Visa types and visa documentation
Information on supporting documentation
- Visa applications must be submitted with the correct supporting documents. The documents will depend on the visa category that you are applying for.
- Flight bookings are not required for an Irish visa. An applicant who books a flight before receiving their visa does so at their own risk.
- Original documents will be scanned by VFS and returned to you. If you are not submitting your application through VFS, then you must submit A4 photocopies alongside all original documents. Our office will only return original documents if a photocopy is also supplied.
- All documents submitted must be original, legible, verifiable and in English. Certified translations must also be provided for any documentation not in English.
- Any damaged documents, such as passports, should be replaced before your application is lodged. The visa officer reserves the right to forcibly withdraw your application, without refund, if you submit a damaged passport.
- Documents submitted after application submission will not be accepted, unless those documents are sent in response to an explicit request by a visa officer. At application submission stage, applicants are expected to submit all required documents, as per the relevant checklist/weblink below. Handling post-submission documents contributes to processing delays.
Required document checklists
The five applications categories below cover 98% of applications lodged to our Embassy:
Application category | For persons travelling to... | Dowload / view required documents | Additional information |
---|---|---|---|
Business / Conference / Event | Attend conferences, events, business meetings or work for up to 14 days. |
Download / view (.pdf, 239kb) |
None. |
Employment | Reside and work under an employment permit or the atypical working scheme. |
Download / view (.pdf, 232kb) |
None. |
Join family | Live in Ireland as a dependent family member. Before applying, read sections 13, 16 and 17 of the Policy document on non-EEA family reunification to ensure your sponsor qualifies. |
Download / view (.pdf, 240kb) |
None. |
Study | Undertake an eligible course of study in Ireland, for more than 90 days. |
Download / view (.pdf, 239kb) |
Ensure to read our Student information leaflet. Also, remember to submit a completed Financial Summary Form (FSF), which can be found here. |
Visit | Visit as a tourist, visit family members or friends, get married, have medical treatment or study a short term course (for less than 90 days). You cannot do any work, paid or unpaid, on this visa. |
Download / view (.pdf, 236kb) |
None. |
Document checklists for other application types
In the event your application type is not covered by the checklists above, information on the documents you are required to submit can be found on the Irish Immigration website. Such application categories include:
- Training
- Exam;
- Performance / Tournament;
- Internship;
- Family member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit. (de facto partner);
- Family member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit. (other);
- Family member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit. (spouse);
- Join Family (Irish nat.)(de facto partner);
- Join Family (de facto partner CSEP/HA) ;
- Join Family (UK nat.);
- Minister of Religion;
- Volunteer; and
- All other categories not previously mentioned.
Lost or misplaced Irish Residence Permits
If you are usually resident in Ireland and have lost or misplaced your Irish Residence Permit and you now require a fresh entry visa to return to Ireland, you should apply using the appropriate category above, based on your reason for residence in Ireland (e.g. worker, student, family dependent etc.).
If you are a graduate who left Ireland before obtaining stamp 1G (Third Level Graduate Scheme) permission and you wish to return to Ireland to avail of the Scheme, please read this section of our website.