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Byevisa » Ireland Visitor Visa

A visa is required. We cannot assist in processing this document, but we provide instructions on how to apply.

All About the Ireland Visa

Are you planning on visiting the Emerald Isle in the near future? With its combination of wild greenery, rugged Atlantic beaches and charming cities, this small country appeals to both nature lovers and those wanting a city break.

Fortunately, travelling here is now easier than ever, with daily flights arriving at Dublin airport from all corners of the globe. To go along with this new accessibility is the fact that citizens of dozens of countries and territories are eligible for a travel waiver, among them the UK, US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the EU. This allows you to enjoy this country’s rich and varied experiences as a tourist for up to 90 days.

So, if you want to know if you meet the requirements for the waiver and how to apply for an Ireland visa if you don’t, then keep reading. Below we’ll share the ins and outs of the Republic of Ireland’s visa requirements, plus some helpful tips for planning your travel.

Do I Need a Visa for Ireland?

This depends on your nationality as well as the length and purpose of your stay. This country is a part of the European Union but not of the Schengen zone – an area made up of 26 European countries that permit Freedom of Movement at their mutual borders.

Nevertheless, the Ireland visa policy is quite similar to that of Schengen Member States and the country has a waiver system in place for many of the same eligible nationalities.

What Is the Visa Waiver Programme for Ireland?

Certain nationalities – among them Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Canada – qualify for Ireland visa exemption when you hold a valid passport. This means that there is no need to request an eVisa in advance or purchase a Visa Upon Arrival (VoA) at the airport.

A travel permit is also waived for British nationals – that is, citizens from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. As such, British nationals have the right to move freely and reside in this country for an unlimited length of time for work or study, in addition to travel for tourism, business or medical purposes.

Last but not least, as this country is a member of the European Union, any citizen from another EU Member State can enter for up to 90 days with just a national ID. For stays of 90 days or longer, requirements are minimal and include proof of employment (through a company or self-employed), proof of funds, sickness insurance and proof of your enrollment as a student if applicable.

To see if you qualify for an Ireland visa waiver, see our eligibility checker tool here:

Alternatively, here’s the full list of eligible countries:

Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Finland
France
Germany
Greece

Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kiribati
Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mexico
Monaco
Nauru
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Norway
Panama

Paraguay
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Seychelles
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tonga
Trinidad & Tobago
Tuvalu
United Kingdom,
British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies**
United States of America
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Vatican City

** This includes the Bailiwick of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

What Are the Requirements for the Waiver Programme?

You do not need to submit any forms to be eligible for exemption; all you need is your national passport. It is important to remember, however, that you must still pass through customs and may need to provide the immigation officer with sufficient information to justify your visit. This includes your landing card and travel itinerary, as well as an invitation if you’re travelling for a conference or as part of an English language course.

If you fail to demonstrate your reason for travel or proof of sufficient funds to support your stay, it is within the rights of Irish immigration officials to refuse or grant only limited entry. To avoid disrupting your travel plans, it is important to plan ahead and have all your bases covered before finalising your trip.

As a general rule of thumb for all nationalities, we recommend that your passport be valid for at least 6 months past your proposed visiting dates and that it contain at least 1 blank page for stamping.

Although there are no hard and fast rules for how many visits you are allowed within the 90-day period (i.e., if you enter the country for a few weeks before travelling abroad and then enter again), your immigration officer will take note of the entry and exit stamps recorded in your passport and may ask you to justify your repeat journeys.

Does Ireland Require a Schengen Visa?

No, you do not need a Schengen travel permit to pass through border control. This country is not part of the Schengen Area and has different entry requirements; therefore an Irish visa is not a substitute for a Schengen visa and vice versa. Even if you are currently a holder of a valid Schengen entry permit, it will not be accepted at the Irish border.

Similarly, the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) travel waiver only grants entry to Schengen member countries. As this country is not party to this system, an ETIAS does not entitle you to enter without the proper travel pass.

Do the UK and Ireland Have a Visa Agreement?

