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Key takeaways
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens must apply for a short-stay ‘C’ visa for tourism in Ireland.
Ireland tourist visas are valid for up to 90 days.
Applicants can choose between single-entry and multiple-entry options.
What is an Ireland tourist visa?
If you travel to Ireland for tourism, you must apply for a tourist visa. If you want to come to Ireland for less than 3 months, you must apply for a short-stay ‘C’ visa.
Please note that you do not need a tourist visa if you meet any of the following criteria:
- You are a citizen or legal resident of the EU, EEA countries, or Switzerland.
- Have a UK short-stay visa and qualify for the short-stay visa waiver or the British-Irish Visa Scheme.
- You are a citizen of either one of the countries listed below:
- Asia: Hong Kong, Japan, Kiribati, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam
- Africa: Lesotho, Seychelles, Swaziland (Eswatini)
- Europe: Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, Vatican City, United Kingdom, Ukraine
- North America: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago
- South America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay
- Oceania: Samoa, Australia, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Requirements
You must have the following documents to apply for an Ireland tourist visa.
- Irish online visa application form — duly filled out and signed.
- Application letter stating:
- The reason for your visit
- Your arrival and return date
- Places where you will be staying during your visit, e.g., address of hotel(s) or residential address of your acquaintances/family
- How you intend to pay for your vacation clearly stated, for example, you, a friend, or family.
- If you are visiting a friend or relative, then your application letter must state the following:
- The names and addresses of your friends in Ireland or your family members in Ireland, other EU/EEA countries, or Switzerland, including those you will not be visiting.
- Description of your friendship(s) and documentary evidence, including copies of letters, emails, and photographs. Alternatively, documentary evidence demonstrating the relationship with your relative, e.g., birth certificates, marriage certificates, copies of letters, emails, photographs together, evidence of previous visits by the applicant or reference, and more.
- If you are visiting a friend or relative, then your application letter must state the following:
- An invitation letter if you are visiting a friend or relative clearly stating the dates of your visit and how they know you or are related to you.
- Alternatively, a holiday or vacation plan clearly stating a detailed itinerary for your trip, including addresses and reservation confirmations for your accommodations.
- Medical or travel insurance.
- Proof of visa fee payment.
- A recent passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your date of exit from Ireland.
- Photocopy of each page from all previous passports (if applicable)
- A letter describing your travel plans to and from Ireland is required if you travel from or to a country other than your home country or where you are a legal resident. (if applicable)
- 2 passport-sized color photographs. On the back of each photo:
- Sign your name (in your native script and language)
- Write your Visa Application Transaction Number from AVATS
- Each photograph must meet all the following rules for visa photographs.
- A finance plan that states how you intend to support yourself when in Ireland must include an up-to-date bank statement with your documents. There is no specific minimum financial requirement, but the visa officer will assess if you can finance your trip.
- If a friend or family member is helping you pay for your trip to Ireland, please provide an estimate in Euros of the amount your friend or family member in Ireland will spend to assist with your visit—specify what they will be covering. They must also demonstrate that they have the means to cover these expenses. This requirement applies to any friends or family members, including Irish citizens, who will contribute to your vacation costs.
- Proof of obligation to return to your home country after 90 days–e.g., your work, school, family, property.
- Proof of prior visa refusal, if applicable.
Validity
A single-entry Ireland tourist visa is valid for 90 days.
If you want to enter Ireland again after leaving, you must apply for a re-entry visa. If you have had single-entry visas and have obeyed the conditions of those visas, you can apply for a multiple-entry visa.
How to apply for an Ireland tourist visa?
Application process
To apply for an Ireland tourist visa, Follow the steps below:
- Gather all the required documents listed above.
- Put them into a strong padded envelope and send them to your nearest Ireland Embassy office. The online application system will inform you where to send your application packet.
- The address of the appropriate Irish Embassy or Consulate.
- Or the dedicated Visa Offices in Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, New Delhi and Ankara.
- Or directly to Immigration Service Delivery, Burgh Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland.
- If you are applying for yourself and another person, place the documents of each person in separate envelopes and then put all the smaller packets in a bigger envelope and send it to the required address.
- Be sure to pay the correct postage for large packages.
- Wait patiently for your travel document next.
Please note that:
- In certain circumstances, when reviewing your application, the Irish Embassy or Consulate may ask you to provide more information or documents, such as your passport or travel document, for official authentication.
- In some situations, you may be required to provide biometric information as a part of your application. Contact your application office (as listed on your application summary sheet), and they will confirm whether you need to provide biometric information and how to do so.
- Alternatively, they can also contact an garda síochána or the Irish police for information about you or contact government departments or other agencies for information about you.
Processing time
Usually, an Irish tourist visa application is processed in about 30 working days. However, it may take longer if there are public holidays in between or if your application packet is erroneous.
- If you have been asked to send your application to Dublin, new visa decisions and waiting times are published every Tuesday.
- For all other offices, like an international visa office, Irish Embassy or Consulate, contact that office for an update on your application.
Cost
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.
The current fees are:
- EUR 60 (USD 67) for a single entry – Short stay ‘C’ visa
- EUR 100 (USD 112) for multiple entry – Short stay ‘C’ visa.
Please note that extra charges, such as consular fees, may apply for some applications. The visa fee covers the administrative cost of processing your application. It will not be refunded if you withdraw your application or if it is refused.
After applying
If your visa is approved
Your Irish visa will be placed on a blank page of your passport or travel document. Your passport or travel document and other original documents, such as marriage, birth or death certificates, and other documents you listed, will be returned to you by post.
You can also arrange collection at an international visa office, Irish Embassy, or Consulate.
If your visa is refused
In such case, you will be sent a ‘letter of refusal’ explaining why your application was not approved. Your passport/travel document and other original documents, such as marriage, birth or death certificates, and other documents you listed, will be returned to you by post. You can also arrange collection at an international visa office, Irish Embassy, or Consulate.
You can appeal a negative visa decision free of cost within 2 months of the date on your letter of refusal. To learn more about how to appeal the decision, please visit the official website of the Ireland Department of Justice.
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