A traveller may require either a visa, or preclearance approval, before travelling to Ireland. Whether you require a visa, or preclearance approval, depends on the nationality stated on your travel document and your reason for travel to Ireland.

Visa required and non-visa required nationalities are outlined on the Irish Immigration website. 

To check whether you need a visa, or preclearance approval, please visit the Irish Immigration homepage, and complete a travel path, appropriate to your reason for travel. This is found under 'I would like to come to Ireland'. 

The visa process can be briefly summarised as follows: 

• Create your online application form on AVATS
• Print and sign your completed form;
• If resident in India or Nepal, arrange your visa appointment with Visa Facilitation Service (VFS)
• Compile your supporting documentation, as outlined under 'Types of visas and documentation' below;
• Submit your documents, depending on your country of residence:
  • India and Nepal: Submit at your VFS appointment, where your biometric will also be captured;
  • Bangladesh: Submit at your VFS Kolkata appointment, or post the documents to the Embassy of Ireland, in New Delhi, as per the instructions on your printed AVATS form;
  • Sri Lanka: Submit to the Irish Honorary Consulate in Colombo
  • Maldives: post your documents to the Embassy of Ireland, in New Delhi, as per the instructions on your printed AVATS form;
• Pay your visa fee, either directly to VFS when booking your appointment or via a bank draft, in Indian rupees (₹ INR) and made out to the Embassy of Ireland;
• Await the visa outcome, which will be processed in line with our stated processing times; as outlined below.

Visa fees

• Current single entry visa fee: INR ₹5,300
• Current multiple entry visa fee: INR ₹9,000
• Current transit visa fee: INR ₹2,225

If submitting your application through VFS, you will also be subject to service charges and additional charges if you avail of add-on services, such as VFS Check and Verify. 

Some visa applicants are exempted from paying visa fees. Visit the Irish Immigration website for further information on fee exemptions. 

If you wish to avail of an exemption you must provide documentary evidence that you are eligible. It is important to note that an exemption from visa fees, does not exempt an applicant from VFS service charges, if submitting your application at a VFS appointment.

Biometrics 

If you are resident in India you are required to provide biometrics at your VFS appointment. Some applicants are exempt from this requirement. For information on what information is captured, and who is exempt from providing their biometrics, please read the biometric information note and the Irish Immigration webpage on biometrics.

VFS 'Check and Verify' and 'In-depth Verification' services 

We would encourage all long stay applicants (employment, study, join family), who are applying through VFS, to avail of either VFS Check and Verify Service, for Indian resident applicants, or Nepal In depth Verification, for Nepalese resident applicants.

Visa applications must be submitted with the correct supporting documents. The documents will depend on the visa category that you are apply for. Click the appropriate link below to see what documents you need to submit. Failure to submit the correct documents will result in refusal.

Flight bookings are not required for an Irish visa. An applicant who books a flight before receiving their visa does so at their own risk.

Original documents will be scanned by VFS and returned to you. If you are not submitting your application through VFS, then you must submit A4 photocopies alongside all original documents.  Our office will only return original documents if a photocopy is also supplied.

All documents submitted must be original, legible, verifiable and in English. Certified translations must also be provided for any documentation not in English. 

Any damaged documents, such as passports, should be replaced before your application is lodged.

• Atypical Working Scheme
• ATWS Nurse
• Business
• Conference
• Critical Skills Employment
• Employment Scientific Researcher
• Exam
• Film Crew
• General Employment
• Internship
• Interview
• Join Family
• Join Ship
• Lay Volunteer
• Marriage/ Civil Partnership
• Medical Treatment
• Minister of Religion
• Performance/ Tournament
• Student
• Training
• Visit Family/ Visit Friend
• Visit Tourist/ Group

For primary information on the immigration rules for studying in Ireland, please visit the Irish Immigration website.

Student information leaflet

Persons resident in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or the Maldives, who have an eligible offer from an Irish Higher Education Insitution, and who wish to apply for a student visa, should read the Student Information Leaflet and Checklist‌. The information sheet provides an overview of student visa policy, required documents and how to make your application. 

VFS 'Check and Verify' and 'In-depth Verification' services 

As per the How to apply section, we highly recommend that students avail of VFS' Check and Verify or In-depth Verification services, if they are applying for their visa through a VFS appointment.

Student applications from Nepal

• Applicants using education loans submitted from Nabil Bank, Nepal Investment Bank or Everest Bank financing the full course of studies will be assessed more positively;
• It is recommended that any 'source of income' submitted in support of the application be accompanied by a 'Certificate of Tax' payment issued by the Inland Revenue Office for a minimum of two years preceding the application.
• Financial documents must be from regulated institutions, licensed by Nepal Rastra bank (Central Bank of Nepal).

• Lost, or expired, Irish Residence Permits; 
• Returning resident minors, under the age of 16, who could not obtain a re-entry visa before departing from Ireland; and 
• Returning to Ireland to avail of the Third Level Graduate Scheme (stamp 1G) 

Lost, or expired, Irish Residence Permits

In the event that you have lost your Irish Residence Permit (IRP), or it has expired while outside of Ireland and you wish to return, you must apply for a new entry visa to Ireland. 

The application category you apply for, and the documents you submit in support of your application, will depend on your reason for residence in Ireland; which will form the basis of your application for an IRP when your return. Therefore: 

• If you are returning to Ireland as a worker: You must apply for an appropriate Employment visa, and provide appropriate* documents, guided by the employment visa checklist. You should also provide a copy of your previous IRP, if possible;
• If you are returning to Ireland as a student: You must apply for a Study visa, and provide appropriate* documents, guided by the student visa checklist. You should also provide a copy of your previous IRP, if possible;
• If you are returning to Ireland as a dependent family member: You must apply for an appropriate Join family visa, and provide appropriate* documents, guided by the join family visa checklist. You should also provide a copy of your previous IRP, if possible.

