Applying for a visa to Ireland

You should know that Northern Ireland is part of England, you can go there by an ordinary English visa. The state of Ireland is just an island of the same name, more precisely, most of it.

Schengen visa does not work here: the country is not included in the Schengen zone.

Different categories of visa

• Tourist visa - issued by those who make regular tourist trips or short-term studies up to 3 months;
• Guest visa - for people visiting friends or relatives, as well as visitors for a short time to learn. The term of such a visa is 3 months;
• For those who enrolled in universities and is going to study there for a long time - a student Irish visa (visa for study in Ireland);
• Business visa - for business trips, it is also necessary to invitation of working partners;
• Transit visa - for travelers passing through the country;
• Working visas - for citizens who have received a job in the country.

Duration of visas

Regular tourists receive a single visa, valid for 3 months. Student Irish visa and work visas have a longer period of validity.

Citizens, making regular business trips, as well as family members of EU citizens (spouses, children) are issued multiple visas.

How to apply for a visa

The first step is filling out the online application form. It is on the website of the Government of Ireland at http://visas.inis.gov.ie . There you can find the official instruction for filling. The document is completed in English.

The application form is provided in full and a short version, the last document is printed and together with a package of other papers is sent to the embassy.

According to the official rules, each document must have a translation certified by a notary. The embassy also accepts independent translations without assurance.

Documents for obtaining a visa

This, of course, is a foreign passport, the term of which expires not earlier than six months after the end of the trip and return to home country, there must be at least two blank pages in it. The original passport is sent to the embassy, sometimes they also accept a photocopy explaining why the original is missing (but in this case the probability of refusing a visa, including a visa for studying in Ireland, increases).

How much does it cost to get a visa?

Consular fee for a visa is about 70 dollars.

Important! If the visa is refused, the paid fee will not be refunded.

Who is exempt from paying the visa fee:

• relatives of citizens of Ireland (children, spouses);
• citizens with diplomatic passports.

Ways of payment for a visa

The following way is common: a package of documents for a visa (student Irish visa, working or tourist) is given to the courier, and money are attached. A small risk still exists, although this method does work. With personal subbmission of documents and money to the embassy, the absence of unpleasant precedents is guaranteed.

Terms of visa registration

The usual processing time can be 5 - 15 days, most often a visa (including a student Irish visa) is ready in a week. It should be borne in mind that at the height of the holiday season, a visa is issued longer: in summer many students go to the country, their visas for studying in Ireland are considered for a long time. To be sure of the timely issue of a visa, it is best to file documents for a month.

Working visas

To obtain a work visa, you must add to the standard package of documents:

• an invitation from the employer, where the position and salary of the invited person should be indicated;
• if there is - an employment contract;
• degree of an invited person.

It is also necessary to make a medical insurance for the whole period of work.

If the visa is denied

Each embassy carefully checks each document, and if inaccuracies are found, incorrect information is provided, there are errors from inattentive filling, then a refusal can be received.

In this case, the applicant can appeal within 2 months. Only if a forgery is revealed in the papers, the appeal is not accepted for consideration.

This type of visa is most common, so it is worth considering the issue in more detail.

The package of documents includes:

• Passport - original and a copy of its first page;
• Application form;
• Photos in quantity of 2 pieces;
• Copy of the old passport with pages of Schengen, American, English, Australian, Canadian visas are placed, if any;
• Native passport - a copy of all the completed pages; each page should be copied to a separate sheet of A4 paper;

• Confirmation of the hotel reservation (if it is planned to reside in it) - it is received by e-mail, but in order to be reinsured, tourists request the document in original or by fax;

• Invitation from relatives and friends with a copy of the passport of the inviting person; the document should indicate: the place and duration of the guest's stay, the confirmation of the inviting party about the responsibility for it;

• Health insurance policy. The document is not obligatory, but very desirable, because life is unpredictable: a copy of the insurance medical policy; The amount of coverage must be at least 30 thousand euros;

• Extract from the bank account of the tourist with the reflection of operations on the account for the last six months, certified by the signature of the authorized person and the bank seal; To increase the chance of obtaining a visa, you can attach documents for real estate and vehicles in copies;

• A certificate of employment in which must be indicated: period of service, position, salary (not less than $ 800), contacts; It must be signed by the chief accountant and the head of the company, certified with a seal - the data will be checked by the embassy;

• If the tourist is traveling with non-working family members, you need to make a statement that he is their sponsor; While the average salary for a family should be at least $ 600;

• Non-working tourists submit a letter confirming the sponsorship and a certificate of employment of the person financing the trip: the sponsor indicates that he undertakes to pay all expenses;

• For a schoolchild - certificate from the place of study, for a student - a copy of the student's card, for a pensioner - a copy of the pension certificate;

• If a family is traveling to Ireland, it is better to provide copies of birth certificates for children and marriage certificates; it happens that unmarried women are denied a visa - the embassy does not exclude the possibility that they are traveling to find a husband to stay in the country for permanent residence;

• Illegal immigrants - unwanted guests in any European country; The tourist will have to prove that his/her position at home is quite strong: the availability of work and real estate are a convincing argument that the tourist is not going to immigrate;

• Another proof in favor of the tourist - tickets to the events that he plans to visit in the country. They show that the tourist visits countries only for informational purposes.

Photos: requirements and rules

For a visa of any type you need 2 photos with a size of 3.5x4.5 cm, they should be identical.

You do not need to attach them to the form. On the back, it is necessary to write legibly the name of the tourist and the number of the application form (transaction number).

The background of the picture should be light, and the face occupy ¾ of the entire area of the photo.

Eyes should not be covered either with hair or with dark glasses. Therefore, if you wear glasses, in a picture they should be with usual light glasses.

The frame for the photo is not needed. Demand for a picture: open eyes, closed mouth, calm face. The headwear is excluded.

Features of traveling with children

If both parents travel with their children, the usual package of documents should be added:

• two children's photos (the requirements for them are similar);
• copies of birth certificates.

If one parent or an outsider travels, a power of attorney from the other parent and a copy of the passport of the person accompanying the child should be attached. The power of attorney must include the name of the country where the tourists are heading, and the dates of their stay.

Children who have not reached the age of 14 are entered in the passport of their parents, a photo (children from 6 to 14 years old) is pasted.

Children older than 14 years make out their passport independently, the application form is signed by one of the parents.

Students who need a visa for study in Ireland, submit to the Embassy a set of documents (written in a tourist visa) and plus to it:

• a certificate of a bank account (the amount on the student's account must cover all travel expenses);
• Certificatesof employment of each parent (specifying the salary);
• invitation from the educational institution;
• a copy of the school certificate;
• copies of receipts for tuition and living expenses;
• autobiography of the student.