Who needs a Visa?

Whether you need a visa to enter Ireland depends on what country you're from.

S.I. No 473 of 2014 groups countries into five different categories (schedules).

Please see Schedule 1, which is a list of countries that DO NOT NEED a visa. If your country is NOT listed you must apply for a visa before you travel to Ireland.

Note: A Schengen visa or UK visa is not valid for travel to Ireland. Note: For exceptions to this, please see Schedules 2, 3 and 4 below

Remember…

If you’re a citizen of a non-EEA country, whether you need a visa or not, you will be subject to immigration control when you enter Ireland.

Schedule 1 - Countries that do not need a visa

You DO NOT NEED an entry visa for Ireland if you are a passport holder of one of these countries:

Convention travel documents

If you hold Convention travel documents issued by an EEA state, please refer to Section 3. (b) (i) of S.I. No 473 of 2014 (short-stay visits only). 

Schedule 2 - Diplomatic Passport waiver programme

A holder of a diplomatic passport issued by a State or territorial entity specified below is not required to have a visa to enter Ireland

Schedule 3 - Visa waiver programme

If you’re a citizen of one of these countries and you meet Visa Waiver Programme requirements, you may be able to travel on to Ireland from the UK without the need to obtain a separate Irish visa.

If not, you’ll need to apply for an entry visa before you travel to Ireland.

NOTE: This also applies to nationals of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates who have entered the United Kingdom on foot of a C-visit Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW)

Schedule 4 - British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS)

United Kingdom visitors who are – nationals of a state or territorial entity specified in Schedule 4, AND holders of a visa issued by the competent authorities of the United Kingdom that is endorsed by those authorities with the letters “BIVS”

Schedule 5 - Transit Visas

If you are a citizen of one of these countries, you will need to apply for a transit visa:

  * Requirement for a transit visa waived for Ethiopian nationals transiting through the State via Dublin Airport to/from the USA and Canada.

How to Apply

Submitting your application

You need to:

1. Complete the online application form and print out the summary sheet
2. Gather your supporting documentation, passport photographs and fee
3. The online application system will automatically request you to submit your documentation to:

Embassy of Ireland,

8 St. Joseph’s Avenue,

Off Spur Road,

Freetown

Telephone number: +232 79 250623

Please note that the information provided below relates to visa-required nationals who reside in Sierra Leone.

Processing Times

The processing times for short-stay visas are on average about fifteen working days if all documents are in order. 

Please note that these are indicative processing times only. Processing may take longer at certain times of the year and depending on a number of other factors such as the complexity of the application.

While the Embassy of Ireland endeavours to process and decide on visa applications as soon as possible, we would advise applicants to submit their applications at least one month in advance of their desired travel dates, noting that the one month period commences once a complete application with all required documents has been received.

Please note that all long-stay visa applications are required to be sent to INIS in Dublin for decision. Current processing times at INIS can take up to 8 weeks. If this is applicable to you, you will be informed that your application has been forwarded to INIS for decision. In this event, applicants should direct any queries to INIS directly.

Following the online application

Once I have applied online, what do I do?

1. Refer to checklists and the Types of Visa and Documentation tab of this website to ensure that you have all of the documents required to support your application.
2. Check the Visa Fees tab to find out about the current visa fees.
3. Check the Photo Requirements page to ensure that you are providing an appropriate photo.
4. Once you have checked all of the above, submit your application to the address given by the system. The application must include:

• The online summary sheet signed by you
• Two passport photographs (please do not affix them on your form)
• Current passport and any previous passports (or copies of previous passports if originals unavailable)
• All required supporting documents
• The visa fee (if required)

Information note to assist applicants with the online application form

An information note has been prepared to assist applicants completing the online application form. This is available in:

• English
• German
• Arabic 
• Chinese 
• French
• Russian
• Turkish
• Urdu

All supporting documentation (bank statements, letters of employment/study, car/property ownership certificates, marriage certificates, birth certificates etc.) should be submitted 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.

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. Submit a copy of the letter issued to you by the authorities of that country, including a notarised translation if not in English. Concealment of 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.

If deemed necessary, additional documentation / information may be requested by the Deciding Officer upon detailed examination of the application.

Remember…

If you submit false or misleading information in support of your application, you may become liable for prosecution and/or deportation.

Notification

We will contact you once a decision has been made.

Need more information?

Visit the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) website to find out what you need to know before you apply for a visa.

What sort of Visa do I need?

A comprehensive list of the different visa types that are available, and the documentation required in respect of each, is available from the INIS website

For ease of reference, separate links for some of the most common visa types are set out below.

