Irish Visa | Step By Step Guide To Apply

 If you are planning a trip to the so-called Emerald Isle, then you should check into whether or not you require a visa to enter Ireland. 

It is dependent on the nation in question to know if you require an Irish Visa.

Bear in mind, however, that the Irish visa is merely a pre-entry clearance, and it does not in and of itself provide entrance into the country.

Ireland Visa

This article will provide in-depth information about Irish visa, including the many types of Irish visas, how to apply for an Irish visa, who needs a visa to enter Ireland, and the requirements for an Irish visa.

Requirements For Irish Visa.

The regulations that govern your ability to enter Ireland vary according to your country and can be broken down into three categories:

• Nationals of the EU/EEA

• If you hold a passport or national identity card that is still valid and you are a citizen of a country that is a member of the European Union or the European Economic Area, then you are eligible to enter Ireland and stay for up to three months.

• When you arrive in Ireland, you will not be required to obtain a visa nor will you be required to register with the immigration authorities.

• Nationals of countries outside the EU and EEA who do not require a visa to enter Ireland.

• If you are not from a nation that is part of the EU or EEA but are from a country that does not require a visa to enter Ireland, then you do not need to apply for a visa to enter Ireland.

• You will, however, be required to present yourself at the border check station in Ireland in order to register with the immigration authorities. The Immigration Officer is the one who will determine whether or not you are permitted to enter Ireland.

Nationals of countries outside of the EU and EEA. Who needs a visa to enter Ireland?

You are required to submit an application for a visa to enter Ireland if you are a citizen of a nation that is not a member of the EU or EEA and falls under the jurisdiction of the Irish visa regime. 

This indicates that you are required to:

• Obtain authorization in order to travel to Ireland (Ireland visa). You are able to accomplish this from within your native nation.

• Register with the immigration officials as soon as you arrive in Ireland. They will be the ones to decide whether or not you will be allowed to enter and remain in the country.

• Even though you have an Ireland visa, you will not be permitted to enter Ireland even if you have this visa. To be allowed to stay, you must obtain approval from an Immigration Office.

Who requires a visa to enter Ireland?

• Because Ireland is a member of the European Union and the European Economic Area, citizens of countries who are also parties to these two agreements do not require a visa in order to visit Ireland.

• In addition, travelers from a number of other nations that are not members of the EU or the EEA do not require a visa to enter Ireland in order to do so. These nations are exempt from this requirement.

• If you are a citizen of one of the countries on this list, you will be required to submit an application for an Irish visa.

Different categories of Irish visas

The types of Ireland visas are distinguished by the length of stay, the reason for travel, and the number of times a visitor intends to enter the country.

Visas for a Short Stay in Ireland (C Visa)

You are required to submit an application for an Irish short-stay visa if you wish to go to Ireland for a journey that will last for a period of time that is less than three months. 

In addition to this, you are required to submit an application for the particular visa that is required for the purpose of your travel.

The following are the categories of Irish visas for short stays:

• Irish Tourist visas are granted to non-Irish citizens who wish to travel to Ireland for the purposes of tourism and are required to do so.

• The Irish Business visa is designed for non-Irish people who need to attend a meeting, do business, or have other obligations relating to their professional lives.

• Employment visa issued by the Irish government, granted under the Atypical Working Scheme, to non-Irish people who have been given permission to take up temporary work in Ireland.

• Irish Stage Performance or Tournament visa, for performing artists who have to stage a performance in Ireland or for athletes who will participate in a sports event in Ireland. This visa is also for athletes who will compete in a sporting event.

• The Irish Training visa is intended for non-Irish people who intend to take part in a training program of a shorter duration in Ireland.

• The Irish Short-Term Internship visa is designed for non-Irish citizens who will be traveling to Ireland to take up a position as a paid intern for a length of time that will not exceed three months.

• The Irish Medical treatment visa is designed for non-Irish people who are required to receive medical treatment in an Irish medical facility.

• The Irish Join a Ship visa is designed for non-Irish citizens who will be boarding a ship in Ireland during the first twenty-four hours of their arrival in the country.

• Irish Marriage visa, for foreign nationals who desire to marry in Ireland and have received an acknowledgment from the Irish Registrar of Civil Marriages. This visa is only available to foreign individuals who have already received an acknowledgment.

• The Irish Exam visa is intended for non-Irish nationals who are required to travel to Ireland in order to take an examination there.

Irish Long-Stay Visas (D Visa)

You are required to submit an application for an Ireland long-stay visa if you intend to remain in the country for a period of time that is going to be greater than three months. 

