Visas for Ireland
Fraud
Appointments
Please note that customers residing in England, Scotland and Wales must submit their documents at a Visa Application Centre (VAC), administered on our behalf by VFS.
It is not possible to make an online appointment – applicants must present without an appointment at a VAC in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff or Edinburgh, between 08.30 – 11.00am.
Applicants will be served by VFS on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, so early attendance is recommended.
You need to check if you need an Irish visa on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.
Please note that it is only permitted to apply for an Irish visa to the Embassy of Ireland in London if you are legally resident in the UK. Those in the UK on temporary visas (e.g. tourism) cannot apply for an Irish visa through this Embassy.
Applicants for Irish visas worldwide must do so from their country of ordinary residence, in advance of travel, and in accordance with the arrangements in place for visa applications for that country.
As such, this page contains information for permanent residents of the UK who may require a visa to travel to Ireland. Please be aware that possession of a residence permission in the UK has no bearing on the requirement for a visa to travel to Ireland.
Ireland is not a member of the Schengen Area. An Irish visa does not permit travel to the Schengen Area, nor does a visa issued by a country in the Schengen Area allow for travel to Ireland.
Unless you qualify for the short stay visa waiver programme or have a visa issued as part of the British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS), a valid UK visa does not entitle you to travel to Ireland without a visa.
How to Apply
You should apply for a visa in good time before you travel.
We are advising applicants not to pay for a travel ticket prior to receiving a decision on their visa. While the Visa Office understands that there may be good reason for an applicant to book transport and/or accommodation in advance of their visa application, applicants should be aware that this is entirely at their own risk.
The Visa Office is not liable for any losses incurred by applicants as a result of a negative visa decision, nor where an applicant has not received a visa in time for their proposed travel dates.
Submitting your application
- Complete the online application form.
- Refer to the checklists available in the 'Types of Visa and Documentation' section of this website and gather your supporting documentation
- Submit your signed application form and supporting documents to the appropriate office
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales you need to submit your application by attending VFS Global in person at one of the following Irish Visa Application Centres. It is not possible to make an appointment on-line at present.
Please attend in person, without an appointment, from 08.30 to 11.00am, at the Irish Visa Application Centre of your choice.
Location | Address |
Opening Times |
---|---|---|
London |
Irish Visa Application Centre, 66 Wilson Street, EC2A 2BT |
08:30 – 11.00 Mon. to Fri. |
Manchester |
Irish Visa Application Centre, 50 Devonshire Street North, M12 6JH |
08:30 – 11:00 Mon. to Fri. |
Birmingham |
Irish Visa Application Centre, 5 -14 South Road, B67 7BN |
08:30 – 11:00 Mon. to Fri. |
Edinburgh |
Irish Visa Application Centre, 1 Rennie's Isle, EH6 6QT |
08:30 – 11:00 Mon. to Fri. |
Cardiff |
19 Newport Road, Cardiff, Wales, CF24 OAA |
08:30 – 11:00 Mon. to Fri. |
If you live in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you should submit your application by sending a tracked post envelope to the following address:
Visa Office, Embassy of Ireland
Ground Floor,
114A Cromwell Road,
London,
SW7 4ES
You should ensure that you note the tracking number of the envelope used to send your documents to this office.
Decisions will be made on applications in date order from the date received in the Embassy of Ireland Visa Office. Due to the volume of applications received it is not possible to provide an update on individual applications. However, we do publish target processing time information under the visa processing times category. We also publish a Weekly Decision Report so you can check if a decision has been made on your application.
Please Note
All supporting documentation should be in English or accompanied by a notarised translation. Failure to translate your documents into English may result in your visa application being refused. It is not sufficient to send in copies of your documents.
All documentation submitted must be original and verifiable (e.g.) employment/study details, accommodation bookings must have correct contact details on each document. If this Office is unable to verify the information supplied this may result in your visa being refused.
