IrelandBusiness and self-employment

Ireland short stay business visa

Short stay 'C' business visa

In short

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. Longer or repeated work needs Atypical Working Scheme permission or an employment permit. You apply on AVATS and submit the file, with an invitation from the Irish company, to the Irish office named on your summary.

Apply on AVATS – Automated Visa Application and Tracking System checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less.
Validity
Single or multiple entry. Multiple-entry visas are issued only in limited cases, usually to applicants with a good record of earlier travel to Ireland.
Fee
€60Single entry €60, multiple entry €100 (ISD fee table, page updated 25 February 2025). Not refunded on refusal or withdrawal. A visa application centre, where used, charges its own service fee on top, even for fee-exempt applicants.
Funds required
€0 for the stayNo minimum; your own or your employer’s funds must cover the trip, shown by 6 months of statements or the host’s written commitment.
Processing time
Decisions are made in date order; the general guide is about 8 weeks from the date the visa office receives the file, longer if documents are missing or need checking.
Work
Business activities, plus work lasting 14 days or less that starts and ends within one 14-day window, once per 90-day period.
Family
Every traveller, including each child, needs an individual application; Ireland issues no family or group visas.
Path to permanent residence
No. A visit visa cannot be extended into residence; long stays need a separate long-stay D application from abroad.
Where to apply
Online on AVATS from the country where you legally live, then documents to the Irish embassy, consulate or visa office named on your AVATS summary, or the visa application centre it uses.

Allowed business activities

Typical uses are attending meetings, negotiating or signing agreements and visiting customers or suppliers. The visa does not allow work of 15 days or more, and you may not split short work periods across a trip: for example 7 days of work, a 10-day break and another 7 days breaks the rule.

Working twice for 14 days or less within the same 90 days is also not allowed even on a multiple-entry visa. In those cases the Irish host applies for permission under the Atypical Working Scheme (€250 application fee) and you then apply for a short stay employment visa.

Business evidence

Business checklists ask for an invitation from the Irish company on headed paper with the dates, the reason for the visit, who pays and where you will stay, plus the company’s full contact details. Evidence of earlier contact between the two companies helps. Your employer confirms on letterhead whether the trip relates to your job, and attaches 3 payslips and proof of employment.

Company owners give company registration and tax documents. A confirmed hotel booking for the whole stay, matching your flight dates, is expected.

Required documents

Identity

  • Passport valid for at least 6 months after the intended arrival date, with at least two blank pages, plus copies of every stamped or visa page and of all previous passports
  • Two colour photos, 35x45 mm, not older than 6 months, with your name and AVATS transaction number on the back

Travel

  • Confirmed hotel reservation for the whole stay, matching your flights

Money

  • Bank statements for the last 6 months; savings accounts only with a bank letter confirming you can withdraw; large recent deposits explained

Work

  • Proof of occupation: employer letter on letterhead, last 3 payslips and official social insurance or employment records; company registration and tax documents for business owners; pension proof for retirees; enrolment letter for students
  • Invitation from the Irish company on headed paper: dates, purpose, who pays, accommodation and full company contact details
  • Employer letter confirming the trip is related to your job, or company documents if you are the owner

Family

  • Civil status documents showing your family situation, such as birth and marriage certificates or a family register extract where your country issues one

Insurance

  • Travel health insurance covering emergency care, hospital treatment and repatriation for the whole stay

Other

  • AVATS application summary sheet, printed, signed and dated
  • Signed application letter in English: purpose, dates, where you stay, who pays, family members in Ireland, the UK or the EU, and your undertaking to respect the visa conditions and leave on time
  • Statement of your migration history and the original letter of any previous visa refusal by any country, with translation

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Work

  • Evidence of previous business contact between the companies (emails, contracts, invoices)

Applying

In AVATS select the business category, then submit your papers to the Irish embassy, consulate or visa office named on your AVATS summary, or the visa application centre it uses. Every letter from a company must be an original on headed paper with full contact details, a named contact and a handwritten signature.

  1. Create the application on AVATS and choose the 'C' short-stay type with reason for travel 'Business'; note the Visa Application Transaction Number.
  2. Print, sign and date the summary sheets; the summary names the Irish embassy, consulate or visa office that handles your file.
  3. Collect originals in the order of the checklist of the office handling your file and have every document not in English translated, with the translator’s name, signature, date and contact details.
  4. Submit the file and pay the visa fee as the summary instructs, directly to the office or through the visa application centre it uses, which may add its own service fee.
  5. Do not buy non-refundable tickets; check the published visa decisions with your transaction number.
  6. Collect your passport as instructed and carry copies of your supporting documents to the border, where an immigration officer decides on entry and stamps the permitted stay.

At the border and during the stay

A visa only allows you to travel; the immigration officer decides on entry and stamps the date by which you must leave. Ireland does not stamp passports on exit, so keep boarding passes as proof. Travel or medical insurance does not have to be filed with every application, but you must show it on arrival if asked.

Visitor permission can be extended only after an unforeseen change of circumstances, such as being medically unfit to travel; a request beyond 90 days goes to Immigration Service Delivery and, if approved, a €300 registration fee applies.

Refusals and reapplying

From 1 June 2026 a refused short-stay visa can no longer be appealed; the only appeals still possible in the short-stay category are those of family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens under the Free Movement Directive. The refusal letter lists the reasons, and a new AVATS application with a new fee is the way forward.

Hiding an earlier refusal from any country leads to refusal, and false or misleading documents can result in a ban on applying for an Irish visa for up to 5 years.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install machinery for a client on a business visa?

Only if the work starts and ends within a single 14-day period and you do not work again in Ireland in the same 90 days. Anything longer needs Atypical Working Scheme permission.

Can I get a multiple-entry business visa?

You can request multiple entry (€100), but it is granted only in limited cases, normally to frequent travellers with a good Irish visa history.

Does a trade fair need a business or a conference visa?

If you attend an event organised by a host who invites you as a participant, the conference/event category fits; meetings with business partners fit the business category.

Can a business visa refusal be appealed?

No. Since 1 June 2026 refusals of short-stay visas, including business visas, cannot be appealed; you may submit a new application.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Ireland

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa 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 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 Maximum stay: No stay: a transit visa only allows passage through an Irish airport or seaport to another country.
  • Medical treatment visa 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 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

Study and training

  • Student visa 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 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 Maximum stay: As long as the hosting agreement and the registered permission run.
  • Internship and trainee 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 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 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 Maximum stay: Up to 24 months initially, extendable to a maximum stay of 5 years; trainees up to 12 months.
  • Job seeker visa 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

Residence

  • Retirement visa Maximum stay: Temporary permission renewed on a TPER renewal form while you remain financially independent.
  • Residence permit 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 Maximum stay: Stamp 4 usually 2 years at a time; Long Term Residency 5 years; Stamp 5 valid until your passport expires.

Protection

  • Asylum and international protection 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.

Ireland visa guide