Ireland Visa Policy

Visa Policy for Ireland

An Ireland visa policy lists the rules, requirements, and laws established by the government in order to facilitate foreign travel to Ireland. Despite being a member of the European Union, Ireland does not belong to the Schengen Area, so it sets its own visa requirements.

With the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, Ireland is a part of the Common Travel Area, which grants British and Irish citizens freedom of movement with minimal or no identification requirements.

As in the Schengen area, Ireland has a similar visa policy. Free movement is a right of all EU citizens and nationals of EFTA states. Tourists, business people, and transit passengers from all over the world are also allowed to enter Ireland without a visa. Check out Ireland visa policy for more details.

In accordance with Ireland visa policy, more than 155 countries require a visa from an embassy in order to enter Ireland, since no electronic visas (eVisa) nor visas on arrival are available for the country. The majority of travelers with visas require a transit visa if they are passing through Ireland on the way to another country.

Those travel destinations that have a short-term visa exemption who wish to visit Ireland for longer periods are required to obtain a visa before entering the country. A visa issued by an Irish embassy can be used for a variety of different travel purposes and for a variety of different periods of stay.

It is not mandatory for foreign nationals to have a passport with at least a 6-month validity from their date of arrival in Ireland in order to enter Ireland, although the requirements may differ depending on their nationality. The following list provides a comprehensive overview of travel regulations as per the Ireland visa policy.

Tourist Visa Policy for Ireland

According to Ireland visa policy, up to 90 nationalities can stay in Ireland for up to 90 days for tourism without a visa. They also have freedom of movement for tourists. The only exception to this is travelers from more than 155 countries and territories needing a tourist visa to enter Ireland for leisure purposes, no matter how long they intend to stay.

Currently, foreign nationals can only obtain a tourist visa through an Irish embassy or consulate, since a tourist eVisa is not available or a visa on arrival. A short stay tourist visa to Ireland is typically issued for one entry only, but for an additional fee, it can be issued for multiple entries.

To visit Ireland for tourism, all foreigners who do not belong to the European Union, UK, or EFTA must possess a passport from an eligible country with a validity of at least 6 months from the date of arrival. Keep on reading this article for more details about the Ireland visa policy.

Short Stay Tourist Visa for Ireland

A short stay tourist visa allows you to travel to Ireland for tourism or study for up to 90 days. Although Ireland visa policy has a visa exemption policy for up to 90 countries and territories for varying periods of stay, an Irish visa is still required for more than 155 countries regardless of how long they intend to stay in Ireland.

Currently, the Ireland visa policy permits travelers to apply for visas for Ireland only through an embassy from where they may apply for either a short-term or long-term stay visa. If you are planning on staying in Ireland for a short period of time, you can obtain either a single entry or multiple entry short-stay tourist visa, but the latter requires a larger fee. For the purpose of applying for an Irish visa, the applicant must indicate the type of visa they need according to the purpose of their visit, whether it is a visit visa, a student visa, a work visa, an exam visa, an internship visa, and so on. In order to apply for a short-stay tourist visa for Ireland, the traveler must first make an appointment at the nearest Irish government office, either an embassy or consulate, at least two to three weeks before the intended travel dates.

The application form will ask for basic personal information, passport information, and travel information during the consular interview. Depending on the type of visa you are seeking, a consular officer may also request additional documentation. Within a few weeks, embassy representatives will approve a visa for the traveler if they fulfill all the requirements. The following list will show you whether a short-term tourist visa for Ireland is required for your nationality.

• Afghanistan
• Aland Islands
• Albania
• Algeria
• American Samoa
• Angola
• Anguilla
• Antarctica
• Armenia
• Aruba
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Benin
• Bermuda
• Bhutan
• Bonaire
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• British Virgin Islands
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Cayman Islands
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• China
• Christmas Island
• Cocos Islands
• Colombia
• Comoros
• Congo
• Cook Islands
• Cuba
• Curacao
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Djibouti
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Falkland Islands
• Faroe Islands
• Federated States of Micronesia
• French Guiana
• French Polynesia
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Georgia
• Ghana
• Gibraltar
• Greenland
• Guadeloupe
• Guam
• Guernsey
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Haiti
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Isle of Man
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Jersey
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Liberia
• Libya
• Macedonia
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Mali
• Marshall Islands
• Martinique
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mayotte
• Moldova
• • Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Montserrat
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Myanmar
• Namibia
• Nepal
• New Caledonia
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Niue
• Norfolk Island
• North Korea
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Palau
• Palestinian Territory
• Papua New Guinea
• Peru
• Philippines
• Pitcairn Islands
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar
• Reunion
• Russian Federation
• Rwanda
• Saint Barthelemy
• Saint Helena
• Saint Martin
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Sierra Leone
• Sint Maarten
• Somalia
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• South Sudan
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Suriname
• Svalbard and Jan Mayen
• Syrian Arab Republic
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste
• Togo Tokelau
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• United States Virgin Islands
• Uzbekistan
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Wallis and Futuna
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Learn more about the Ireland short-stay tourist visa

Other Visa Information for Ireland

You can travel to Ireland on a short stay 'C' business visa for up to 90 days for work-related activities, including attending meetings, negotiating or signing contracts, or working for less than 14 days. Using a passport or travel document from a country that requires a visa to enter Ireland will need you to have one. There is a separate visa application for each traveler. A special visa program makes it easier for Indian and Chinese nationals to travel between the UK and Ireland. The Irish and UK governments can issue a single visa if you travel with an Indian or Chinese passport.