Updated visa requirements

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Updated Visa Arrangements

As part of Government efforts to tackle the pandemic, Ireland has temporarily ceased accepting new visa/preclearance applications, effective from 29 January.

Increasing travel restrictions and the measures introduced as part of Ireland’s efforts to interrupt the transmission of Covid-19 means that travel, even if possible, is not advisable unless absolutely essential. It is currently against the law for any person (regardless of nationality or passport) to travel within Ireland for non-essential purposes and people can be fined for doing so. This is being strongly enforced.

The situation will continue to be reviewed in consultation with the relevant authorities in the coming weeks.

We intend to resume accepting applications as soon as safety concerns abate. Certain Priority/Emergency cases will continue to be processed, including: 

• Workers or self-employed persons exercising critical occupations including healthcare workers, frontier and posted workers as well as seasonal workers;
• patients travelling for imperative medical reasons;
• students/trainees who travel abroad on a daily basis and Third-country nationals travelling for the purpose of 3^rd level study;
• persons travelling for imperative family or business reasons;
• diplomats, staff of international organisations and people invited by international organisations whose physical presence is required for the well-functioning of these organisations, military personnel and police officers, and humanitarian aid workers and civil protection personnel in the exercise of their functions;
• passengers in transit;
• seafarers;
• journalists, when performing their duties.

If your application falls into one of these categories, you can apply on-line in the usual way. Once you’ve completed the on-line application, you should follow the instructions given on the summary page as to where you should submit your application.

If you are unsure as to whether you require a visa/preclearance to enter Ireland you can check here by entering your nationality. 

These measures are designed to support our public health restrictions on movement, including into and out of Ireland. 

Our strong advice therefore is that everyone, regardless of their nationality or visa/preclearance status, or where they started from, who cannot provide proof of an essential purpose to travel to or within Ireland, should not travel to Ireland. 

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