Visas

Below, you'll find two sets of Visa guidelines and pages - those from the Irish Naturalizaion Immigration Service, part of the Dept. of Justice and those from the folks at Foreign Affairs. They agree in detail, but sometimes one set has a bit more information than the other. Both are equally valid.

• Department of Foreign Affairs Visa pages
• Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service

The Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service Pages

The INIS site provides a bit of information in plain English, but has buried a lot of key documents. For example, if you check their Visas section, you'll think you've got all the information provided. Nope. You've got to click the "Documents / Info Leaflets" button on the top of the page to find the great majority of information.

Buried some 3 layers deep in the Documents / Info Leaflets section is the most important document of all, the Visa FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). It's a Word document that explains the processes and covers all the details. Here's a direct link to the Visa FAQ.

There are several important points to note:

1. Visa processing time takes an average of 4 to 5 weeks from the date of receipt of your application.
2. Your passport must be valid for 6 months after your intended date of departure from the State.
3. If you enter the state on a visa and then travel abroad, you will need another visa to re-enter the state. Plan ahead.

The Full Site

I've put up a lot of information and advice about this topic in the full site.