Ireland
Visa Ireland
Europe · Europe du Nord
In Ireland, visas fall under Immigration Service Delivery, a service of the Department of Justice. The pages consulted on 2026-09-17 describe the “Short Stay (C)” visa for a stay of less than 90 days, applied for online on the AVATS system, from the country of habitual residence. The printed and signed file is then sent to the visa office or the competent mission. Fees are published in euros and documents must be originals.
The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.
Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.
Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026
At a glance
- Authority
- Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
- Where to apply
- AVATS online form, then the printed and signed file sent to the competent visa office, embassy or consulate
- Electronic visa
- Not stated on the portal consulted: the application is entered online, but the paper file and the original documents are then sent in
- Portal language
- English; the online form is available in English only according to the page consulted
Do you need a visa?
Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.
Documented visa types
- “Short Stay (C)” — short-stay visa, including the tourist visa
- According to the pages consulted, for a stay of less than 90 days. The applicant chooses a single or multiple journey and a purpose of travel among those provided for. Official page (new tab)
- “Transit” — transit visa
- Category priced on the fees page consulted. Its conditions are not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
- “Preclearance” — prior authorization
- Type of authorization offered by the AVATS system alongside the visa, according to the guide consulted. Its conditions are not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
Where and how to apply
The “Coming to visit Ireland” page consulted on 2026-09-17 states that a holiday or a short stay in Ireland lasts less than 90 days and that people from a visa-required country must apply for a “Short Stay C” visit (tourist) visa.
The AVATS guide consulted the same day states that the application is entered online, that the form is available in English only and that all answers must be given in English, in standard characters. The frequently asked questions specify that the application must be made from the country of habitual residence, and that an application made from another country, for example a country visited during a holiday, will not be accepted.
The guide states that applicants dealing with the visa offices in Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Ankara, Beijing, London, Moscow or New Delhi must also consult the website of those offices for additional documents, the contact details being on the website of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.
Steps of the procedure
- File the application no earlier than 3 months before the travel date, according to the frequently asked questions.
- Gather the supporting documents before entering the application, as the official guide recommends.
- Enter the application online on the AVATS system, after accepting the terms and conditions and the privacy statement.
- Choose the “Short Stay (C)” type, the journey type “Single” or “Multiple” and the exact purpose of travel.
- Print the form produced by the system, sign it and date it.
- Send the signed form and the documents to the submission office shown on the application summary.
- Pay the visa fee in the manner stated by the visa office, the embassy or the consulate.
Documents listed by the authority
- Application form produced by AVATS, printed, signed and dated.
- Original documents: the page specifies that photocopies are not accepted, unless otherwise stated.
- Full certified translation into English or Irish of any document written in another language, sent with the original.
- Company, university or school letters on official letterhead, stating the name, the address, a landline number, the website address, an email address (Yahoo and Hotmail addresses are not accepted), the name and position of a contact and a handwritten signature.
- Where employed: the last 3 original payslips and a letter from the employer stating length of service, leave dates, the expected return date and the annual salary.
- Where studying: a letter from the institution stating the course, length of attendance, the years remaining and the dates of the stay in Ireland, including the return date.
- Proof of family ties: original birth certificates, marriage certificate where applicable, and evidence that the family is in the country of origin.
- Proof of other obligations, for example an original title deed or a current original lease stating the start date of the tenancy.
- Evidence of strong family, economic and social ties with the country of residence or of origin, as well as sufficient means for the trip and the stay.
The exact list depends on the visa type and on the purpose of travel; only the official page prevails. Additional documents may be requested by the caseworker.
Stated fees and processing times
According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17: 60 euros for a single entry, 100 euros for multiple entries and 25 euros for a transit. The page specifies that these are administration fees covering the processing of the application, non-refundable if it is refused or withdrawn, and that additional fees may apply, in particular for returning documents.
The fees page also mentions exemptions, in particular for certain family members of an Irish citizen and for beneficiaries of Directive 2004/38/EC, as well as exemptions linked to nationality, which are not reproduced here.
According to the frequently asked questions consulted on 2026-09-17, processing times vary from one embassy and visa office to another and by type of application; the page invites applicants to check current times with the office handling the application. No single processing time is published: “Not stated on the portal consulted.”
After the decision
According to the frequently asked questions, the validity of a short-stay visa normally begins on the date it is granted and expires 90 days later; it may be shorter in some cases. The page states that the visa officer determines the period of validity and that this period is not open to appeal. Travel must take place between the dates shown on the visa, those dates included.
The same page sets out the conditions of the stay: leave Ireland before the permission expires, do not work, paid or unpaid, unless the visa provides for it, do not become a burden on the State or use publicly funded services, hold travel or medical insurance suited to the length of the stay, and do not seek to enter the United Kingdom, the European Union or the European Economic Area without the visa those States require.
Where an application is refused, the page states that the refusal notice says whether the decision is open to appeal. Marriage, birth and death certificates are returned after processing; other documents to be returned must be listed and accompanied by a photocopy.
Published procedures
No reviewed and published procedure for Ireland to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.
Explore proceduresFrequently asked questions
Is a visa required to travel to Ireland?
It depends on nationality and purpose; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.
Where is the application filed?
The application is entered online on the AVATS system, from the country of habitual residence, then the printed and signed form and the documents are sent to the submission office shown on the application summary.
Is there an electronic visa?
Not stated on the portal consulted. The application is entered online, but a signed paper file and original documents must then be sent in.
When must the application be filed?
According to the frequently asked questions consulted on 2026-09-17, no earlier than 3 months before the intended travel date.
What are the stated fees?
According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17: 60 euros for a single entry, 100 euros for multiple entries and 25 euros for a transit. These fees are not refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn.
How long is the short-stay visa valid?
According to the frequently asked questions, validity normally begins on the date it is granted and expires 90 days later; it may be shorter. The visa officer determines it and this period is not open to appeal.
Official sources
Consulted sources
Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.
- Irish Immigration Service | Immigration Service Delivery Ireland (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
- Coming to visit Ireland - Immigration Service Delivery (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
- How to apply for a short stay ‘C’ visit (tourist) visa - Immigration Service Delivery (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
- Frequently asked questions - Immigration Service Delivery (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
- Giving your details on AVATS for a visa/preclearance application - Immigration Service Delivery (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
- Preclearance and entry visas fees - Immigration Service Delivery (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
What this guide does not know yet
Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.
- Automatic retrieval of the irishimmigration.ie pages came back truncated: the six pages were read in the built-in browser, which a reviewer must keep in mind for any re-check.
- The “How to apply for a short stay C visit (tourist) visa” page displayed no readable content when consulted, apart from its update date: its content remains to be checked.
- Long-stay visas, work permissions and preclearances were not documented: only the pages on visiting were consulted.
- Fee exemptions linked to nationality and exemption programs based on country lists are not reproduced here: they fall under the visa policy rules reviewed separately.
- No single processing time is published: the portal refers to the times specific to each visa office.
Prepare my case
This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.
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Describe your situation
Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.
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Check at the source
Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.
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Track what is left to do
Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.
The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.