Ireland
Ireland visa guide: every visa and permit type
- 21 visa types
- checked 23 October 2026
How visas for Ireland work
Ireland runs its own visa system outside the Schengen Area, managed by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. A Schengen visa does not allow entry to Ireland, and nationals of visa-required countries need an Irish visa for any visit. Short stays of up to 90 days use a “C” visa; longer stays for study, work or family use a long stay “D” visa.
Every application starts online on AVATS, from the country where you legally live. You then send the signed summary sheet, original documents and fee to the Irish embassy, consulate or visa office named on your AVATS summary, or the visa application centre it uses. Fees are €60 for a single-entry visa, €100 for multiple entry and €25 for transit, plus any centre service fee. Documents must be originals with English translations, and the general guide is about 8 weeks to a decision.
Work in Ireland normally depends on an employment permit from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, obtained before the visa. Salary thresholds rose on 1 March 2026: €36,605 for a General Employment Permit and €40,904 for a Critical Skills Employment Permit. Anyone staying beyond 90 days registers with ISD and receives an Irish Residence Permit card (usually €300) showing a numbered stamp that sets their rights.
Several rules changed in 2026. Since 1 June refused short-stay visas can no longer be appealed. Since 12 June the Irish citizen sponsor of a spouse must show €75,000 of income over three years, and new asylum claims follow the International Protection Act 2026 under the EU Pact. The Immigrant Investor Programme closed in February 2023.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday, family visit, business meeting, conference or private treatment of up to 90 days: a short stay C visa in the matching category; a valid UK visitor visa may let you visit under the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme.
Study: a long stay D study visa for an ILEP-listed degree or English course; after an Irish level 8 or 9 award, the Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G).
Work: a Critical Skills Employment Permit for listed or highly paid roles, a General Employment Permit for other jobs, an Intra-Company Transfer permit for group transfers, a hosting agreement for researchers, STEP for innovative founders.
Living with family: a join family visa, with rules depending on whether the sponsor is Irish, a Critical Skills or General permit holder; retirement on independent means: Stamp 0.
Visa types for Ireland
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Short stay 'C' visit visa (tourism)
If your nationality is visa-required, you need a short stay 'C' visa to visit Ireland as a tourist for up to 90 days; Schengen visas are not valid.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less. - Family and friends visit visa Short stay 'C' visa – visit family or friends
To visit relatives or friends in Ireland for up to 90 days, visa-required nationals apply for the short stay 'C' visa with the reason 'Visit family/friend'.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less. - Transit visa Transit visa (and transit rules at Irish airports)
Ireland’s €25 transit visa is required only from nationals on a published list.
Maximum stay: No stay: a transit visa only allows passage through an Irish airport or seaport to another country. - Medical treatment visa Short stay 'C' medical treatment visa
The short stay 'C' medical treatment visa allows up to 90 days in Ireland for a procedure at a private hospital that you pay for in full.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less. - Culture, sports and events visa Short stay 'C' conference/event and performance/tournament visas
Visa-required travellers going to a conference, trade event, performance, exam, interview or sports tournament in Ireland apply for a short stay 'C' visa in the matching AVATS category.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less.
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Short stay 'C' business visa
The short stay 'C' business visa lets you spend up to 90 days in Ireland on business: meetings, negotiations, signing contracts and work that starts and ends within a single 14-day period.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less. - Entrepreneur and start-up visa Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)
The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme gives residence to non-EEA founders of innovative, high-potential start-ups who have €50,000 in funding (€30,000 for each additional founder).
Maximum stay: 2 years at first, renewed for 3 years, then in 5-year instalments.
Study and training
- Student visa Long stay 'D' study visa (Stamp 2 student permission)
Students from visa-required countries accepted on a full-time programme listed on Ireland’s ILEP need a long stay 'D' study visa for courses over 90 days.
Maximum stay: Permission follows the course; the total time on student permission is capped at 7 years (8 years including the graduate stage for level 9 graduates). - Language course visa English language course study visa (ILEP English programme, Stamp 2)
To learn English in Ireland for more than 90 days, visa-required nationals need a long stay 'D' study visa for a full-time English course of at least 25 weeks on the ILEP.
Maximum stay: Up to 8 months of permission per course; at most three courses, two years in total, after which only a higher education programme can be continued. - Researcher visa Employment (Scientific Researcher) visa – Hosting Agreement
Researchers invited by an accredited Irish research organisation work under a hosting agreement rather than an employment permit.
Maximum stay: As long as the hosting agreement and the registered permission run. - Internship and trainee visa Internship visas: unpaid internship (up to 90 days) and paid internship routes
Students whose course requires work experience can do an unpaid internship in Ireland of up to 90 days on a short stay C internship visa.