The following are the categories of long-stay visas for Ireland:

• The Irish Study visa is designed for non-Irish citizens who wish to come to Ireland in order to enroll in a course of study offered by an Irish educational establishment.
• The Irish Work visa is granted to non-Irish citizens who have located employment in Ireland and have been granted immigration permission to do so.

• A foreign citizen who wishes to join a family member already residing in Ireland and is also a foreign national can apply for an Irish family visa.

• The Irish Working holiday visa is available to foreign people whose home country is a party to the Work Holiday agreement that Ireland has in place.

• The Irish Researcher visa is intended for non-Irish citizens who intend to take up employment in Ireland in the field of scientific research.

• The Irish Long-Term Internship visa is designed for non-Irish nationals who will eventually be hired after participating in a paid internship in Ireland for a duration lasting more than three months.

• The Irish Volunteer visa is designed for non-Irish citizens who want to move to travel to Ireland to work as a volunteer in a charity, non-profit, or voluntary organization. The visa can be applied for by foreign nationals.

• Irish Minister of Religion visa, for non-Irish nationals who will be traveling to Ireland to conduct ceremonies or for other religiously-related causes of a similar kind.

• The Irish Retirement Visa is designed for non-Irish people who are financially independent and do not require a job in Ireland to support themselves.

Visa for transit through Ireland

If citizens of certain countries want to change their mode of transportation at an Irish airport or seaport without going through customs and immigration, they will need to apply for an Irish Transit visa. 

This visa will be required even if they do not cross the border.

Learn more about Ireland Transit Visa requirements here.

Visas for Ireland, Both Single and Multiple Entries

The Single-Entry and Multiple-Entry visas for Ireland are distinguished from one another, as their respective names imply, by the number of times you are permitted to enter Ireland while the visa is still active.

If you have an Irish visa that only allows a single entrance, you are only permitted to enter the nation once, and you are not permitted to return to Ireland after leaving the country, even if your visa is still active.

You are permitted an unlimited number of entries and exits from Ireland if you have a multiple-entry Irish visa, provided that your visa is still valid.

The multiple-entry visa, on the other hand, is awarded much less frequently than the single-entry visa, and it is only granted to passengers who have previously been granted visas and demonstrated that they have complied with the restrictions. 

If you will be traveling frequently, for example, for brief business meetings, multiple-entry visas may be provided to you. This is yet another circumstance in which they may be issued.

You have the ability to submit an application for a multiple-entry visa; but, it is ultimately up to the Irish authorities to decide whether or not they will grant you one.

Application for an Ireland Visa

The submission of an application for a visa to Ireland must be done entirely online. Following the completion of the online form, you will then be sent instructions regarding the next steps to take, which will vary from country to country.

Submitting an application by filling out the form online

You are required to submit your application for an Ireland visa through AVATS, which stands for the Irish Online Application facility. 

You can find AVATS on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS). You will get a transaction number that you can use to recover your application whenever you want within the next 30 days.

You will be required to supply information regarding the following at the beginning of the application:

• The category of visa for which you are applying
• How Long Will You Be Here?
• Single/Multiple-Entry
• The reason for making the trip.
• Both the type and number of your passport.
• The times and dates that you plan to travel.

You will next proceed to answer further questions, such as the following:

• Information Relating to an Individual
• country in which one resides.
• Residential address.

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How long have you been residing in the country that you are now in?

• Whether you have previously submitted an application for an Irish visa or been granted one.

• If the answer is yes, please give me the reference number.

• Whether or not you have ever had an application for an Irish visa rejected.

• Whether or not you have family members currently residing in Ireland.

• Whether or if you have any convictions for criminal offenses.

• Details pertaining to a passport

• Employment status.

• Specifics regarding how and with whom you will be going are required.

• If you have a host in Ireland, please provide some information about them.

• Your family history, specifically the number and ages of any children you have.

• At this point, you will be taken to a Declaration that you are required to read and agree to in order to proceed with submitting the application.

• You are required to print a physical summary copy of the application after you have finished filling out the online application.

• Providing the passport along with the other documents

After printing the online application, the following steps need to be taken:

• Send in the completed application form.

• your passport, along with a number of documents supporting you,

• In addition to the payment of the Irish visa fee.

• In the application summary that you will receive, you will be given instructions on where you may deliver the documents and your passport. 

• It is possible that the site will be an Irish embassy, consulate, or visa application center in your country; however, this will depend on the nation in which you are applying.

Providing the necessary biometrics

It is possible that you will also be asked to supply your biometric information, such as a photograph and/or fingerprints. 

If you choose to, you will be required to do so at the same location where you would submit your application.

The time required to process an Ireland visa is around eight weeks. 

