Although Ireland is a member of the European Union, it is not part of the Schengen Area and therefore sets its own visa policy. Ireland also operates the Common Travel Area with the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man which specifies open borders between the countries and territories. Established in 1923, it permits British and Irish citizens freedom of movement around the Common Travel Area and to cross its borders with minimal or no identity documents.[1][2]
Ireland's visa policy has been amended since its inception through primary legislation and statutory instruments. The Aliens Act of 1935 confers the power of deportation and the power of immigration control to the Minister for Justice of the Irish Free State. On 12 April 1935, the Irish Free State exempted citizens of the United Kingdom, Canada, Commonwealth of Australia, Dominion of New Zealand, Union of South Africa, Dominion of Newfoundland and British India from the Aliens Act and therefore did not recognise those citizens as aliens.[3] The 1946 Aliens Order required all aliens to present a passport to an immigration control officer for inspection within 24 hours if not arriving from Great Britain or Northern Ireland. The maximum stay for aliens was one month.
During the 1940s and 1950s, Ireland had concluded bilateral visa exemption agreements with countries of Western Europe.
In 1962, Ireland changed the definition of alien and now included those countries named above, with the exception of those born in Great Britain or Northern Ireland.[4] The 1962 Aliens Amendment Order exempted citizens of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, West Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States from visas for three months. It also gave special provisions to citizens of the British Commonwealth,[a] whereby they were exempted by the Aliens Order of 1946, although they might be refused leave to land unless they complied with certain conditions. A 1966 amendment gave rights of admission to those states of the British Commonwealth, which was later revoked in 1972. In 1972, aliens were required to seek work permits from the Minister for Labour to work in the state. In 1975, Ireland published its first list of visa-exempt nationalities and also removed the special provisions from Commonwealth citizens under Irish law.[5] In 1999 there was the first development of a comprehensive list of countries which required visas.[6]
On 29 March 1988, the first Irish transit visa requirement was announced for Iran. Requirements for transit visas were announced for Poland, Bulgaria and Sri Lanka on 26 February 1988, for Moldova (3 February 1993), Cuba (1 November 1994), Iraq (19 July 1996). On 8 October 1996, Irish transit visa requirements were extended and included the countries currently listed as of January 2018, with the addition of Nigeria, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Zaire.[7]Zimbabwe was added on 8 November 2002, as were Georgia and Ukraine (9 June 2017).
Australian, Barbadian, British, Canadian, Grenadian, Malaysian, New Zealander, Singaporean and Trinidadian and Tobagonian citizens have never needed a visa to gain access to Ireland
1 August 1975: Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Uruguay and Vatican City (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay were suspended on 28 January 2021 and resumed on 16 June 2021)
31 January 1986: Israel and Zimbabwe[30] (Zimbabwe was cancelled in 2002)
1 March 2001: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia (resumed), Dominica, Fiji (resumed), Gambia (resumed), Guyana (resumed), Kiribati, Maldives, Mauritius (resumed), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu[41] (Gambia was cancelled on 8 June 2001; Guyana was suspended on 28 January 2021 and resumed on 16 June 2021)
Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, Tanzania and Zambia: 4 April 1996[8] (Fiji, Guyana and Mauritius were resumed in 2001; Guyana was suspended on 28 January 2021 and resumed again on 16 June 2021)
Slovakia: 19 October 1998[10] (was resumed in 2003)
El Salvador, Paraguay, Tuvalu and Zimbabwe: 8 November 2002[58] (El Salvador, Paraguay and Tuvalu were resumed in 2005; Paraguay was suspended on 28 January 2021 and resumed again on 16 June 2021)
The Irish short stay visa waiver programme was introduced in July 2011 and allows citizens of the countries below to enter Ireland if they are holders of a valid UK 'C' visa (short stay visa), have cleared immigration in the United Kingdom and have been granted leave for up to 180 days in the UK. They can enter Ireland visa-free for up to 90 days or until the end of their current permission to remain in the UK, whichever is shorter. They may enter Ireland from a country other than the UK as long as both their visa and their permission to remain in the UK have not expired. The scheme is not applicable to those who travel to the UK without a visa, are "visitors in transit", "visitors seeking to enter for the purpose of marriage or to enter a civil partnership", or long term visitors.[62][63]
The scheme was initially set to run until 31 October 2012 but was later extended to 31 October 2016, then to 31 October 2021,[64] then again to 31 October 2026.[65]
Citizens of the above countries who hold a UK or Schengen long-term visa or residence permit still need to apply for an Irish visa, but will have the application fee waived.
British-Irish Visa Scheme
Ireland and the United Kingdom have agreed on a joint British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) in 2014. Under the agreement between Ireland and United Kingdom, citizens of the following countries who hold a valid UK visa endorsed with BIVS and who have cleared immigration in the United Kingdom can visit Ireland visa-free for up to 90 days (or until their current permission to enter/remain in the UK, whichever is shorter).
