Dear customer,
Thank you for printing this page, obviously you found something of interest, we can help you with your documents and make sure that your holyday plans for a trip to Ireland are within your reach. Generally spoken we can help you with :
We hope to see you soon in our office to review the details of your programs, we will help you with your efforts,
M.J. van't Zand
Marketing manager
A short stay tourist visa allows you to travel to Ireland for tourism or study for up to 90 days, subject to the conditions described below. All short stay visas are also called 'C' visas.
A short stay 'C' visit (tourist) visa allows you to travel to Ireland for up to 90 days for:
Read the general assessment criteria for all short stay 'C' visas.
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 you entry even if you have a visa.
You need a visa to come to Ireland if you travel using a passport issued by a country that is visa required or using a travel document issued by certain countries.
Each traveller must apply for a separate visa. There are no family visas.
A tourist visa application for a young person (aged under 18) should be made by their parent or legal guardian. Extra conditions for young people also apply.
You should not purchase travel tickets before you receive a decision on your visa application.
You must apply for a visa from your home country or a country where you are a legal resident. Prepare your application 3 months before you travel.
Your application has 3 parts:
Note: In some cases, you may also need to provide biometric information
You will be given information about where to send your documents after you create your visa application.
If your application is successful, an Irish visa will be placed into your passport/travel document and returned to you. In general, you can expect a decision about 8 weeks after we receive your documents.
Important: Do not include false or misleading information or documents in your application. If you do, your application may be refused. In some circumstances, you may not be allowed to appeal the visa decision and may be blocked from getting an Irish visa for 5 years.
Travel to Ireland using a UK visa
You may be able to visit Ireland without applying for an Irish visa if:
AVATS is the online visa application system. To apply for a visa, answer all questions in AVATS fully and honestly.
Apply for an Irish visa online via AVATS
To visit Ireland for tourism or study for less than 90 days, select the following options in AVATS:
Get answers to common questions when applying for a visa in AVATS.
When finished, you will be shown a web page with important summary information, including your:
Payment methods and currency options may differ between offices. Contact your application office to find out how to pay. Some applicants are exempt and do not pay visa fees.
Current fees are:
The visa fee covers the administrative cost of processing your application. It will not be refunded if your application is withdrawn or refused.
You must send the documents listed below to your application office within 30 days of creating an application via AVATS. Your application will not be processed until everything is received.
Prepare your documents carefully. They contain information we need to make a decision about you. It is your responsibility to satisfy us that a visa should be granted.
Your application may be refused if you do not submit all documents. Even if you submit everything required, there is no guarantee that a visa will be granted.
If your application for a visa is approved, you must get travel/medical insurance before you travel. You will not be allowed to enter Ireland without it.
In some cases, you may be asked to submit proof that you have travel/medical insurance before a visa is granted.
In some circumstances, you may have to include proof that you have paid the visa application fee. Contact your application office to find out if you need to provide proof and what to include.
If you are exempt from the visa fee, you may have to include documents that prove you are exempt. Contact your application office about proof of exemption.
Proof of payment/exemption may differ between offices. Extra charges may also apply for some applications, eg consular fees.
You must submit:
Your current passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date you plan to leave Ireland.
Your application will be delayed if you do not provide copies of any previous passports you have.
Travel to-and-from Ireland via a different country
Type or write a letter that describes your travel plan to-and-from Ireland if you intend to:
The letter must also state if you need visas for those countries (or not). Include the letter with your application.
If relevant, apply for those countries' visas before you apply for an Irish visa. Your application for an Irish visa may be refused if your passport does not contain the expected visas.
If you do not get the expected visas before you apply for an Irish visa, explain why in your letter. The visa officer will include those reasons when reviewing your application.
If you are not a citizen of the country you are applying from
You must submit proof you have permission to be in the country you are applying from, if you are not a citizen, eg a photocopy of your residence card.
You must also show you have at least 3 months' permission to remain in that country after the date you plan to leave Ireland.
You must show that you have enough finance (money) to support yourself fully in Ireland.
Note: There is no minimum amount of finance for approving or refusing a visa application. The visa officer will decide if you have enough based on your own circumstances.
If you are paying for your own visit
Include an up-to-date bank statement with your documents. The bank statement must:
Note: You may use a printed internet statement but it must be officially certified by your bank. We will not accept uncertified internet statements
If you submit a bank statement from a savings/deposit account, you must include an original letter from your bank (on headed paper) that confirms you can withdraw money from it.
