Visa Requirements for Irish Citizens

Visa requirements for Irish citizens are the specified entry rules and regulations that apply to all Irish citizens traveling abroad. These stipulated conditions decide whether or not citizens of Ireland need a visa to visit a selected foreign country.

Luckily for Irish citizens, their passport makes them eligible for visiting dozens of countries either visa-free, using an Electronic Travel Authorization, or by obtaining a Visa on Arrival.

Nearly 200 destinations welcome nationals of Ireland without the need to apply for a regular Embassy visa. This makes abroad tourism extremely accessible and helped Irish passport rank in 6th place when it comes to overall travel liberty.

Traveling with an Irish passport allows you to spend a lot of time abroad. The exact length of the permitted stay depends on the selected destination. The most commonly seen option is either one month, three months, or six months. However, there are also countries that allow only a 7-day visit and some that accept a one-year stay.

Even though Irish citizens can enjoy a visa-free entrance to over a hundred places, there are still quite a few that require them to apply for a visa. This can be done either electronically using the very accessible eVisa system, at the airport upon arrival, or weeks in advance via an Embassy.

The Electronic Travel Authorization allows Irish citizens to obtain the necessary visa entirely online, without the need to visit an Embassy! VoA is obtainable at an airport or at any land border crossing point. Lastly, regular Embassy visas may be the most difficult to obtain. However, this type of travel permit may serve as both a short-term and long-term visa allowing its holders to engage in different activities and even live in a foreign country.

Electronic visa for Irish citizens

The Electronic Travel Authorization system is the easiest visa option to travel with. eVisas are obtainable online upon meeting elementary visa requirements. Moreover, the approved document arrives at the applicant's email address in PDF form. Once citizens of Ireland get their electronic travel permits, they can use them for leisure, business, or transiting.

List of countries issuing electronic visas for Irish citizens

There are over 30 territories that welcome all citizens of Ireland with an approved eVisa. This means that Irish citizens can easily get the necessary travel permits online, without the troublesome visits to the Embassy and without having to gather excessive amounts of paperwork to validate the purpose of the planned trip.

Most of the time, approved electronic visas allow Irish citizens to stay in a selected country for either one month or three months within the set validity period. A few destinations enable a 16-day stay or a two-month stay as well; it all depends on the particular place you plan on visiting.

The most convenient thing about eVisas for Irish citizens is the fact that the approved document serves just as a regular visa. However, it is obtainable without the tiresome visits to the Embassy. eVisas can be used in a very versatile way, including leisure, professional, and transit-related usage.

All Irish nationals can go on vacation, go on a relaxing getaway, explore the foreign country's tourist attractions, or visit their friends and family living abroad. Moreover, all professional-related usage is also possible, allowing Irish passport-holders to go on a business trip, negotiate future contracts, close a deal, or look for new job opportunities. Lastly, electronic visas also enable their holders to take on a transit trip upon reaching their final destination.

Visa on Arrival

A Visa on Arrival is a travel authorization document that's main characteristic is the place of obtaining it. VoAs, as the name suggests, are obtainable upon arrival at the airport or at any land/sea border crossing point.

List of countries that issue Visas on Arrival for Irish citizens

  • Angola
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Benin
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi* (Irish citizens have to hold an entry authorization letter from the authorities to get a VoA)
  • Cambodia
  • Comoros
  • Egypt
  • Ethiopia
  • Gabon
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Iran
  • Iraq* (Sulaimaniyah and Erbil airports only, 15 days, extension)
  • Iraqi Kurdistan
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Kuwait
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Maldives
  • Mauritania
  • Mongolia
  • Mozambique
  • Nepal
  • New Zealand* (Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay, under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement)
  • Niue
  • Pakistan (VoA for business purposes only)
  • Palau
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sierra Leone
  • Somalia
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Timor-Leste
  • Togo
  • Tonga
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

More than 50 countries enable Irish passport-holders to get the obligatory visa upon arrival. That solution may be both convenient and inconvenient. Irish travelers deciding to get their visas after arriving in a selected country don't have to prepare before the planned trip. However, obtaining VoAs may be stressful as you're not sure if you will be able to continue your travels.

To get a Visa on Arrival, simply make your way to the nearest border control point and ask for a VoA application form. Carefully fill it out, providing all the required information, and double-check if everything is correct. If necessary, cover the fees and wait for the approved document to be issued.

It's worth noting a few more things about Visas on Arrival. Most importantly, many destinations that do offer VoAs, also offer an eVisa option for Irish passport-holders to obtain. Check if the place you want to visit does offer eVisas since this is a more secure way to travel. With an electronic visa already approved before leaving for the trip, you can be sure to enter the country you want to go to.

Moreover, VoAs are most often connected with long waiting lines at the airport and may elongate the not-pleasant parts of traveling. Travel prepared with an approved eVisa whenever possible to make your trip smoother and effortless!

Embassy visa

An Embassy visa for Irish citizens is a document that allows its holders to cross the border of a foreign country it's been issued for. This type of visa is obtainable only after visiting an Embassy and going through an official visa application process that may sometimes require attending a visa interview with consular officers.

List of countries that require Irish citizens to obtain an Embassy visa

  • Abkhazia
  • Afghanistan
  • Algeria
  • American Samoa
  • Artsakh
  • Bhutan
  • Burundi
  • Cameroon
  • The Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • China
  • Republic of the Congo
  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Cuba
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Ghana
  • Iraq
  • North Korea
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Mali
  • Nauru
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Turkmenistan
  • Yemen

Nearly 30 destinations require citizens of Ireland to obtain an Embassy visa before visiting its territory. The countries are the less-known or visited places. Such a small number of countries that do require a regular visa is what makes Irish citizens rank so high in the overall tourism and travel liberty ranking.

Obtaining an Embassy visa is a bit more complicated than applying for an electronic visa or a Visa on Arrival. First, it's crucial to check the current visa requirements by contacting an Embassy. Next, all applicants need to prepare the required documents and fill an application form.

Once that's done, visit an Embassy and submit your application. Some countries may need you to attend a visa interview or provide additional supporting documents to validate the purpose of your stay. The approved visa is usually stamped into the applicant's passport.

Fortunately, it's not often when Irish citizens have to obtain an Embassy visa. Dozens of countries make them exempt from such an obligation, facilitating their travels.

However, if you plan on visiting a country that does require a traditional visa, it's essential to remember that preparing in advance of applying should be done at least a few weeks before the process starts. This way, you can have a greater chance of receiving the approved document as quickly as possible or at least on time for the planned trip.

Visa-free countries

Visa exemption is currently offered by numerous countries for all Irish citizens who have their valid passports ready. Being visa-exempt means that you can freely travel between Ireland and any selected country that offers visa-free entrance without any travel authorization document issued.

Over a hundred destinations allow completely visa-free entrance for all Irish citizens, making the Irish passport an extremely powerful document.

Check the list of countries that allow visa-free entrance for Irish citizens.

All you need to cross the border of any of the above-listed countries visa-free is your valid Irish passport. Plan your trip, book an airplane ticket or get ready for a road trip by car, pack your bags, and show your passport upon arriving. The authorities of the country you are visiting will check if your travel document is valid.

Once you enter the selected visa-free destination, you can enjoy all leisure, professional, or even transit-related activities. Go on vacation, explore foreign countries, learn more about their history and culture, meet new people, find out more about the local customs, close an important deal, or simply transit through any visa-free country!

Bogdan T
2022-04-20

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