Applying for a visa to Ireland

Specific details

It's important to understand that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, and can be visited with a standard UK visa. The Republic of Ireland, on the other hand, is a separate entity occupying most of the island of the same name.

Pay attention that a Schengen visa doesn't apply to Ireland as the country isn't included in the Schengen area.

There are different categories of visas you can apply for, depending on the purpose of your visit:

A tourist visa to Ireland is issued to those making regular tourist trips or taking short-term studies of up to three months.
A guest visa is designed for people who plan to visit friends or relatives, or for those who intend to study in Ireland for a short period. The duration of such a visa is also three months.
A student visa to Ireland is available for those who have been enrolled in Irish universities and plan to study there for a prolonged period.
A business visa is designed for business trips, and requires an invitation from business partners within Ireland.
A transit visa is for travellers passing through the country.

Working visas are provided to individuals who have secured employment in Ireland.

Visa Duration

The tourists are typically granted a single-entry visa that is valid for three months. However, a study visa to Ireland and work visas have a longer validity period.

Regular business travellers, as well as family members of EU citizens (including spouses and children), may be issued multiple-entry visas.

Application Procedure

The visa processing begins with filling out an online application form, available on the Irish Government's website at http://visas.inis.gov.ie. Here, you'll find the official instructions for completion, in English.

The application form has a full and short version. The latter must be printed out and submitted along with a package of other documents to the embassy.

According to the official rules, every document should have a notary-certified translation, although independent translations without assurance are also accepted by the embassy.

Visa Documentation

You'll need to provide a foreign passport, which shouldn't expire for at least six months following the end of your trip and return to your home country. The passport should have at least two blank pages. The original passport is submitted to the embassy, but in some cases, a copy may be accepted if a valid reason is given for the original's absence (note that this could increase the probability of visa refusal, including a visa to study in Ireland).

Visa Fees

The consular fee for a visa is approximately 70 dollars. Please note that if the visa application is refused, this fee is non-refundable.

Exemptions from the visa fee is extended on:

Relatives of Irish citizens (children, spouses)
Citizens holding diplomatic passports
Payment Methods

A common payment method involves transferring the visa document package (student visa to Ireland, work or tourism visa) to a courier, along with the payment. This method generally works, although there is a slight risk involved. Personally submitting the documents and payment to the embassy guarantees a trouble-free process.

Visa Processing

The typical processing time ranges between 5 and 15 days, with most visas (including the student visa to Ireland) ready within a week. Pay attention that during peak holiday season, visa processing might take longer. Many students travel to the country in the summer, leading to an extended processing time for their study visas to Ireland. To ensure a timely visa issuance, it's best to submit documents one month in advance.

In order to obtain a work visa, you'll need to supplement the standard document package with:

An invitation from the employer indicating the position and salary of the invitee. If available, an employment contract is necessary to provide. The invitee's degree certificate, medical insurance for the entire period of work are also required.

Visa Denials

Each embassy considers every document thoroughly, and any inaccuracies, incorrect information, or errors due to inattentiveness can result in a visa denial.

If this happens, the applicant has the right to appeal within two months. However, if forgery is detected in the documents, the appeal will not be accepted for consideration.

Documents for obtaining a tourist visa

This type of visa is most common, so it is worth considering the issue in more detail.

The package of documents includes:

Passport - an original and a copy of its first page;
Application form;
2 photos;
Copy of the old passport with pages of Schengen, American, English, Australian, Canadian visas are placed, if any;
National passport - a copy of all the completed pages; each page should be copied to a separate sheet of A4 paper;

Confirmation of the hotel reservation (if it is planned to reside in it) - it is received by email, but in order to insure yourself, tourists request the document in original or by fax;

Invitation from relatives and friends with a copy of the passport of the inviting person. The document should indicate: the place and period of the guest's stay, the confirmation of the inviting party about the responsibility for it;

Health insurance policy is not compulsory, but very desirable, because life is unpredictable: a copy of the insurance medical policy is required. The amount of coverage must be at least 30 thousand euros;

Extract from the bank account of the tourist with specifying operations on the account for the last six months, certified by the signature of the authorized person and the bank seal. To increase the chance of obtaining a visa, you can attach documents for real estate and vehicles in copies;

A certificate of employment in which must be indicated: period of working, position, salary (not less than $ 800), contacts; It must be signed by the chief accountant and the head of the company, certified with a seal - the data will be checked by the embassy;

If the tourist is traveling with non-working family members, you need to make a statement that he is their sponsor; While the average salary for a family should be at least $ 600;

Non-working tourists submit a letter confirming the sponsorship and a certificate of employment of the person financing the trip: the sponsor indicates that he undertakes to pay all expenses;

For a schoolchild - certificate from the place of study, for a student - a copy of the student's card, for a retiree - a copy of the pension certificate;

If a family is traveling to Ireland, it is better to provide copies of birth certificates for children and marriage certificates; it happens that unmarried women are denied a visa - the embassy does not exclude the possibility that they are traveling to find a husband to stay in the country for permanent residence;

Illegal immigrants - unwanted guests in any European country; The tourist will have to prove that his/her position at home is quite strong: the availability of work and real estate are a convincing argument that the tourist is not going to immigrate;

Another proof in favor of the tourist - tickets to the events that he plans to visit in the country. They show that the tourist visits the country only for informational purposes.

Photos: requirements and rules

For a visa of any type you need 2 photos sized 3.5x4.5 cm, which should be identical.

You do not need to attach them to the form. On the back, it is necessary to write legibly the name of the tourist and the number of the application form (transaction number).

The background of the picture should be light, and the face occupies ¾ of the entire area of the photo.

Eyes should not be covered either with hair or with dark glasses. Therefore, if you wear glasses, in a picture they should be with usual light glasses.

The frame for the photo is not needed. Demand for a photo is the following: open eyes, closed mouth, calm face. The headwear is excluded.

Features of traveling with children

If both parents travel with their children, the usual package of documents should be added with:

two children's photos (the requirements for them are similar);
copies of birth certificates.

If one parent or someone else travels, a power of attorney from the other parent and a copy of the passport of the person accompanying the child should be attached. The power of attorney must include the name of the country where the tourists are traveling to, and the dates of their stay.

Children who have not reached the age of 14 are fitted into the passport of their parents, and a photo for children from 6 to 14 years old is pasted.

Children older than 14 years issue their passport independently, the application form is signed by one of the parents.

Student visa

Students who need a visa for study in Ireland, submit to the Embassy a package of documents (written in a tourist visa) and add to it:

a certificate of a bank account (the amount on the student's account must cover all travel expenses);
certificatesof employment of each parent (specifying the salary);
invitation from the educational institution;
a copy of the school certificate;
copies of receipts for paying tuition and living expenses;
detailed information of the student.

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