Hi, How Can We Help You?
  • Call: (+353) 1599 301610

Visa Applications

ivs ireland immigration services   →  Visas   →  Visa Applications
Visa Applications

Visas Applications

  • A visa gives the holder the right to present to an immigration official at the Irish border. A visa can be given for a single entry or for multiple entries, within a specified period of time.

Re-entry visas

  • A re-entry visa is identical in form to a standard entry visa. The key difference is that an applicant must be legally resident in the State and have registered their residence in the State with the immigration authorities. A re-entry visa can only be applied for while in the State. As with standard entry visas, re-entry visas can be granted for single entry or for multiple entries. Multiple entry re-entry visas are generally issued for the same time period as the residence permit.

 

  • The Minister for Justice and Equality announced the abolition of Ireland’s re-entry visa system with effect from 13 May 2019. Under this system, visa required nationals who live in Ireland, and who wish to travel to and from the country, have been obliged to apply for a re-entry visa in advance of travel. Individuals are exempt from the requirement to hold a visa if they have registered for an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card.
  • The IRP card is in the standard EU format for residence permits and is recognised by airlines. Improvements in security in the IRP has made it possible to eliminate the need for re-entry visas, without compromising the safety and security of the visa or immigration system.
  • Non-EEA nationals aged under 16 are not currently issued with Irish Residence Permits. To ensure that minors with visa required nationality can re-enter the State without difficulty, for example on family holidays, their parents or guardians in Ireland can apply for a visa for them. Re-entry visas for minors will be issued without charge.

 

You do not need an Irish visa to travel to Ireland if:

  • you have a valid Irish Residence Permit, or
  • you have a Travel Document which was issued by Ireland, or
  • you have a document called “Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen” issued, by any country, under 10 of Directive 2004/38/EC (the “Free Movement Directive”). Please contact the authority who issued the document for advice if the document you have comes within the definition of the Directive, as implemented by that particular Member State.

 

For all other situations, regardless of where you live, or the nationality of your family member, your needing an Irish Visa or Preclearance is based on:

  • your nationality (if you are not a refugee); or
  • the country which issued your travel document (if you are a refugee).

 

Single/Multi-Entry Visas

  • A single entry visa permits you to travel to Ireland on one occasion between the dates of validity indicated on your visa.
  • A multi-entry visa permits you to travel to Ireland on a number of occasions during the dates shown on your visa, for short trips only.
  • It is not permitted to use this category of visa to bypass immigration rules governing residency in the State i.e. it is not possible to remain in Ireland for a period of 90 days and then seek to re-enter the country for a further period of up to 90 days. Any abuse of this may result in you being refused entry at the port of entry or future visa applications being refused.

 

 

Short stay ‘C’ visas

  • If you are applying for a short stay ‘C’ visa you may apply for either a single or a multi-entry visa. The policy considerations underpinning decisions on applications for multi-entry visas below are explained below to assist you in deciding whether to apply for a single or multi-entry visa.
  • If you wish to apply for a multi-entry visa, you must indicate this on your application and pay the visa fee for a multi-entry visa. The granting of a multi-entry visa is at the discretion of the Visa Officer.
  • If you apply for a multiple journey visa but are granted a single journey visa the difference in the visa fee will not be refunded to you under any circumstances.
  • The Immigration officer at the port of entry will determine, on each occasion, whether you may enter and the duration of your permission to remain.

 

Long stay ‘D’ Visa – for people 16 years of age or older

  • You make an application for a long stay ‘D’ visa for a stay in Ireland of more than 3 months for example, for the purpose of study or work or joining a family member (or moving with a family member) to live in Ireland. If the visa is approved, you will be required to register your permission with a Registration Office after you enter Ireland in order to get an Irish Residence Permit card. If you plan to leave Ireland for a short period and then come back again, you must:
  • Have a valid multi-entry visa, or
  • Have a valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card, or
  • Apply for and be granted another visa from outside of Ireland.
  • If you plan to leave Ireland and return within a few months of your arrival we recommend that you apply for a multi entry visa.  This will eliminate the need to apply for another visa from abroad, in the event of your IRP card not being received prior to your departure. Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card.

 

Long stay ‘D’ Visa– for people under 16 years of age

  • You make an application for a long stay ‘D’ visa for a stay in Ireland of more than 3 months, for example for the purpose of study or joining a family member (or moving with a family member) to live in Ireland. If you travel to Ireland and you plan to leave Ireland for a short period and then come back again, you must have a valid visa. If you have been issued with a single entry visa you will need to:
  • Have a valid multi-entry visa, or
  • Apply for and be granted a re-entry visa before you leave Ireland, or
  • Apply for and be granted another visa from outside of Ireland.
  • One of the requirements for the grant of a re-entry visa is that, where your parent or guardian is a non-EEA national, the parent or guardian must include their current Irish Residence Permit (or GNIB card) as part of your re-entry visa application – (see inis.gov.ieand Re-entry Visa for further details on how to apply for a Re-entry Visa).
  • If your parents are moving to Ireland with you, they would need to register their permission with a Registration Office after they enter Ireland in order to get an Irish Residence Permit. This may take some time and would prevent a re-entry visa from being issued to you until they get the IRP card.
  • If you plan to leave Ireland and return within a few months of your arrival, we recommend that you apply for a multi-entry visa when applying for a visa to come to Ireland in order to avoid the need to apply for another visa.

 

Multi entry visas are usually only issued to an applicant who has shown a compliant travel history.

  • If you have had 2 previous Irish visas and have observed the conditions of these visas (e.g. you did not overstay or work illegally) you may apply for a visa for multiple journeys.
  • A multi-entry visa may be approved in certain circumstances if you have no travel history to Ireland, for example if:
  • you need to travel regularly to Ireland on short visits for business meetings. You should submit evidence of this from your employer and the company in Ireland with whom you are engaging in business (where relevant),
  • while in Ireland on business, you need to travel to another country, returning to Ireland for further meetings, or onward travel, or
  • you are travelling to and from another country, via Ireland.

 

Northern Ireland

  • If you wish to travel to Northern Ireland you will require a visa issued by the United Kingdom.
  • If you are travelling to the Republic of Ireland and you intend to visit Northern Ireland and return to the Republic, you must obtain a multi-entry Irish visa and a UK visa.
  • If your main destination is Northern Ireland but you arrive in and depart from the Republic of Ireland, you must first obtain a UK visa, and then a multi-entry Irish visa.
  • Northern Ireland consists of Counties Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone.
  • If you have an Irish Visa endorsed with BIVS, you may travel to Northern Ireland on this visa (after arriving in the Republic of Ireland first), please see the following page for further information and rules of the scheme:

 

All non-EEA nationals who intend to stay in Ireland for more than 90 days must register their permission to reside in the State with the immigration authorities.

  • Registration permissions are issued for periods of between 4 months and 5 years, depending on the basis the person has for living in the State. Most registrations are issued for 12 months.
  • The Irish Residence Permit, or IRP card, was introduced in December 2017. The previous residence permit was the GNIB card (named for the Garda National Immigration Bureau). A number of GNIB cards are still valid, and these have the same status as an IRP card and can be used instead of a re-entry visa for re-entry to Ireland.
Book Consultation
Call Our Immigration Consultant Now