* in the event that you cannot provide a document from the applicable checklist – for example an employment permit if you have since moved to stamp 4 permissions in Ireland – then simply outline the missing documents, and a reason as to why you cannot provide them, in your letter of application.

Returning resident minors, under the age of 16, who could not obtain a re-entry visa before departing from Ireland

Re-entry visa requirements for children under 16 have been suspended with immediate effect and until further notice. Children under 16 who are currently residing in the State and who wish to re-enter the State, must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian who holds an in date permission to reside in the State.

The adult accompanying the child must also provide appropriate documentation to prove they are the legal parent or guardian of the child in question. For more information please visit the Irish Immigration website.

Persons seeking to travel under this policy should first consult their airline to confirm that boarding will be allowed. Where an airline is unwilling to board a minor without a visa, or cannot confirm that boarding will be possible, it is advised that the minor applies for a new entry visa, which will be processed free of charge. The minor applicant should apply as per the rules outlined for a dependent family member above.

Returning to Ireland to avail of the Third Level Graduate Scheme (stamp 1G) 

Check our latest visa processing times, and published lists of visa outcomes.

In the event that your visa application is refused, the reasons for refusal will be outlined in your refusal letter. If you are granted the rights to appeal the decision, this too will be outlined in the refusal letter, alongside directions on how and when to appeal. 

Appeals must be submitted by post to the Embassy of Ireland, New Delhi. If you are resident in Sri Lanka you can also submit your appeal, by post, to the Honorary Consul in Colombo.

Always check the details on your visa as soon as you receive it, to ensure there are no problems before you travel.

Your visa includes four main pieces of information. They will dictate how often you can travel to Ireland and how long you can stay when permitted entry.

How often can I travel?

This depends on two things: the number of entries and the validity dates.

Number of entries 

If, under number of entries, your visa states 01 then you can only travel on it once. Otherwise, if it says Multi you can travel as many times as you like, until you have exceeded your duration of stay.

Validity dates (From... Until) 

Your visa is valid for travel on any day starting from the date listed From and ending on the date listed Until. These dates are the visa validity dates. Always beware of time zone changes if you are travelling on the visa expiry date.

How long can I stay? 

This depends on two things: the type of visa and the duration of stay.

Type of visa 

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss/UK nationals, including those with an Irish visa, can only stay for up to 90 days on each visit.

If you need a visa to enter Ireland, and you wish to live in Ireland, you must have a D-type visa (long-stay). If you need a visa to enter Ireland, and you only wish to visit, then you will have a C-type visa (short-stay)

Duration of stay

If, on your visa, there is a specific duration of stay (e.g. 14) then on each entry, you can only stay for this number of days. If the duration of stay is XX, then you can stay for up to 90 days. Irish border control may permit you less than 90.

D-type visa holders must register as a resident within 90 days of entering Ireland. Persons who register for residence receive an Irish Residence Permit (IRP). The IRP allows you to live in Ireland and travel in and out until it expires. If you do not register you must leave after the 90 days has passed from date of entry. For more information see: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/

The longest a C-type visa holder can stay in Ireland is 90 days on each visit. This can be shorter depending on the entry stamp you receive from Irish border control. Always check your entry stamps, and leave by they day stamped into your passport. Failing to leave Ireland on time is a serious breach of immigration controls.

A C-type visa holder cannot remain in Ireland for more than 90 days in any 180 day period or more than 180 days in any 365 day period. These periods begin on the date of first entry.

Situation: 

You hold a C-class multi entry visitor visa, valid from 1 January 2023 until 31 December 2023.

Scenario 1: 

You enter on 1 January and border control permits you to stay the full 90 days, requiring you to leave on 1 April. You leave on 1 April. On 1 May you want to return to Ireland.

In this case, as you have exhausted your 90 days, you must wait until the 180 days have passed, since date of first entry, before you can return. So, the earliest you can travel back to Ireland is on 30 June, where you will again get stay of up to 90 days.

Scenario 2: 

You enter on 1 January and border control permits you to stay the full 90 days, requiring you to leave on 1 April. You leave on 28 February. On 1 May you want to return to Ireland.

While you could have stayed for 90 days, you in fact only stayed for 59. This means you have 31 days left out of the 90. This means that you can return on 1 May, but you must leave by 1 June.

Visa applicants should be wary of unscrupulous agents who offer a guaranteed visa at inflated prices. Visa fees are listed above, in the event that an agent is seeking much higher rates of payment, then it is likely that the agent is a fraudster.

If you are resident in India, you must attend a VFS centre, in-person, to provide your biometrics. If you do not do this, but are provided with an apparent visa by an agent, then the document is forgery. If you are resident in Nepal, while not required to provide biometrics, you should attend VFS, in-person, to submit your documents.

There is no requirement to utilise the services of a third-party agent. The most secure way of obtaining a visa is to follow the process, as outlined above, in-person and without the assistance of a third-party agent.

Fake Irish employment permits

Our Embassy has seen an increase in fake Irish employment permits/visas, which are being issued by fraudulent agents. A copy of a fake permit is available to download below. If you have been issued with a permit similar to this, then it is fake.

View an example of a Fake Irish Employment Permit‌. 

Reporting fraud

The Embassy of Ireland has no role in the investigation, or prosecution, of fraud. If you are the victim of fraud you should report it to your local police station. 

Please click on the following links to view:

• Frequently asked questions for visiting Ireland.
• Frequently asked questions for working in Ireland.
• Frequently asked questions for joining a family member in Ireland.
• Frequently asked questions for studying in Ireland.