Irish Visitor Visas

Eligibility For Irish Visitor Visas

In order to travel to Ireland on a visitor visa, you will need to meet certain eligibility requirements. The requirements for this visa type can include:

• Have a valid passport with an expiration date no sooner than six months from the date you intend to visit Ireland
• Have sufficient funds to support yourself for the duration of your stay
• Possess genuine intent to return to your home country following the time of your visa
• Be able to provide proof of significant ties to your home country that support your intent to return
• You will need to provide documentation as evidence that you meet the eligibility criteria. Visa applicants under 18 will need to have written confirmation of consent from a parent or legal guardian when visiting Ireland.

Required Documents For an Irish visitor visa

All foreign nationals from non-EEA countries applying for an Irish Visitor Visa must include supporting documentation with their visa application to prove their eligibility. The visa requirements can include the following documents:

• A current and valid passport or travel document
• Two standard passport size photographs
• The confirmation page from your visa application and proof you paid the visa application fee
• Details of your itinerary included proposed dates of when you plan to enter Ireland and leave Ireland
• Details of the intent of your travel for your proposed visit
• Details of your accommodations in Ireland including address and contact details
• Proof of significant ties in your home country, such as property or family, that show you plan to return following your visa
• Financial documents such as a detailed bank statement showing sufficient funds. The purpose of bank statements is to prove that you will not need to rely on public funds or services during your stay
• Criminal records if applicable
• Previous visas received or applied for

You may need to submit additional documentation as required. The visa application will list the specific documents you need to provide for your situation.

Note that any documents that were not originally issued in the English or Irish language will need to be submitted along with certified translated copies as part of your documentation package.

How To Apply For An Irish Visitor Visa

There are several steps in the visitor visa or tourist visa application process.

1. The application form can be completed online, at AVATS. You will need to select “Short Stay Visa” and “Tourist/ Visitor Visa.” The application will ask you for your personal details and to confirm that your intent for travel is tourism.
2. Obtain and organize all the required documentation and any necessary copies
3. Find out where to submit your application and documents along with your passport. Visa applications may be submitted to your local Irish embassy, a visa office, or the Irish embassy or consulate. The information will be given to you on your Application Summary Sheet.
4. Pay the visa application fee
5. Submit your biometric information if required
6. Keep the confirmation page from your application. This page will have your Visa Application Transaction Number that you can use to check on the progress of your application as it is being processed.

Processing Times

Typically the Irish Visitor Visa will be processed in about eight weeks from when you submit your application and required documents. The exact processing time depends on a number of factors, including the season of the year and how busy the office is that is working on your application.

Any missing documentation or incorrect information can delay your application decision so be sure to fill out the application as thoroughly and completely as possible for the fastest return and apply as early as you can from your expected date of travel. If the Department of Justice & Equality decides they need more information they will send you a notification.

Once your visa application is approved, an Irish immigration officer will stamp your passport with your tourist visa and return your original documents to the address you provide during the application process.

In the event that your visa application is denied, you will receive a notification including the reasons for rejection.

Costs and Fees

There are several costs and fees associated with applying for a tourist visa to visit Ireland as a foreign national.

When applying, there are two options for visa fees for the visitor visa for Ireland. One is the Single entry tourist visa and the other is the multiple-entry tourist visa. Single entry visas allow you to enter Ireland only once within its validity period; if you leave and need to come back again, you will need a separate Irish visa for your purpose whereas a multiple entry visit visa will allow you to come back multiple times as long as it is within the conditions of the visa.

For a single entry visa, the visa fee is approximately €80. For a multiple entry visa, the visa fee is €100.

You may also incur additional fees when obtaining required documentation, such as costs to obtain certified translated copies of documents.

Other Visitor visas

Apart from the Tourist and visit visa, there are some other visitor visas and they include:

1. Short-term Study visa
2. Marriage visa
3. Medical treatment visa

These are all short-stay visas that allow you to study in the short term, get married or enter into a civil partnership in Ireland, and take medical treatment for up to 90 days. If you need to study for longer, join your spouse, or take long-term treatment, you can avail of an Ireland long-stay visa to do all of those.

To obtain one of the above-mentioned visas, you must be able to prove your intent in Ireland and have enough money to finance your trip and activities in the State. For the Marriage visa, for example, you must be able to provide an acknowledgement from the Registrar confirming the date of receipt of notification of intention to marry and evidence of your relationship, among other documents,