Tourist Visas To Ireland

Ireland is also known as "the land that boasts 40 shades of green". Its landscapes include miles and miles of limestone layers and meandering streams and labyrinthine caves. Ireland is known for its friendly natives who are always keen to share a drink at the pub flowed by good conversation and good food. Modern Ireland now enjoys more immigration than emigration. If you love tradition then you'll love the Irish way and will take delight in some of their heritage, from wearing green on St Patrick's Day to taking lessons in the world renowned Irish dance popularised in 1994 by the world-famous show "Riverdance".

Generally Irish tourist visas are issued for a maximum of three months and are granted to those who wish to visit Ireland for tourist reasons or if applicants wish to visit their family and friends. Irish tourist visas are issued as temporary or short term visas and are not a route towards applying for permanent residency. Under the Irish immigration and visa laws, a tourist visa holder is obliged to return to their country of residence before the expiry of their visa.

Applying for an Irish Tourist Visa

In Ireland, tourist visas, often referred to as travel visas or visit visas, are granted for a maximum of ninety days. It is important to recognise that this represents the maximum duration which may be issued and that the actual duration of the grant will depend upon the Irish immigration officer. Under the Irish immigration and visa rules a tourist visa does not grant the applicant the right to work in Ireland. However, an Irish tourist visa holder may explore the possibilities of working in Ireland, although in order to take up a position of employment they will require an Irish work permit.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants applying for tourist visas for Ireland will need to meet the following criteria.

  • A current passport valid for at least six months must be provided as part of the application.
  • Candidates must be able to provide evidence of the purpose of the visit. This requirement can normally be satisfied by a letter or reference where applicants are visiting family or friends or through a hotel booking where applicants are entering Ireland as tourists.
  • Applicants must be able to show that they intend to return to their country of residence once their Irish visit has expired. This may be demonstrated through evidence of family ties or through evidence of employment commitments.

Applying for any visa in Ireland applicants must show that they have enough funds to support themselves in Ireland. This evidence can be shown though personal finances (bank statements) or a letter form a sponsoring host if the applicant is staying with family or friends. The host will also need to prove that they are financially capable of supporting the applicant whilst in Ireland.

Spouse and Dependent Immigration

Irish tourist visas do not make any specific provision for the applicant's spouse, children or dependents. Unlike an Irish work permit, study visa, or green card, Irish visit visas do not lead to the potential to apply for permanent residency and in most cases will not be extended beyond their duration of three months. As a result all individuals who wish to visit Ireland on a tourist visa must apply in their own right.

Applying for an Irish Work Permit

As a rule an Irish tourist visas are granted as temporary visas, however applicants may be permitted to switch to an Irish Work visa if they successfully obtain an offer of employment from an Irish company. Irish work permits are an employer and require sponsoring company in place with an offer of employment. It should be noted that if an applicant under the tourist visa permit gets an offer of employment they might have to go back to their country of residence to whilst the work permit application is processed. Work permits can take several months to process and in most cases the procedure will exceed the three-month duration of a work permit.

To find out how Global Visas can help you, take our free online assessment now by completing the request form and a friendly consultant who deals with all the Irish visas will be in contact with you.