This section is intended for reference only. We strongly recommend that you contact the embassy directly for the most up-to-date information that pertains to your specific situation.

Passport

You must have a valid passport to travel abroad. A passport is an official government document that certifies one's identity and citizenship.

The process and cost associated with getting a passport can be high, so start the process at least six months before you plan to leave. Your passport must be valid 6 months beyond your intended stay. In the EU minors also need to have their own passport.

Visa

People from certain countries need a valid Irish entry visa before arriving in the State, whether by air, sea or land. An Irish visa is a certificate placed on your passport or travel document to indicate that you are authorised to land in the State. This means that you will still be subject to immigration control at the point of entry to the State even if you have a visa.

Ireland's Immigrations site is: www.inis.gov.ie

Who needs a visa for Ireland?

No entry visa required:

• You do not need a visa to land in Ireland if you are a citizen of the EEA or of one of the countries listed in the following table
• You hold a valid travel document issued in accordance with Article 28 of the Geneva Convention
• You hold either a valid residence card 4 EU FAM or a valid permanent residence card 4 EU FAM
• You are a family member of an EU citizen and you hold the "Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen" document

Entry Visa required:

• You will need a visa if you are a citizen of one of the following countries.
• Family member of EU national: If you are a non-EEA national coming to Ireland from another EU country as a dependant of an EU national, and you do not hold a document called "Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen", you may need a visa when you first travel to Ireland. If you plan to stay for more than 3 months, you should register with the immigration authorities and apply for a residence card. If you receive a residence card, you will not need a re-entry visa for travel into Ireland in future.

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Departure

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Destination

Choose country Choose country AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl salvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuinea-BissauGuinea-ConakryGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamVirgin IslandsWallis and FutunaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

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Types of Visas in Ireland

Short Stay Visa in Ireland

If you wish to visit Ireland for a period of less than 3 months, you can apply for a short stay 'C' visa for either a single entry or multiple entries. The maximum stay allowed under a short stay 'C' visa is 90 days. If you enter the State on a 'C' visa you cannot have your permission to remain in the State extended. You must leave and reapply from outside the State if you want to return.

Examples of Short-Term Visas in Ireland:

• Tourist visas: A visit/holiday visa is for a short-term stay and will not exceed a maximum of 90 days.
• Student visas: Visa applicants must apply online for their visa. If you wish to study in Ireland for less than 3 months you should apply for a 'C study visa'. If your course lasts longer than 3 months, you should apply for a 'D study visa'.
• Transit visas: People from a small number of countries also need a transit visa when arriving in Ireland on their way to another country. A transit visa does not permit you to leave the port or airport. These countries are: Afghanistan, Iraq, Albania, Lebanon, Cuba, Moldova, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Iran.
• Re-entry visas: The first visa issued to you is valid for a single entry to the State. If you wish to leave the State for a short period of time you must apply for a re-entry visa. This includes travel to Northern Ireland when you will need a re-entry visa to re-enter the State. Before you can get a re-entry visa you must be registered with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
• Visa waiver and reciprocal visa arrangement: This visa allows nationals of a number of Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries who have a short-term UK visa to come to Ireland without the need for a separate Irish visa.

Under a new British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS), visitors from China and India can travel freely within the Common Travel Area, (that is, Ireland and the UK, but not the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), using either an Irish or UK short-stay visa endorsed with 'BIVS'.

Long-Term Visa for Ireland

If you wish to travel to Ireland for more than 3 months, you can apply for a long stay 'D' visa for a single entry. If you are granted a long stay 'D' visa and wish to remain in the State for longer than 3 months, you will be required to register and obtain a residence permit.

Work Permit in Ireland

There are 9 types of employment permit. They include the Critical Skills Employment Permit for highly skilled workers and the General Employment Permit, which has replaced the work permit and Green Card permit respectively. Either the prospective employee or prospective employer may apply for the permit.

Employers who want to employ people who need employment permits must meet certain requirements.

• They must be legally trading in Ireland - this means they must be registered with Revenue and with the Companies Registration Office (CRO.ie) if the employer is a company.
• The employer must employ you directly - this means that applications from recruitment agencies, agents, intermediaries or companies who intend to outsource or subcontract you to work in another company are not accepted.

Refusal of Employment Permit in Ireland

If you are refused an employment permit, you may ask for an internal review. You should ask for a review within 21 days of being notified of a refusal. You will be refused an employment permit where you:

• Entered the State on the basis that you are not taking up employment, for example, as a visitor
• You are in the State illegally or you no longer comply with the conditions under which you were admitted
• Have been asked by the Department of Justice and Equality to leave the State
• You are in the process of being deported
• You are seeking employment with a non-European Economic Area/Swiss employer who is operating in the State without business permission from the Minister for Justice and Equality

Irish Citizenship

Irish citizenship is obtained in different ways; Most Irish citizens get their citizenship through birth or descent or naturalisation.

However, if you are a foreign national who is either married to an Irish citizen or a civil partner of an Irish citizen, you can apply for Irish citizenship through spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen.

How to Become an Irish Citizen

Irish citizenship through birth or descent

You are not automatically an Irish citizen if you were born in Ireland. You may be entitled to Irish citizenship if your parent(s) or grandparents are Irish, even if you were born outside of Ireland (but you may need to register your birth).

Becoming an Irish citizen through naturalisation

In order to apply for naturalisation in Ireland, you must:

• Be 18 years or older
• Be of good character
• physical resident in Ireland for at least 5 years out of the last 9 years. Use the reckonable residence calculator.
• Intend in good faith to continue to reside in the State after naturalisation
• Make a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State, and undertake to observe the laws of the State and respect its democratic values

Becoming an Irish citizen through marriage or civil partnership

If you are a foreign national who is the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen, you may be able to become an Irish citizen if you meet certain conditions and apply for citizenship through naturalisation. The application process is the same as for foreign nationals who are not the spouses or civil partners of Irish citizens but there are more favourable residence requirements.

For furthest information contact your nearest Irish embassy or consulate or the Irish Citizenship Division.

Irish Citizenship Division

Department of Justice Office
Rosanna Road, Tipperary Town, Co. Tipperary, Ireland

Tel: +353 62 32500
Homepage: http://www.inis.gov.ie/
Email: citizenshipinfo@justice.ie

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