You must also include a written explanation of any large movements of money in or out of your account, if appropriate.
If a friend or family member in Ireland is helping to pay for your visit
Type or write an estimate of how much your friend/family member will spend (in Euro) and what they will pay for (if appropriate), eg cost of airline tickets in Euro.
Your friend/family member must also show that they can afford these costs. This applies to any friends/family members who will help to pay for your vacation, including Irish citizens.
To do so, you must ask them to send you the following original documents and include them with your application:
You must also include your own personal bank statement, following the same rules as described above.
If someone else (a third party) is helping to pay for your visit
Type or write a description that explains how and why your visit is being paid for by a third party. You must also include the third party's:
You must also include:
You must include proof that you will leave Ireland when your visit ends.
To do so, you must show that you have a strong obligation to return home (ie to your country of residence) for economic, social or family reasons.
Work
If you have a job at home, you must show that you have an obligation to return to it. To do so, you should provide:
Education or study
If you are a student at home, you must show that you have an obligation to return to continue your studies. To do so, you should provide:
A letter from your school or college that states:
The letter should also state that your school/college expects you return to your studies after your vacation or study trip to Ireland.
Family
If you have a family at home, you must prove that you will return to them. To do so, type or write a description of your family including:
If you are married and your spouse is not coming to Ireland with you, you should include your original Marriage Certificate with your application.
If you have children aged under 18 and they are not coming to Ireland with you, you should include their original Birth Certificates with your application.
Property
If you own or rent property in your country of residence, type or write a description of it and include it with your application.
You should also include other documents as proof, eg your original tenancy/rental agreement or property title deed.
If you were ever refused a visa by any country, type or write a description about it.
You must also include the original letter sent to you by the authorities that refused your application.
Note: Your application for an Irish visa will be refused if you do not include information about past visa refusals.
The process follows the same steps described above with some extra conditions (as below) to protect the young person's safety.
When you are satisfied that you have prepared your application documents, put them into a strong padded envelope and send them to your application office.
If you are making a visa application for yourself and another person, you may send them together. To send together:
Be sure to pay the correct postage for large packages.
When we receive your application, we will check that you have included:
When reviewing your application we may contact you to ask for more information or documents. We may also:
In some cases, you may need to provide biometric information as part of your application.
Contact your application office (as listed on your application summary sheet) to find out if you need to provide biometric information and how to do so.
Visa applications are processed in the order they are received. Processing times differ between application offices and application types and may also vary during the year, eg at holiday periods.
In general, you can expect a decision for a short stay visit (tourist) visa is about 8 weeks after your documents are received.
Note: Your application may take longer if documents are missing, need to be verified or because of personal circumstances, eg if you have a criminal conviction, etc.
Contact the Irish Embassy or Consulate for an update on your application.
An Irish visa will be placed into a blank page of your passport/travel document.
Your passport/travel document and certain original documents (eg marriage/birth/death certificates and other documents listed by you) will be returned to you by the Irish Embassy or Consulate.
An Irish visa issued to a young person aged under 18 will show if they are travelling alone (unaccompanied) or with an adult (accompanied).
You will be sent a 'letter of refusal' that explains why your application was not approved.
Your passport/travel document and certain original documents (eg marriage/birth/death certificates and other documents listed by you) will be returned to you by post or arranged forthe Irish Embassy or Consulate.
You can appeal a negative visa decision at no cost. To do so, you must submit an appeal within 2 months of the date on your letter of refusal.
An Irish visa allows you to travel to Ireland. It does not give you permission to enter the country.
You can be refused entry even if you have a visa.
When you arrive at border control, you must prove that you have a valid reason for entering Ireland to the immigration officer.
To do so you will need your passport, visa and other documents. For example, you should bring copies of documents from your application with you when you travel.
If you cannot satisfy the immigration officer, you will not be allowed into Ireland.
If you are given permission to enter, the officer will place a 'landing stamp' in your passport.
The landing stamp shows the reason for your visit (eg tourism) and how long you can stay, up to a maximum of 90 days.
The time period you are permitted to stay in Ireland is shown on the landing stamp in your passport.
You must leave the country before your permission expires. It is against the law to remain here without permission.
In rare and exceptional circumstances, you may apply to extend your permission to stay in Ireland.
To apply for an extension, the circumstances of your visit must change in an unforeseen way after you arrive in the country.
An extension will not be granted for any non-emergency or foreseeable reason, eg for additional tourism.
You must be in Ireland to apply and submit an application before your existing permission expires.