Yes, certain agreements do exist between the 2 countries, in addition to the one mentioned above. Under the British-Irish travel scheme, a short-stay (90-day) Ireland visa for Indians living in India or for Chinese nationals living in China will be valid for travel to the UK within this period and vice versa.

For example, an individual applying for an Ireland visa from India who wishes to travel to both Dublin and Belfast may do so by applying for a 90-day Ireland visit visa. This will permit them to fly first to Dublin and then on to Belfast without having to request a separate travel pass.

Similarly, thanks to the short-stay travel waiver programme, certain UK visa holders can enter Ireland if they are holders of a valid UK short-stay (90-day) entry permit. This waiver is intended solely for citizens who have cleared immigration in the United Kingdom and lasts only as long as their UK travel pass.

Nationals from the following countries are eligible for this waiver:

  • Bahrain
  • Belarus
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • India
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kuwait
  • Montenegro
  • Oman
  • People’s Republic of China
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Serbia
  • Thailand
  • The Russian Federation
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • Uzbekistan

Ireland Visa Application Process

If you are not eligible for a waiver, you will have to complete the Republic of Ireland’s visa application form and submit some documentation to your nearest embassy or consulate.

The travel document is valid for visits of up to 90 days and, usually, for a Single Entry. That said, a Multiple Entry pass is available if you’ve visited Ireland twice in the past without overstaying your 90-day permitted period.

At this time, this country only offers a traditional travel pass through its embassies and consulates. You cannot purchase your entry permit on arrival at the airport.

The steps to apply for this travel document are as follows:

  • Complete the form online.
  • Pay the fee at the embassy or consulate (see our ‘What Are the Ireland Visa Fees?’ section below for more information).
  • Compile all the documents, which include:
    • The signed online summary sheet.
    • 2 color photos (see the exact specifications at the end of this section).
    • Current passport with at least 1 blank page to affix your visa.
    • Any previous passports (copies of previous passports can be submitted if the originals are unavailable).
    • Application letter (a description of your planned visit, including your purpose of travel, dates and where you will stay).
    • A finance plan (proof that you have the finances to support yourself when in this country, e.g. up-to-date bank statements or the information of the third party who will help pay for your visit).
    • Proof that you will return home (this can be payslips from your current job, a letter from a school where you are currently enrolled or proof of family in your home country).

Once the online form is submitted, the system will automatically request that you submit your documentation to your nearest embassy, consulate or local Ireland visa office.

Your documents must be delivered in person or by post to the centre specified in the online application within 30 days of creating the online account. Applications will not be processed until all documents have been received.

The contact information of your nearest Irish embassy or consulate can be found on our Embassies of Ireland page. Alternatively, you may submit your documents to the Dublin, Ireland visa office by post or courier at the following address:

Department of Justice
Immigration Service Delivery
13-14 Burgh Quay
Dublin 2
D02XK70

Additional offices are open in Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, New Delhi and Ankara.

Note: To avoid any delays with the processing, make sure to meet the Ireland visa photo requirements, i.e. 2 photos no more than 6 months old with a minimum size of 35mm x 45mm and a maximum size of 38mm x 50mm. Each photo should be signed by the applicant and have the application transaction number written on the back.

What Are the Ireland Visa Fees?

The standard, non-refundable processing fees are as follows:

  • Single Entry: 81 USD (60 EUR)
  • Multiple Entry: 136 USD (100 EUR)
  • Transit: 36 USD (25 EUR)

What Is the Ireland Visa Processing Time?

You can expect a decision about 8 weeks after submitting your documents. However, as Ireland visa rules dictate that all applications must be processed in the order in which they are received, the Ireland visa decision time can vary somewhat.

To avoid any problems with your travel arrangements, we recommend requesting your visa to Ireland approximately 3 months before you plan to visit.

How Can I Check My Ireland Visa Application Status?

If you send your application to an international office, embassy or consulate, you can track your Ireland visa by contacting that office directly. If you send your application to the Dublin office, decisions are posted on a weekly basis and can be viewed directly on the webpage.

