry and re-entry visas
A single journey visa costs €60 and will be valid for one entry to the State up to a maximum of 90 days from the date of issue.
A multi journey visa costs €100 and will be valid for multiple entries to the State up to a maximum of 5 years from the date of issue.
A transit visa costs €25.
There may also be communications charges in some cases. Information about these charges, and on the fee in your local currency, is available from your local Irish embassy or consulate.
Who does not pay the fee?
Some applicants are not required to pay a fee. This includes visa-required spouses and certain family members of EEA citizens (including Irish nationals) provided that proof of the relationship is provided with the application. In addition, applicants from some countries are not required to pay a fee. As this can change from time to time, you should check with your local Irish embassy or consulate, or with the Visa Office.
Nationals of the countries covered by the Short-stay Visa Waiver Programme who are long-term legal residents of the UK or the Schengen area still need a visa but do not have to pay the visa fee.