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Visa Processing Times

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

Visa category Median processing time*
Business / Conference / Event 10
Employment 10
Join family
15
Study 15
Visit 10
Other 10
Appeals (approx.) 30

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.        

Visa Decisions

Visa decisions

Every Tuesday evening and Friday morning a report detailing all visa decisions made during the reference period, by the New Delhi visa office, is posted below. Where an application is made through a VFS visa application centre (VAC), it will take a number of days for your documents to transit back the the VAC once a decision is made by the visa office. Further information on document transit times can be found under the Visa Processing Times tab above.

To search for your decision, open a report, press Ctrl + F and enter your eight digit visa application reference number. This information is hosted on behalf of the responsible authority, the Irish Immigration Service.

How to contact us

How to contact us

The visa office does not operate a public telephone line, nor do we operate a public office. All applications are lodged through VFS or by post, as outlined under Applying for an Irish Visa. If you have a query, please read the information on our website, or contact your nearest VFS Office.

If you cannot find the answer to your question, you can contact the visa office through our Contact us form. As noted under the Visa Processing Times tab, we do not reply to requests for application status updates, unless in the case of genuine emergencies. The outcome of all applications lodged to our office will be available under the Visa decisions tab above.