Be sure to save the unique online application number generated when you submit your application, in order to search these reports for your decision.

In particular, if you’re looking for Irish visa decisions for India, these are announced every Tuesday evening and Friday morning on the official website via the New Delhi office.

If you’ve made your application through a VSF VAC (Visa Application Centre), the New Delhi office will make its decision then transmit this back to the VAC. As such, your documents will take a few days to arrive back at the VAC.

To search for your Irish visa decision, open the report with the correct date, then press CTRL+F and enter your 8-digital reference number.

Frequently Asked Travel Questions

Please find below more helpful information regarding this country and the travel documents you’ll need. If you have any questions that we haven’t answered here, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’d love to be of assistance!

Yes, the entry waiver will be honoured at all points of entry (airports, ports and land crossings). If you’re a non-EU, EEA (European Economic Area) or Swiss citizen entering via Northern Ireland, you must make sure to report to an immigration officer at the Burgh Quay Registration Office in Dublin or to the local Garda Síochána (police) station as soon as possible to register your arrival.
If you qualify for an entry waiver, you may still have to apply for preclearance if you want to visit the country as a long-term volunteer, minister of religion, the de facto partner of an Irish citizen or as the family member of a UK citizen. This application can be submitted online.
Yes, if you are a national from a country that does not require an entry permit, then you may travel as a volunteer for up to 3 months.
US passport holders do not need a visa to go from America to Ireland as long as they are travelling for short-term business or for tourism and for a stay of less than 3 months. If you’re travelling for work or study for longer than 90 days, however, you would need to apply for a long-stay permit at your nearest Irish embassy or consulate. This is a separate process and would usually be done in conjunction with your university or company.
All tourist visas for Ireland last for 90 days. Each pass enters its validity period slightly before your proposed date of entry as stated in your application.
Multiple-Entry permits are less common and are usually only issued if an applicant has visited this country on at least 2 previous occasions without overstaying their 90-day entry period.
The nationalities listed below will require a transit visa to pass through Irish ports and airports. Please note that this document does not entitle you to leave the airport.
  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Cuba
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Ecuador
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Georgia
  • Georgia
  • Ghana
  • Guyana
  • Iran
  • Lebanon
  • Moldova
  • Nigeria
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Suriname
  • Ukraine
  • Uruguay
  • Zimbabwe
We recommend that your passport be valid for at least 6 months past your planned travel dates. If it expires sooner, this could affect the decision of your application.
If your application is refused, you will receive a communication from the embassy or consulate detailing the reasons for their decision. This decision can be appealed within 2 months of receiving the refusal. Refunds are not issued in the case of refusal.
This document is for Single Entry travel permit holders who have already entered the country and wish to leave for a short period of time while their Irish travel pass is still valid. This document should be requested well in advance by contacting the processing office from Monday - Friday between 8:30 am - 1:30 pm at this address:
  • Department of Justice, Immigration Service Delivery, 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2, D02XK70
If you’ve secured a job in the country already, then you would have to go through the Ireland visa process. In this case, you would apply in coordination with your company, which would supply the relevant letters of support requested by the embassy.
If you’re looking for a way to work and travel in the short term, then another option is the Working Holiday scheme which allows you to combine temporary work with an extended holiday in Ireland for up to 1 year. This scheme is available to nationals of:
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Hong Kong
  • Japan
  • New Zealand
  • South Korea
  • The USA
For more information and to apply, contact the Irish embassy or consulate in your country of residence.
Like in the UK, drivers here use the left-hand side of the road. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to adapt to this change, however, as standard driving signals remain the same. Upon arrival, you’ll be sure to notice that all street and road signs are written not just in English, but also in Gaeilge. Known locally as Irish, this Celtic language can be heard across the country and is one of the oldest languages in the world!
Here is an image of this travel authorisation. This pass will be fixed to one of the blank pages of your passport.
We hope this article has helped to clear up your questions and has inspired you to keep planning your Irish getaway. Please find below more links to useful pages full of additional ideas, information and resources.
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