Visa Information

COVID 19 Update – Visa Service

As part of a wide range of travel measures announced on 26 January 2021, and in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, visa-free travel to Ireland for nationals of South Africa and certain countries in South America was temporarily suspended. The temporary visa requirement imposed on nationals of South Africa and certain countries in South America has been lifted, with effect from 15 June.

In addition, at that time, the Department of Justice temporarily ceased accepting new visa/preclearance applications globally, with the exception of certain priority and emergency cases.

As of 1 June, we are now accepting all long stay visa and preclearance applications. Please note that visits to the Embassy are strictly by appointment only and must be made in advance, please ring +357 22 818183 for an appointment.

Please note, however, that for successful applications, unless your application meets the priority/emergency criteria, a visa or preclearance approval letter will not issue until such time as public health restrictions have been lifted. For further information on the priority and emergency criteria, please see the website of Immigration Service Delivery.

We would draw your attention to the fact that COVID-19 restrictions are severely affecting visa processing times. Priority and emergency applications may take several weeks to be processed. Once a decision has been made on your application, you will be contacted directly. In order to ensure that resources can be used to best effect, we ask that you do not contact the Embassy to seek updates on your application.

It remains the position that we are not accepting short stay visa applications, unless the application meets the priority/emergency criteria. The suspension of short stay applications will continue to be reviewed in consultation with the relevant authorities in the coming weeks.

Who needs a Visa

Whether you need a visa to travel to Ireland depends on what country you're from. Visit the Irish Immigration Service Travel Path for more information regarding your personal requirements for travelling to Ireland.

Information on visa requirements for transiting through Ireland is available here

Please note that Ireland is not party to the Schengen Agreement, and a Schengen visa or residence permit does not entitle you to travel to Ireland without a visa.

Unless you qualify for the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme or the British Irish Visa Scheme a valid UK visa does not entitle you to travel to Ireland without a visa. Further information on these schemes is available on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.

Note: A visa allows you to travel to Ireland only. It does not give you permission to enter the country or to stay here. An immigration officer at border control can refuse entry even if you have a visa.

Remember…

If you're a citizen of a non-EEA country, whether you need a visa or not, you will be subject to immigration control when you enter Ireland.

Types of Visa and Documentation

Full information on the different types of visas, required documentation, and how to apply can be found on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.

Information on applying for a short-stay (less than 90 days) tourist visa is available here.

Information on coming to work in Ireland is available here.

Information on coming to study in Ireland is available here.

Information on coming to join family in Ireland is available here.

Visa Appeals

If your visa application is refused, you will receive a letter from the visa office telling you why it has been refused and if you can appeal the decision.

Further information on appealing visa decisions is available on the website of the Irish Immigration Service

All appeals are handled directly by the Irish Immigration Service

How to Apply

You need to:

Complete the online application form

This will generate an application summary form and declaration at the end, which you must print, sign and date.

Gather your supporting documentation, passport photograph and fee.
Submit your application

To complete the process, you must submit your passport and supporting documents for processing. Where you submit your application depends on where you are living. The summary application form will direct you to the relevant Embassy, Consulate or Visa Application Centre.

Check the website of the relevant Embassy or Consulate for further information on how to submit your application for processing

If you applied at an Embassy or Consulate, they will contact you once a decision on the visa application has been made.

If you applied directly to an Irish Immigration Service Visa Office or if your application was referred to the Irish Immigration Service for a decision, you can check the Irish Immigration Service Visa Decision Weekly Listing using your reference number.

On Arrival in Ireland

Further information on what to expect on arrival in Ireland can be found on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.

Information on entry for EU/EEA and Swiss nationals is available here.

Information on entry for non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals is available here.

Information on travelling with children is available here.

Information on transiting through Ireland is available here.

Fees

Check the website of the Irish Immigration Servicefor information on preclearance and entry visa fees, including information on visa fee exemptions.

You can also contact your local Embassy or Consulate for more details on fees and payment methods

Payment Details

We accept the following forms of payment:

We accept only payments in cash.

Information Note

An information note has been prepared to assist applicants completing the online application form. This is available in:

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Embassy of Ireland, Cyprus