Visas
What is a Visa
A visa is a paper document affixed to a page of the holder's passport. It permits a person to travel to the State during the dates stated on the visa. It does not guarantee entry to the State. An Immigration Officer at the Port of Entry has the authority to grant or deny admission, and to decide on the duration a person may remain in the State.
Who requires a Visa
Schedule 1 lists those countries whose nationals do not require a visa to enter Ireland.
SCHEDULE 1
Classes of non-nationals not required to be in possession of a valid Irish visa when landing in the State
Andorra Guatemala Poland
Antigua & Barbuda Guyana Portugal
Argentina Honduras Romania
Australia Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region) Saint Kitts & Nevis
Austria Hungary Saint Lucia
The Bahamas Iceland Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Barbados Israel Samoa
Belgium Italy San Marino
Belize Japan Seychelles
Bolivia Kiribati Singapore
Botswana Latvia Slovak Republic
Brazil Lesotho Slovenia
Brunei Liechtenstein Solomon Islands
Bulgaria Lithuania South Africa
Canada Luxembourg South Korea
Chile Macau (Special Administrative Region) Spain
Costa Rica Malawi Swaziland
Croatia Malaysia Sweden
Cyprus Maldives Switzerland
Czech Republic Malta Tonga
Denmark Mauritius Trinidad & Tobago
Dominica Mexico Tuvalu
El Salvador Monaco United Kingdom & Colonies
Estonia Nauru United States of America
Fiji Netherlands Uruguay
Finland New Zealand Vanuatu
France Nicaragua Vatican City
Germany Norway Venezuela
Greece Panama
Grenada Paraguay
Therefore nationals of all countries not mentioned on Schedule 1 will require a Visa prior to seeking entry to Ireland.
Types of Visa
1. Business Visa
If you are a non-EEA national and you wish to come to Ireland in order to establish a business, then you will need to obtain a business visa from the Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform before you can do so.
However it is important to note that if you fall into one of the following categories of non-EEA national then you will not require such a business visa. These categories are:
- persons granted refugee status by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform,
- dependant relatives of EEA nationals exercising a valid right to reside inIreland.
- persons granted permission to remain in the State on one of the following grounds:-
- persons with permission to remain as the spouse of an Irish national.
- persons with permission to remain in Ireland on the basis that they are the parent of an Irish citizen.
- persons who have been granted temporary leave to remain in the State on humanitarian grounds, having been in the asylum process (see asylum process above)
Conditions of a Business Visa
In order to be eligible for a Business Visa, applicants must comply with the following criteria: the proposed business must:
- result in the transfer to the State of a minimum of €300,000 in capital;
- create employment for at least two EEA nationals in the case of a new project or, at the very least, maintain employment in an existing business;
- add to the commercial activity and competitiveness of the State;
- be a viable trading concern and provide the applicant with sufficient income to maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants without resorting to social assistance or paid employment for which a work permit would be required;
It is also important to note that the applicant must be in possession of a valid passport or national identity document and be of good character.
There are however a number of exceptions to the conditions outline at (a) and (b) above. They are:
- where the applicant has been lawfully resident in Ireland for at least five years, has been resident in an employed capacity and has not breached any of the Immigration Laws during this time.
- where the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is satisfied that the application is justified within the terms of the ‘European Council Resolution relating to the limitations on the admission of third-country nationals to the territory of the Member States for the purpose of pursuing activities as self-employed persons (1994)’.
- where the applicant is seeking to exercise a right of establishment under one of the Association Agreements between the European Union and the countries of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania.
- Where the applicant is a Writer, Artist and Crafts persons.
2. Employment Visa
A non-EEA national requires an employment permit to take up employment in Ireland, unless they come within the exceptions listed below. It is an offence under the Employment Permits Acts 2003 and 2006 for both an employer and an employee if a non-EEA National is in employment without an appropriate employment permit.
Employment permit holders can only work for the employer and in the occupation named on the permit.
Citizens of non-EEA countries who do not require Employment Permits include:- a non-EEA national who has obtained explicit permission from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to remain resident and employed in the State.
- a non-EEA national who has been granted refugee status
- a non-EEA national who holds appropriate business permission to operate a
business in the State - a non-EEA national who is a registered student working less than 20 hours a week
- Swiss nationals
Restrictions on access to the Irish labour market continue for nationals of Bulgaria and Romania despite their accession to the EU on the 1st January 2007. Full details are available on www.entemp.ie
You can apply for a work visa by way of :
- A First Employment Permit
- An Employment Permit to re-employ staff
- An Employment Permit for a foreign national currently employed by a different employer on foot of an employment permit
- A change in the type of Employment Permit held by a foreign national.
Under the Immigration Residence and Protection Bill it is intended that work visas will be obtained by an Irish Citizen guaranteeing by way of deposit or bond a visa application in prescribed circumstances and visas will be classified by different factors and circumstances.
3. Holiday Visa
Visit/Holiday visas are granted ONLY for short term stays. The duration of stay is determined by an Immigration Officer at the Port of Entry, but will never exceed a maximum of 90 days.
It is not possible to extend your stay beyond 90 days.
You must leave the State on or before the date which has been stamped on your passport by the Immigration Officer. (The dates on your visa refer to the dates during which you can seek to enter the State).
The following documents are required when applying for a holiday visa:
- Fully completed and signed Application Form.
- Passport, valid for 6 months after your intended date of departure from the State.
- If you are resident in a country other than your country of origin evidence of your permission to reside in that country. This permission should be valid for at least 3 months after your intended departure from Ireland.
- Full details of the reason for your visit – e.g. to visit family, friends etc.
- If you intend staying in Hotel accommodation, confirmation of the booking from the hotel.
- A letter of invitation from your reference in Ireland confirming accommodation will be provided for the duration of your visit.
- A written undertaking both from yourself and your reference that you will observe the conditions of your visa, that you will not become a burden on the State and that you will leave the State on the expiration of your permission to remain.
- Details of how you are known to, or related to your reference, and supporting evidence of this
- If your reference is not an Irish/EEA citizen, evidence of their permission to remain in Ireland will be required.
4. Student Visa
In applying for a Student Visa you must be able to show that:
- You are enrolled on a privately funded course involving at least 15 hours of organised daytime tuition each week
- You have paid the requisite fees to the college
- You have the academic ability to follow your chosen course.
- You have a level of English language sufficient to do so (except in the case of an application which is solely for an English language course)
- You have immediate access to at least €7,000. This is the estimated cost of living in Ireland for a student for one academic year.
- You must also demonstrate that you or your sponsor has ready access to an amount of at least €7,000 for each subsequent year of your studies, in addition to the course fees for each of those years.
- You have private medical insurance.
- You can account for any gaps in your educational history.
- Your intention is to return to your country of permanent residence following completion of your studies in Ireland
A Study Visa will be granted on the basis that you will attend school/college to partake in a course which involves at least 15 hours of organised daytime tuition each week. It will be necessary for you to show evidence of your attendance record to the Garda National Immigration Bureau when seeking to have your permission to remain in the State extended.
How much does an Irish Visa application cost?
The non-refundable Visa Application Processing Fees apply as follows:SINGLE-JOURNEY €60.00
MULTIPLE-JOURNEY €100.00
TRANSIT €25.00
Postal or courier charges may also be levied in some cases and information in this regard, and on the fee in your local currency, is available from your local Embassy, Consulate or Visa Office.
Some applicants are not required to pay a fee. This includes visa-required spouses and certain family members of EEA citizens (including Irish nationals) provided that proof of the relationship is provided with the application.