Remember…
The onus is on you, the applicant, to ensure that your application is fully complete before submitting it for consideration. You should note that if you submit an incomplete application, it may result in your application being refused.
If you have been refused a visa for any country, details of this must be given in your application. Submit a copy of the visa decision letter issued to you by the authorities of that country, including a notarised translation if not in English.
Concealment or non-submission of previous visa refusals will result in your Irish visa application being refused.
Please note that if you provide false, fraudulent or misleading information or documentation, your application will be refused. You may also lose the right to appeal the decision. Any future applications made by you may also be refused, or you may be prevented from making further Irish Visa applications for up to 5 years.
If deemed necessary, additional documentation / information may be requested by the Deciding Officer upon detailed examination of the application.
Types of Visas and Documentation
The following checklists outline the requirements of the most common types of visa applications
Short Stay
Long Stay
Further information on travelling to Ireland on a short or long term basis, and the documentation involved, can be found on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.
Payment details and fees
Visa Application Fees
Some applicants are required to pay a visa application fee, while others are exempt. Please refer IrishImmigration.ie for information.
If you are resident in the UK and you are a national of a country included in the Irish Visa Waiver Programme you require a separate Irish visa, but you are not required to pay an application fee. Details of the countries included in the programme can be found on IrishImmigration.ie.
For those applicants required to pay a fee, the following amounts are currently applied by the Visa Office in London:
Single journey visa (long or short stay) | £51 |
Multiple journey visa | £86 |
Transit visa | £21 |
Working Holiday Authorisation (Australian/New Zealand citizens only) | £51 |
Visa fees are paid in local currency – i.e. pounds sterling. Fees may vary from time to time to take account of currency changes
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales payment for your application will be taken by VFS Global at the Irish Visa Application Centre when you submit your application.
If you live in Northern Ireland, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man payment for your application submitted by post should be made by including a postal order or bank draft with your application. Personal cheques are not accepted. Postal orders and bank drafts should be made payable to the ‘Embassy of Ireland' for the appropriate amount.
The visa fee is an administration fee which covers the cost of processing your application. This fee cannot be refunded if your application is refused or withdrawn..
VFS Global Fees
VFS Global is a commercial company who facilitate visa applicants in making their visa applications to the Irish Visa Office.
VFS Global manages the Visa Application Centres (VACs) on behalf of the Embassy of Ireland, where applicants in England, Scotland and Wales should submit their completed visa application form, supporting documents and biometric data.
Whether or not an applicant is exempt from paying a visa application fee, VFS Global will levy a service fee for the submission of an application at a VAC. VFS also provide a range of additional services which an applicant may choose to avail of in making their application.
Your visa application will be processed and decided by Embassy of Ireland staff. VFS Global and its staff do not play any part in, or influence, the outcome of your visa application. VFS Global can only provide services to ensure that your visa application is correctly submitted.
Processing times
Visa appeals
If your application has been refused, you will be sent a letter outlining the reasons for refusal.
If you still wish to travel to Ireland, you can appeal this decision within two months of receiving the refusal notice.
Further information on appealing visa decisions can be found on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.
On Arrival to Ireland
Further information on what to expect on arrival in Ireland can be found on the website of the Irish Immigration Service.
Prior visa refusals
Applicants must inform the Visa Office of all previous visa refusals from any country, and must provide a copy of the decision letter issued to them at the time of the refusal.
Where the Visa Office is aware that an applicant has been subject to a negative visa decision in the past for which they have not provided the required information/documentation, their application will be refused, with an appeal not permitted, and applicants may be prevented from making further visa applications for a period of up to 5 years.
Fraud
The Embassy applies a zero tolerance policy with respect to fraudulent applications.
An application containing a deception such as a forged document, a document containing false information or information withheld from an application (such as a previous visa refusal) may result in your application being refused, with an appeal not permitted.
If the application was submitted as part of a group, all applications in that group may be refused without appeal.
Where applications are rejected on the grounds of a deception, a 5-year ban may also be applied.