Irish Visitor Visas
Citizens of non-EEA countries must apply for an entry visa to be able to visit Ireland. Find out what the eligibility requirements and the application process are.
To receive assistance with applying for an Irish Visitor Visa, call our immigration consultants today on 0333 305 9375.
Who needs the Irish Visitor Visa?
If you are a citizen of a non-EEA country and you want to visit Ireland, you have to apply for the Irish Visitor Visa, also known as the tourist visa. As it is a Short Stay ‘C’ Visa, it allows you to stay in Ireland for up to 90 days. You should apply for this visa if you want to come to Ireland to take a holiday, explore the country, or take part in a short-term English language course.
You have to apply for the Irish Visitor Visa in your home country, before you embark on your journey to Ireland. If you are coming from a visa-required country and you arrive in Ireland without a valid visa, you will not be allowed to enter.
Citizens of countries that belong to the EU/EEA, as well as citizens of Switzerland, do not have to apply for a visa if they are travelling to Ireland for a short visit. They can enter the country without a visa and remain there for up to 90 days.
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What are the eligibility requirements for the Irish Visitor Visa?
To be able to receive the tourist visa to Ireland, you have to meet the following requirements:
- You have a passport valid for at least six months past your planned visit to Ireland
- You have enough funds to support yourself during your stay in Ireland
- You are able to provide details of any previous applications for visas to Ireland
- You intend to return to your home country after your visa expires
- You are able to provide details of any family members who live either in Ireland or in another EU member state.
As part of the application process you will have to provide documents that prove that you meet these criteria. Additionally, you will have to sign the application form yourself unless you are under 18. Then parents can sign it for you but you will also need to provide their consent for your visit to Ireland.
How to apply for the Irish Visitor Visa?
Applications for the Irish Visitor Visa have to be made online. You have to complete several sections where you indicate that you are applying for a Short Stay ‘C’ Visa and that the reason for your travel is tourism.
When you finish you will see a web page where you will find the following information:
- Your Visa Application Transaction Number – you can use it to check the progress in the processing of your application
- Application summary sheet – there you will find information regarding the immigration office you have to send your supporting documents to. You should print and sign the sheet and include it in your portfolio of evidence.
Once you submit the online application you have to pay the visa application fee of either €60 for a single entry visa or €100 for a multiple entry visa. Keep in mind that multiple entry visitor visas are granted only in exceptional circumstances.
After that you have to gather all the required documents and send them to the immigration office mentioned on your application summary sheet.
What documents to include in the application?
All foreign citizens applying for the Irish Visitor Visa have to include the following documents in their application:
- Signed and dated application summary sheet
- Details of the purpose of your trip to Ireland
- Your valid passport
- Details of your accommodation in Ireland
- Two passport size photographs in colour
- Written statement in which you confirm that you will not become a burden on the state
- Proof of ties in your home country that will make you return there once your visa expires.
Depending on your individual circumstances you might also have to submit additional documents. For example, if you are coming to take part in a short-term English language course, you have to provide evidence confirming that you enrolled in it and paid the relevant fees.
All documents have to be original and, if they were issued in a language that is not English or Irish, have to be translated by a certified translator.
What is the waiting time for the Irish Visitor Visa?
Once you have submitted the online form and sent all the required documents, the Department of Justice & Equality will review your application. The processing time of applications for Irish Visitor Visas vary as each case is different.
On average, however, most applicants wait eight weeks to receive the decision regarding their application. If your situation is complex or if you are applying during busy times and holidays, the waiting time might be longer.
Similarly, if you fail to provide some of the required documents or you make mistakes in your application, the processing of your application will be delayed.
If your application is approved, immigration officials will stamp your passport with the tourist visa and you will be able to start preparing for your visit to Ireland. If, however, your application is rejected, you will receive a letter of refusal with explanation for the decision.
To make sure everything goes smoothly, hire one of our immigration consultants. They will check whether you prepared all the necessary documents and will go over your application before you submit it to identify any mistakes.
How can IAS help?
Here at IAS, our immigration consultants have experience in all areas of Irish immigration law and they have helped many clients successfully apply for visas to visit Ireland.
If you are not sure whether you meet the requirements for the visitor visa to Ireland, our team can assess your eligibility for it.
By hiring an IAS immigration consultant over an immigration lawyer, they can explain to you the application process in detail and can guide you through each step, making it easy and stress-free. They can also help you put together a complete portfolio of evidence that proves your eligibility for the visa.
Thanks to the help of your highly-qualified consultants, you can achieve the desired outcome and get the chance to visit Ireland.
To find out more about how we can help, call us today on 0333 305 9375.
Last modified on September 8th, 2023 at 10:51 am
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme allows citizens of certain countries who normally require a visa to travel to Ireland for the purpose of tourism without having to obtain the visitor visa first.
That applies to the citizens of the following countries:
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Montenegro
- Russian Federation
- Serbia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Bahrain
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- India
- Kazakhstan
- People’s Republic of China
- Thailand
- Uzbekistan
The short answer to this question is no. If your application for the Irish Visitor Visa is successful, you will be able to travel to Ireland and stay there for up to 90 days but you will not be allowed to work while being there. You will also not have the right to access state services.
The Irish Visitor Visa is granted to foreign citizens who want to come to Ireland for the purpose of tourism or to take part in a short-term English language course. If you would like to come to Ireland to work, you should apply for an Employment Visa.
Unfortunately it is not possible to extend the tourist visa to Ireland. It is a Short Stay ‘C’ Visa, which means it gives you the right to stay in Ireland for up to 90 days. After that you are obliged to return to your home country. Extensions of tourist visas to Ireland are granted only in exceptional, unforeseen circumstances.
If you want to come to Ireland to stay there for more than 90 days, you have to apply for a Long Stay ‘D’ Visa.
Talk to our experts about why you want to come to Ireland and they will have you find the perfect visa for you.
If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or a citizen of Switzerland, you do not require a visitor visa to travel to Ireland for a short visit.
You can enter the country without a visa and reside there for up to 90 days. All you need to do is present a valid passport or a national identity card proving that you are a citizen of an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland when arriving in Ireland. As an EU/EEA citizen, you can also look for employment in Ireland without having to apply for an employment permit.