Ireland Short Stay Family/Friend Visa

When writing your application letter, it is important to provide the following information:

• Your full name and postal address
• Your reason to visit Ireland
• The intended dates for entry and departure from Ireland
• The places you intend to stay whilst in Ireland (ex. at a friend or family member’s home, a hotel, hostel, or other rented accommodation)
• A brief description of who is funding your travel to Ireland
• The names and addresses of any family members who are currently living in Ireland (if applicable)
• The names and addresses of any family members who are currently living in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland
• If visiting a friend, you must provide the name and address of your friend along with a description of you know each other and documentary evidence of your relationship (copies of letters, emails, photographs, etc)
• If visiting a family member, you must provide the name and address of your family member, documentary evidence that shows relation (ex. a birth or marriage certificate), and evidence of your relationship (copies of letters, emails, photographs, evidence of past visits, etc)

Furthermore, your letter must also include a commitment from you that you obey the conditions of your visa, not become a burden on the State or rely on public services and leave Ireland before your visa expires.

When your friend or family member writes their invitation letter, they should include the following information:

• The reason why they are inviting you to travel to Ireland
• The intended dates of your travel
• A description of how you know each other
• A clear and legible colour photocopy of the friend or family member’s National Identity Card, Irish Residence Permit, immigration permission stamp, or passport
• If your friend or a family member has invited you to stay with them in Ireland, they must state their invitation, dates of intended stay, and home address
• If your friend or family member is helping to fund the trip, they must include a cost estimate and descriptions of what they are funding in euros, and documents that prove they can fully pay for the expenses entirely

Furthermore, the invitation letter must also include a statement from the friend or family member that they understand that you must obey the conditions of your visa, not become a burden on the State or rely on public services and leave Ireland before your visa expires.

Anyone applying for a Short Stay ‘C’ visa will need to prove that they have strong family, social or economic ties to their country of residence to prove to the visa officer that he/she will not overstay their visa and leave Ireland before their visa expires.

To prove that you have social or economic ties in your home country, you may submit the following documents:

• Work payslips
• A letter from your employer stating how long you have been employed with that business, the dates of your absence from work
• A letter from your university or college stating the courses you are studying, how many years you have been attending the academic institution, how many years or terms you have left to pursue your degree
• Details of any family members in your country of residence (ex. birth certificates of dependent children, marriage certificates if you have a spouse, etc)
• Evidence of any property you either own or rent (property deeds, rental agreements, mortgage statements, etc)
• If self-employed, you can provide a letter detailing your business and what services or products they sell. This should be accompanied by financial documents showing that the business is viable.

Since short-stay visas do not permit the visa holder access to public funds or publicly-funded services, it is necessary that the visa applicant proves that they have access to sufficient funds that will allow them to support themselves financially whilst in Ireland.

To demonstrate that you can financially support yourself whilst in Ireland you must include a bank statement showing money paid in and out for the past 6 months. This statement must be officially certified by your bank should include your name, address, bank account number, and account type. If the statement is from a savings and deposit account, you must include an original letter from the bank confirming that you can withdraw money from it. If your statement shows any large movements of money in or out of your account, you will need to include a written explanation of transactions.

If your trip partly or entirely relies on funding from someone other than you, you will need to provide an estimate of costs for the trip and state who is paying for which costs. You must supply evidence proving that the individual(s) financially supporting you whilst in Ireland can afford these expenses. To prove that the individual(s) can afford to financially support you, they will bees to submit current bank statements, their 3 most recent payslips, their most recent P60, and a letter from their employer confirming their employment (if employed).

Self-employed individuals can prove their financial status by submitting a letter describing their business along with any financial documents that prove their business is viable (copies of financial accounts, tax returns, confirmation of payments from customers from the past 6 months, etc)

Anyone who is helping to financially support you whilst in Ireland must be able to prove a bona fide relationship by submitting evidence such as photographs of you both together, email, letters, or any other evidence of correspondence. Furthermore, they must also provide their name, address, and contact details.

It should be noted that there are no minimum set amount of funds for approval. The visa officer will decide on a case-by-case basis if you have enough money to fund your trip and stay in Ireland.

You may be able to enter Northern Ireland once you have entered Ireland if you have an Irish visa with the letters BIVS written on it. BIVS stands for the British-Irish Visa Scheme which allows the United Kingdom and Ireland to mutually recognize each other’s short-term visas.

If you do not have an Irish visa with BIVS written on it, you may need to apply for a UK visa in order to enter Northern Ireland.