Similar to those eligible under the Visa Waiver Programme, they may enter Ireland from a country other than the UK as long as both their visa and their permission to remain in the UK have not expired.[66]
Holders of diplomatic passports, as well as holders of official, service, special and public affairs passports travelling with a government minister on an official visit, of the following countries, may enter without a visa:[16][17]
A traveller who does not qualify for one of the visa exemptions above is required to apply for an Irish visa in advance at an Irish embassy or consulate.
A single entry visa costs €60, whilst a multiple entry visa costs €100. However, spouses and certain family members of EEA and Swiss citizens are issued Irish visas free of charge.[67]
In addition, visa applicants who are the nationals of following countries and territories are exempt from paying a fee:[68]
All visa applicants aged 6 years and over, residing in Nigeria (irrespective of nationality) are required to submit their fingerprints as part of the visa application process.[69]
Business Visa — issued in order to attend meetings, trade shows, negotiate agreements or contracts and carry out fact finding missions in Ireland.
Conference/Event Visa
Exam Visa
Employment Visa — provided holding an approval Atypical Working Scheme Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service.
Internship Visa
Join Ship Visa — for seafarers wishing to join a departing vessel in Ireland.
Marriage/Civil partnership Visa
Medical Treatment Visa — for an appointment with a private hospital in Ireland.
Performance/Tournament Visa
Training Visa
Visit (Family/Friends) — visiting friends or family who are resident in Ireland.
Visit Tourist
Long Stay Visas
Employment Visa — for holders of employment permit from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation: Critical Skills Employment Permit, Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit, General Employment Permit, Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit, Contract for Services Employment Permit, Reactivation Employment Permit, Exchange Agreement Employment Permit, Sport and Cultural Employment Permit and Internship Employment Permit.
Scientific Researcher Visa — for researches seeking to carry out research under a "hosting agreement".
Employment "Van der Elst" Visa — for non-EU nationals employed in another EU country to provide temporary services to a company in another EU country on behalf of his company.
Join Family Visa
Lay Volunteer Visa
Minister of Religion
Study
Transit visa
In general, a passenger who transits through an Irish airport to a destination in another country while remaining within the airport does not require a visa. However, citizens of the following countries are required to apply for a transit visa in advance at a cost of €25:[71]
Citizens of all European Economic Area (EEA) member states and Switzerland holding a valid passport or national identity card enjoy freedom of movement rights in each other's territory and can enter and reside in the each other's territory without a visa.
If EU, EEA and Swiss nationals are unable to present a valid passport or national identity card at the border, they must nonetheless be afforded every reasonable opportunity to obtain the necessary documents or have them brought to them within a reasonable period of time or corroborate or prove by other means that he/she is covered by the right of free movement.[75][76]
However, EU, EEA member states and Switzerland can refuse entry to an EU/EEA/Swiss national on public policy, public security or public health grounds where the person presents a "genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society".[77] If the person has obtained permanent residence in the country where he/she seeks entry (a status which is normally attained after 5 years of residence), the member state can only expel him/her on serious grounds of public policy or public security. Where the person has resided for 10 years or is a minor, the member state can only expel him/her on imperative grounds of public security (and, in the case of minors, if expulsion is necessary in the best interests of the child, as provided for in the Convention on the Rights of the Child).[78] Expulsion on public health grounds must relate to diseases with "epidemic potential" which have occurred less than 3 months from the person's the date of arrival in the Member State where he/she seeks entry.[79]
Non-EEA/Swiss citizen family members
A family member of an EEA/Swiss citizen who is in possession of a residence permit indicating their status is exempt from the requirement to hold a visa for up to 90 days when entering the European Economic Area or Switzerland when they are accompanying their EEA/Swiss family member or are seeking to join them.[80]
eGates
eGates as a form of automated border control system were first introduced at Dublin Airport in December 2017. There are currently 10 eGates in each of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 arrivals with an additional five eGates in the Transfers Facility. European Union citizens, British citizens, and EEA citizens over the age of 18 and using a full passport or Irish passport card may use eGates upon arrival to Dublin Airport,[81] while the Transfer Area also facilitate US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Japanese citizens (in addition to EU & EEA citizens), if they are not transferring to the UK.[81]
↑ May enter using a Gibraltar ID card, or, if arriving directly from the UK, any photographic identification (for example a bus pass or student ID card)
↑ The countries of the Commonwealth whose citizens benefited from the special provisions in 1962 were: United Kingdom and Colonies, Australia, Canada, Ceylon, Republic of Cyprus, Ghana, India, Federation of Malaya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Sierra Leone, State of Singapore, Tanganyika, and the Republic of South Africa.
↑ Holders of Ethiopian passports do not need an Irish transit visa if travelling from Ethiopia to the United States or Canada with permission to travel there, or from the United States or Canada to Ethiopia after a legal stay there.
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