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Ireland Visa information

Delve into our detailed guide on acquiring a visa for Ireland.

Updated 14th August 2023
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Many nationalities do not need a visa to participate or attend the courses in the Republic of Ireland offered on the Wiseward site; although nationalities will need a visa. 

Please remember that visa rules and regulations constantly change. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you have the right travel documents, including a visa, for your intended course. The FAQs listed below aim to give you guidance on whether you need a visa and if you do what type of visa you will need.

Do I need a visa for the Republic of Ireland?

If you are travelling to Ireland and you are not a citizen of the UK, Switzerland, or a country in the European Economic Area (the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein), you may need to apply for a visa.

An Irish visa is a certificate placed on your passport or travel document that allows you to travel to Ireland. You still have to present your passport and documents to immigration control when you arrive at the airport or port

I have a UK visa do I need a separate visa for Ireland?

The Irish government operates a scheme whereby nationalities of some countries who hold a UK visa do not need to apply for a separate visa to travel to the Republic of Ireland.

The Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme allows nationals of a number of Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries who have a short-term UK visa, to come to Ireland without the need for a separate Irish visa. The countries included in the scheme are:

  • Bahrain
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • China
  • Colombia
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kosovo
  • Kuwait
  • Montenegro
  • North Macedonia
  • Oman
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Serbia
  • Thailand
  • Turkey
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vietnam

Citizens of India and China, who have a short-stay UK visa can travel to Ireland under the British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) without a separate Irish visa. You can also use your Irish visa to travel to the UK. Your visa must be endorsed with ‘BIVS’.

How much does a visa cost for Ireland ?

The standard non-refundable visa application processing fees are:

Entry and re-entry visas:

  • A single journey visa costs €60 and will be valid for one entry to the State up to a maximum of 90 days from the date of issue.
  • A multi-journey visa costs €100 and will be valid for multiple entries to the State up to a maximum of 5 years from the date of issue.
  • A transit visa costs €25.

There may also be communications charges in some cases. Information about these charges, and the fee in your local currency, is available from your local Irish embassy or consulate.

I have a question that is not listed here.

If you have a question that you have been unable to find an answer to on the Wiseward site you can find additional information about visas on the Irish Government website

  • Visa Information is correct at the time of publishing. Visa rules and regulations constantly change. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you have the right visa for your intended course. The information provided herein by Wiseward aims to help you in making an informed choice.
  • It is extremely important that you apply for the correct visa before you leave home. Different countries have different rules and the purpose of this page is to give you some assistance and guidance.
  • Remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the correct paperwork. If you are unsure or need further help or advice please contact us and one of our helpful counsellors will be happy to assist.
  • Regardless of which country you are going to be studying in, different visa rules apply depending on your age, nationality and the length of stay you plan to be in the country.