Maximum stay: Unpaid: up to 90 days, with no extension. Paid via Internship Employment Permit: up to 12 months. Paid via AWS: up to 12 months.
Work
- Work visa General Employment Permit and long stay employment visa
Most foreign workers enter Ireland on a General Employment Permit (GEP) issued by DETE for a job offer in any occupation not on the ineligible list.
Maximum stay: Initial permit up to 2 years, renewable for up to 3 more years; after 5 years a permit is generally no longer needed. - Skilled worker visa Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP)
The Critical Skills Employment Permit is Ireland’s main route for highly skilled workers.
Maximum stay: Issued for 2 years; it is not renewed but replaced by Stamp 4 permission from the Department of Justice. - Intra-company transfer visa Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit
The Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit lets a multinational move senior managers, key personnel or trainees from an overseas branch to its Irish branch while they stay on the foreign payroll.
Maximum stay: Up to 24 months initially, extendable to a maximum stay of 5 years; trainees up to 12 months. - Job seeker visa Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G)
Ireland has no job seeker visa for applicants abroad, but non-EEA students who graduate in Ireland with a level 8 award from a recognised Irish awarding body can stay 12 months on Stamp 1G to find graduate work; level 9 graduates can get two 12-month blocks.
Maximum stay: 12 months for level 8; up to 24 months (12 + 12) for level 9 and above, within the 7-year (level 8) or 8-year (level 9+) limit on student permission.
Family
- Family reunification visa Long stay join family visa – joining a non-EEA family member
A spouse, partner or child can join a non-EEA family member living in Ireland under the revised Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy of 12 June 2026.
Maximum stay: Permission follows the sponsor’s permission and must be renewed with it. - Spouse and partner visa Join family visa for the spouse, civil partner or de facto partner of an Irish citizen
A non-EEA spouse, civil partner or de facto partner of an Irish citizen applies for a long stay join family visa if visa-required and, once in Ireland, receives Stamp 4, which allows work and business without a permit.
Maximum stay: Stamp 4 permission, renewed online while the relationship and residence continue.
Residence
- Retirement visa Retirement / independent means permission (Stamp 0) and D Reside visa
People of independent means can retire to Ireland on a Stamp 0 permission if they have an individual income of €50,000 a year plus access to a lump sum large enough to cover major unexpected costs, such as the price of a home.
Maximum stay: Temporary permission renewed on a TPER renewal form while you remain financially independent. - Residence permit Registering an immigration permission and the Irish Residence Permit (IRP)
Anyone from outside the EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland staying in Ireland for more than 90 days must register their permission with Immigration Service Delivery and receive an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card.
Maximum stay: The IRP card is valid for the period of the permission granted (for example one academic year on Stamp 2, two years on Stamp 4). - Permanent residence Stamp 4, Long Term Residency, Stamp 5 (Without Condition As To Time) and citizenship
Ireland has no single permanent residence card for non-EEA workers; long-term status is built in stages.
Maximum stay: Stamp 4 usually 2 years at a time; Long Term Residency 5 years; Stamp 5 valid until your passport expires.
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection International protection (asylum) – International Protection Act 2026
Applications for international protection made in Ireland on or after 12 June 2026 fall under the International Protection Act 2026, which implements the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Maximum stay: While the application and any appeal are pending you may stay as an applicant; recognised refugees and subsidiary protection holders receive a residence permission.
Frequently asked questions
Who needs a visa for Ireland?
Nationals of the countries on ISD’s list of visa-required countries need an Irish visa for any visit. Ireland is not in Schengen, so Schengen visas are not accepted.
Where do I apply for an Irish visa?
Complete AVATS online from the country where you legally live, then submit your documents and fee to the Irish embassy, consulate or visa office named on your AVATS summary, or the visa application centre it uses; the office named on the summary decides the application.
Can I visit Ireland with a UK visa?
Nationals of countries on the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme list who hold an eligible UK short-stay visitor visa can visit Ireland after first entering the UK, for up to 90 days or the time left on the UK permission.
Does Ireland have a golden visa or investor visa?
No longer. The Immigrant Investor Programme closed on 15 February 2023. Founders of innovative start-ups can use the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme instead.
Which countries have a working holiday agreement with Ireland?
Ireland’s working holiday agreements cover Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States.
Can I pay to get my Irish visa faster?
No. ISD processes applications in date order and offers no paid express service; it expedites only genuine emergencies such as a family member’s hospitalisation or a bereavement.
What happens if my Irish visa is refused?
Since 1 June 2026 short-stay refusals cannot be appealed and you must reapply. Long stay refusals can be appealed free of charge within 2 months of the refusal letter.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 23 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.