Ireland Tourist Visas

Irish tourist visas are issued for a maximum of three months and are designed for those who wish to visit Ireland for the purposes of tourism, or to visit family and friends. Tourist visas are issued as a temporary means to visit Ireland and will not lead to the opportunity to apply for permanent residency. Tourist visa applicants will be obliged to return to their country of residence on or before the expiry of their visa.

Global Visas provide Irish visas and immigration services from short-term tourist visas through to longer-term work permits, green cards and study visas. To begin your Irish tourist visa application today just visit the online assessment area. Our assessment forms are quick and easy to complete and a specialist Irish immigration consultant will contact you.

Applying for an Irish Tourist Visa

In Ireland, tourist visas, often referred to as travel visas or visit visas, are granted for a maximum of ninety days. However, it is important to recognise that this represents the maximum duration which may be issued and that the actual grant will depend upon the Irish immigration officer. Unlike longer term Irish immigration services such as work permits and the Irish green card, applying for an Irish tourist visa does not grant the applicant the right to work in Ireland. However, an Irish tourist visa holder may explore the possibilities of working in Ireland, although in order to take up a position of employment they will require an Irish work permit.

Eligibility Requirements

• Candidates applying for tourist visas for Ireland will need to fulfil the following criteria.
• A current passport valid for at least six months must be provided as part of the application.
• Applicants must be able to provide evidence of the purpose of the visit. This requirement can normally be satisfied by a letter or reference where applicants are visiting family or friends, or through a hotel booking where applicants are entering Ireland as tourists.
• Candidates must be able to show that they intend to return to their country of residence once their Irish visit has expired. This may be demonstrated through evidence of family ties to their home country or through evidence of employment commitments.

In all cases, candidates must be able to show that they have sufficient resources to fund their stay in Ireland. This may be through evidence of personal finances or where candidates are staying with family of friends, a letter from the host which confirms that they will be taking financial responsibility for the candidate during their time in Ireland will be sufficient. Where the latter option is followed the host will need to demonstrate that they are financially capable of supporting the candidate whilst in Ireland.

Spouse and Dependent Immigration

Irish tourist visas are intended as a temporary Irish visa service and as such they do not make specific provision for the applicant’s spouse, partner, or dependent children. Unlike an Irish work permit, study visa, or green card, Irish visit visas do not lead to the potential to apply for permanent residency and in most cases will not be extended beyond their duration of three months. As a result all individuals who wish to visit Ireland on a tourist visa must apply in their own right.

Applying for an Irish Work Permit

Although Irish visit visas are issued as a strictly temporary visa, applicants may be able to switch to an Irish Work Permit if they successfully obtain an offer of employment from an Irish company. Irish work permits are an employer based Irish immigration service which require candidates to have a sponsoring company in place with an offer of employment. However, it should be noted that although a candidate may secure a job offer whilst in Ireland, the likelihood is that they will need to return to their country of residence whilst the work permit application is processed. Work permits can take several months to process and in most cases the procedure will exceed the three-month duration of a work permit.

With Global Visas you can begin your application for an Irish visit visa today by using the online assessment tool. Simply answer a few straightforward questions and one of our specialist Irish immigration consultants will contact you.