Ireland Working Holiday Visa

Due to the long-standing common travel area agreement (CTA), Irish and British citizens, including those from Northern Ireland, hold specific rights that are not available to citizens from other countries.

The CTA has been in place for decades and states that British and Irish citizens may move, live, work, study and travel in each other’s countries without requiring a specific visa. Despite the UK leaving the European Union (Brexit), the rules do not change and British citizens continue to enjoy these privileges in Ireland. This means that any young UK nationals that wish to experience life in Ireland can, per the Irish government rules.

British citizens must travel with their valid passports when they enter Ireland to avoid any problems.

There are many individuals who live in the UK by way of a different immigration pathway, that is not citizens of either UK or Ireland. If this is you, and you are a citizen of the eligible ten countries apart of the Irish working holiday visa scheme below, you are permitted to apply for an exciting working holiday visa:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Canada
• Chile
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• New Zealand
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• USA

Young people who are from the European Union or EEA can explore the different routes to enter Ireland.

To apply for a working holiday visa, you must first apply for a Working Holiday Authorization through your country’s embassy. Any applicants from Taiwan will need to apply through the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service, rather than the embassy.

Applicants that qualify will be given an authorization that needs to be shown to immigration officials at border control in Ireland. You will need to present to the officials all the documents they ask for and explain to them the reason that you wish to enter Ireland.  It is important to know that despite receiving prior Working Holiday Authorization, your entrance into Ireland is not guaranteed as immigration officials will decide whether you can enter the country based on the documents you provide.

Should border control allow you into Ireland, your valid passport will be given a landing stamp, which also has a date that you are permitted to stay in Ireland, which is usually 90 days from the date you landed.

It is imperative that you register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau at an immigration registration office as soon as possible after you enter Ireland. If you fail to register in time, you may be forced to leave the country. The registration process depends on where you are living in Ireland and you have to book an appointment in advance, which you can do for up 10 weeks, as you will not be allowed to register without an appointment.

At your appointment, don’t forget your passport and Working Holiday Authorization as without, you simply will not be able to register. To register, it costs  €300 per person. At the registration appointment, an immigration officer will review your documents and make a decision on whether or not you qualify to have your immigration permission extended beyond 90 days. If your registration goes well a new permission stamp in your passport and issued with an Irish Residence Permit (IRP).