Travelling to Ireland as a tourist

If you are a Visa-required national and you would like to visit Ireland for a short period (90 days or less) you will find useful guidelines and details of requirements for Visit/Holiday Visa applications from INIS

For further information on tourism in Ireland please visit the website of Tourism Ireland

Travelling to Ireland as a Family members of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens seeking to apply under Directive 2004/38/EC (Free Movement Directive)

Please refer to INIS for details and comprehensive information regarding these types of applications.

Travelling to Ireland on business

Business Meeting

If you are a Visa-required national and coming to Ireland for a business meeting you will find useful guidelines and details of requirements for Business Visa applications on INIS

Conference

If you are a Visa-required national and coming to Ireland for a conference, you will find useful guidelines and details of requirements for Conference Visa applications on INIS

Starting a Business in Ireland

If you are a Visa-required national and you wish to set up a business in Ireland, you will require Business Permission from the Department of Justice and Equality, prior to applying for your visa. Find more information on the INIS website

Studying in Ireland

If you require an entry visa for Ireland and would like to study here, you will find useful guidelines and details of requirements for Study Visa applications on INIS

For further information on studying in Ireland:

• Immigration Regime for Full Time Non-EEA Students
• Irish Council for International Students
• Immigration and Visas - A guide for international students

Visa Fees

Standard non-refundable visa application processing fees are:

We do not accept cards or cheques at the Embassy, but you can pay in cash.

Fees can also be paid by bank transfer or deposit to the following account:

To Pay in Euro

Account Name - Department of Foreign Affairs-IRELAND PUBLIC A/C- DCI (Freetown)

Bank - Standard Chartered Bank Sierra Leone Limited

Bank Address- 9 &11 Lightfoot Boston Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Account number - 93-001-011240-00

SWIFT - SCBLSLFR

To Pay in Sierra Leonean Leones (please contact the Embassy for the exchange rate)

Account Name – Department of Foreign Affairs-IRELAND PUBLIC A/C- DCI (Freetown)

Bank – Standard Chartered Bank Sierra Leone Limited

Bank Address- 9 &11 Lightfoot Boston Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Account number - 01-001-011240-00

BBAN - 001300011240000217

No fee required

Some applicants are not required to pay the visa processing fee. These include visa-required spouses and qualifying family members of EEA citizens (including Irish nationals). You must provide proof of the relationship with the application.

In addition, applicants from the countries listed below don't have to pay a fee:

Visa Appeals

My application has been refused

If your application has been refused and you still want to travel to Ireland, you can:

• Appeal the decision or
• Make a new application

If you decide to make a new application, your previous application history may be taken into account.

Appealing the decision

You'll be sent a letter outlining the reasons for refusal. If you believe the decision is wrong, you can make an appeal within two months of receiving the refusal notice.

How do I make an appeal?

Your appeal must be made in writing to the address specified in the letter you have received. Appeals may only be lodged by you (or your guardian if a minor) and must be signed by you. Faxed or emailed appeals will not be considered.

You should:

• Address each refusal reason in your appeal
• Supply clear and relevant evidence in your appeal to support your application
• Include any further information or documentation with your appeal letter
• Be aware that provision of the additional information/documentation doesn't guarantee approval

The review

The Appeals Officer will review your application, taking account of any additional information or documentation that you have supplied.

On examination and review the original decision may be reversed. The Appeals Officer will notify you in writing when the decision is made and in general, a decision should issue within 4-6 weeks.

Is there a charge?

There is no charge for lodging an appeal.

On Arrival in Ireland

Immigration control

An Irish visa is not an entry permission. It's a document giving you permission to present at a port of entry to ask to be admitted to Ireland.

All non-EEA citizens, whether they need a visa or not, will be subject to ordinary immigration controls at the port of entry.

Additional documents

As well as your visa, an Immigration Officer may ask to see additional information such as:

• Accommodation bookings
• Return flights
• Contacts in Ireland

Length of stay

The Immigration Officer at the port of entry will decide your length of stay by stamping your passport; which will reflect the purpose of your journey and the amount of time you are allowed to stay in the State.

The validity period shown on your visa indicates the dates between which you must travel to Ireland. These dates are NOT the dates between which you're permitted to remain in Ireland.

Staying over three months

If you need a visa to enter Ireland and you want to stay longer than 90 days, apply for a 'D' type visa before you travel. Permission to enter on the basis of a 'C' type visa will not give you permission to remain beyond a 90 day period.

Registration

If you're a non-EEA national and you want to stay longer than three months in Ireland, you must register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau and apply for permission to remain in Ireland.

Conditions of your visa

Under Irish law, you're not allowed to engage in any activity or to remain in Ireland for any purpose other than that for which your visa or permission to remain was granted.

Overstaying your visa

If you stay in Ireland longer than your permission to remain permits, you could be liable for prosecution and/or deportation.

Change of activity

If you want to undertake any activity in Ireland other than that for which your visa was granted you must leave the country and apply for a new visa. You can’t return to Ireland while you're waiting for a decision on your new application.