Visa processing times

Processing times

05 March 2023

The processing times below reflect the expected number of working days from date of receipt in the Embassy to date of decision, for a visa approval.

The stated times do not include the time it takes to secure a VFS appointment, nor do they include both-way document transit times, between VFS and the Irish Embassy (see below).

Applicants should add VFS transit times, for both legs of the journey, to the visa processing times in order to get a more accurate estimate of when your finalised documents will be received. Please note, "working days" exclude Saturdays, Sundays and all office closure dates; listed under About Us. 

My application has gone over the stated processing time, what does this mean?

Applicants are advised that unforeseen delays can arise, which are outside the control of the visa office. These can include delays in the receipt of biometric information, postal delays or the need to undertake in-depth document verification. With this in mind, we recommend that you apply six to eight weeks in advance of your travel dates. We advise all applicants not to book flights until you have received and validated your visa. Our office bears no responsibility for missed travel.

In the event that your application has signifcantly exceeded the above times, it is likely that – on initial assessment – the application has not met the criteria, and further assessment/verification is required. In such instances, processing times will be longer than those stated above, and will be in line with Dublin-based processing times. If you wish to withdraw your application, due to lenghtly processing times, please visit the Contact us section.

The speed at which your application will be processed is largely dictated by the quality of your supporting documentation, and your adherence to the applicable immigration policies.

Dublin-based processing

A number of application categories are forwarded to Visa Division in Dublin for processing. In the event you have submitted an application in one of the categories below, you should consult the Irish Immigration Service website and address any queries directly to Visa Division in Dublin: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/contact-immigration-service-delivery/

Dublin-based processing categories: 

• Join Family (Irish nat.)(de facto partner)
• Join Family (de facto partner CSEP/HA) 
• Join Family (UK nat.)
• Minister of Religion
• Volunteer

In addition, applications for residency in Ireland under the following categories are also forwarded to Dublin for processing. Applications from visitors in these categories are processed on-site in New Delhi:

• 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)

Contacting the visa office for a status update

Except in the case of serious travel emergencies, do not contact the visa office seeking an update on your application. Non-emergency requests for status updates will not be responded to. Visa decisions are uploaded on a routine basis, as per the Visa Decisions tab above. Once a decision is made, your documents will be returned via VFS or postal services. 

VFS transit times

As stated above, visa applications submitted at VFS visa application centres can take a number of days to be received in the Embassy. The following transit times should be added to the above median visa processing times – for both the incoming and outgoing journeys – to give a more accurate estimate of when your finalised documents will be returned: 

• Ahmedabad: +2 days
• Bangalore: +2 days
• Chandigarh: +2 days
• Chennai: +2 days
• Cochin: +4 to +6 days
• Hyderabad: +2 days
• Jalandhar: +2 days
• Kathmandu: +4 to +6 days
• Kolkata: +2 days
• Mumbai: +2 days
• New Delhi: +1 day
• Pune: +2 days

 The number of days refers to a one-way journey, i.e. from VFS to the Embassy.