Be sure to apply for your visa in plenty of time before your trip, as the processing time can vary greatly depending on the circumstances of each individual application.

Border control

In the event that you are granted an Irish visa and subsequently make your way to Ireland, you will need to present yourself at border control in order to be allowed entry. 

Immigration officers are the ones who determine whether or not you will be permitted to stay in the country and for how long.

You are need to provide the immigration officer at the port of entry with copies of all the documents you provided in support of your application for an Ireland visa, as well as your valid passport and visa.

What Options Do I Have in the Event That I Am Denied an Irish Visa?

In the event that your request for an Irish visa is denied, you will be sent a letter of rejection. 

This letter will explain why your request was denied and will let you know if you have the right to appeal the decision.

You will not be permitted to make an appeal, for instance, if you have submitted any information that is shown to be untrue.

However, if you believe the refusal of your Ireland visa was made in error, you have only two months from the date of the denial to file an appeal. 

The following is the process that must be followed in order to appeal a decision:

Compose an appeal letter in which you explain why you believe the denial was in error and give specific reasons for why you believe the decision should be altered. 

While you are doing so, refer to the reason that was provided in the letter of refusal. In the letter, make sure to include the following information:

• Your transaction number, if you have one.

• Full name.

• Postal address.

• Email address.

• Collect any evidence you think would be relevant to your case and aid support your position in the appeal. Only provide the materials in their original form.

• Only include a copy of your passport in the appeal if the letter explaining the refusal says you should.

• Place all of your supporting documentation inside of a sturdy envelope, and send your appeal to the address that was provided to you in the refusal letter.

• You are welcome to submit the appeals for many people in a single package if that is more convenient for you. However, you should put each applicant's materials in a separate, smaller envelope and write their name and the Visa Application Transaction Number on the outside of each envelope. 

• After that, arrange all of the smaller envelopes inside of a bigger envelope, and ship the combined package.

Who Files the Appeal After Being Denied an Ireland Visa?

You are allowed to submit the application on your own if you are over the age of 18.

If you are over the age of 18 and someone else is applying for you, you are required to give that person a letter of authorization granting them authority to submit the appeal on your behalf. 

If you are under the age of 18, you are exempt from this requirement. They are required to affix the letter to the other documents that they have submitted.

If you are under the age of 18, both your parents or another adult legally responsible for you must submit the appeal on your behalf. 

It is unnecessary for you to write them a letter of authorization at this time.

If I have an Irish visa, am I able to travel to Northern Ireland?

Despite the fact that they both include the name Ireland in their titles, a visa for the Republic of Ireland will not allow you to enter Northern Ireland. 

You will, however, be required to have a visa that was issued by the United Kingdom.

Both the Republic of Ireland, which comprises the bulk of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is a region of the United Kingdom, may be found on the island of Ireland. 

The Republic of Ireland is the larger of the two territories.

Nevertheless, citizens of selected countries that are part of the British-Irish Visa Scheme are permitted to enter a territory of the United Kingdom with an Irish visa and vice versa.

Several Important Facts Regarding Ireland

• The land area of Ireland is merely 84,421 square kilometers (32,595 square miles), yet the country has a population of approximately 6.6 million people.

• In spite of this, it is still one of the most well-known countries in the world and a very popular tourist destination. This is largely attributable to the country's breathtaking natural scenery — which earned it the moniker "Emerald Isle" — as well as the innumerable breathtaking historical sites.

• In point of fact, it is estimated that there are more than 30,000 castles and castle ruins spread out across Ireland. Just in the year 2018, Ireland welcomed more than 11.2 million visitors.

Covid 19 Tips

Many nations still have entry restrictions and closed borders. If you need assistance planning your travels, please visit the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Centre website. 

Before leaving for the airport, you are encouraged to check with your airline or travel agency to make sure that your flight routes are still operating because the measures implemented could cause flight cancellations and a decrease in flight frequency.

For further travel details regarding the locations, you can also consult the MFA Travel Information pages.

Information for Incoming and Outgoing Travellers

• Under the Vaccinated Travel Framework (VTF), all countries/regions will be classified under the General Travel or Restricted Category and accord border measures by individual traveller’s vaccination status. Currently, all countries/regions come under the General Travel Category. There are no countries/regions in the Restricted Category at the moment.

• Advisory for Irish students studying overseas can be found on the MOE website and the Travel Advisory on the MOH website. Common concerns pertaining to the advisory have been addressed here. FAQs on the MOH website (under Border Measures) also provide information for students on overseas studies.

• Updates on Irish border control measures in response to COVID-19 can be found on the ICA website. Information on the SG Arrival Card with Electronic Declaration can be found here.

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