Ireland visa and entry requirements

Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs says a Schengen visa is not valid for travel to Ireland, and that whether you need a visa depends on your nationality, the purpose of your visit and how long you plan to stay. Citizens Information says citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, and of the countries it lists — among them the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan — do not need a visa to land in Ireland; the UK government says British and Irish citizens travel freely between the UK and Ireland under the Common Travel Area. The Immigration Service says the immigration officer decides the stay, up to a maximum of 3 months. Visa-required nationals visiting for 90 days or less apply for a Short Stay ‘C’ visa (€60 single entry).

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 25, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Short Stay 'C' Visa (visit/tourist)

Fee
Not published
Processing
—
Stay per entry
90 days

€60 for single entry, €100 for multiple entry; some applicants are exempt from the visa fee. Apply online through AVATS, then follow the Summary Application Form's instructions on where to submit your documents. The Immigration Service says applicants can expect a decision within approximately 8 weeks from the date the application was received at the visa office, embassy or consulate.

Entry requirements

Passport validity

The Immigration Service says short stay ‘C’ visa applicants must submit a current passport valid for at least 6 months after the date they plan to leave Ireland. No official source we could read states a validity rule for visa-exempt travellers.

Vaccinations

Not officially stated

No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Travel insurance

Required

The Immigration Service says that if your short stay ‘C’ visa is approved, you must have evidence of medical or travel insurance when you arrive at the port of entry and present it to the Immigration Officer on request. For other visitors, it lists proof of health insurance covering the duration of the stay among other useful documents.

Onward or return ticket

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states an onward or return ticket requirement for Ireland. The Immigration Service lists your passport, a visa if necessary and your boarding card as the minimum documents to present to the Immigration Officer, and a travel itinerary among other useful documents.

Proof of funds

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or an amount. The Immigration Service lists proof of sufficient funds among other useful documents to present to the Immigration Officer.

Staying past your permitted stay

No non-national may be in the State other than in accordance with a permission given by or on behalf of the Minister; one who is in the State in breach of this is unlawfully present. The Minister may make a deportation order against a person who, in the Minister's opinion, has broken a restriction or condition of their landing, entry or leave to stay. The order requires the person to leave the State within the period it sets and to stay out of the State afterwards.

Customs & currency

Revenue says that if you enter or leave the EU at an Irish airport or port carrying cash of €10,000 or more, you must make a declaration to Customs. The rules apply to movements of cash to or from the UK, but not to or from Northern Ireland.

  • Travelling from outside the EU, Revenue's duty-free allowances are general goods worth no more than €430 if you are 15 or over (€215 if under 15), plus 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g of smoking tobacco, 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of other alcoholic drinks with no more than 22% alcohol, 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer.
  • Revenue says that if you arrive from outside the EU with certain goods — among them certain foodstuffs (mainly meat, milk, fish or products thereof), medicines, live or dead animals, fish, birds or plants, products of endangered species, and firearms, weapons, fireworks or explosives — you must declare them to a customs officer.

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Euro (EUR, €)
Safety — Generally safe
The UK government says to take precautions to reduce the risk of bag-snatching or pickpocketing, avoid carrying valuables and large amounts of money, and lock your vehicle and park where possible in a secure car park; it says most incidents occur in the larger cities.Verified Oct 6, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
G · 230V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 112 · Alternative: 999
Languages
Irish, English
Time zone
UTC+0 (UTC+1 in summer)
Driving side
left
International Driving Permit

Ireland is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). Ireland's Road Safety Authority says that, as a visitor, you can drive on a licence from any state outside the EU/EEA for up to one year, provided it is current and valid, and that you can drive with a valid EU/EEA licence until it expires.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic Compare every country
Tap water
safe to drink

Best time to visit

No official source we could read gives a best time to visit Ireland. Canada's travel advice says some roads may become hazardous during severe weather conditions.

Tips & warnings

The UK government says British and Irish citizens can travel freely between the UK and Ireland under the Common Travel Area, and that some airlines and ferry operators have introduced, or will introduce, a passport-only identification requirement, so check your carrier's requirements. Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs says a UK visa is not valid for travel to Ireland, except in limited cases under schemes such as the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme.

Canada's travel advice says road conditions and road safety are generally good in Ireland, but that some roads can be uneven, narrow and winding, particularly in rural areas, and may become hazardous during severe weather conditions.

Visa requirements by nationality

Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanEmbassy visa—
AlbaniaEmbassy visa—
AlgeriaEmbassy visa—
AndorraVisa-free90 days
AngolaEmbassy visa—
Antigua and BarbudaVisa-free90 days
ArgentinaVisa-free90 days
ArmeniaEmbassy visa—
AustraliaVisa-free90 days
AustriaFree movement—
AzerbaijanEmbassy visa—
BahamasVisa-free90 days
BahrainEmbassy visa—
BangladeshEmbassy visa—
BarbadosVisa-free90 days
BelarusEmbassy visa—
BelgiumFree movement—
BelizeVisa-free90 days
BeninEmbassy visa—
BhutanEmbassy visa—
BoliviaEmbassy visa—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaEmbassy visa—
BotswanaEmbassy visa—
BrazilVisa-free90 days
BruneiVisa-free90 days
BulgariaFree movement—
Burkina FasoEmbassy visa—
BurundiEmbassy visa—
Cabo VerdeEmbassy visa—
CambodiaEmbassy visa—
CameroonEmbassy visa—
CanadaVisa-free90 days
Central African RepublicEmbassy visa—
ChadEmbassy visa—
ChileVisa-free90 days
ChinaEmbassy visa—
ColombiaEmbassy visa—
ComorosEmbassy visa—
Costa RicaVisa-free90 days
Côte d'IvoireEmbassy visa—
CroatiaFree movement—
CubaEmbassy visa—
CyprusFree movement—
CzechiaFree movement—
Democratic Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
DenmarkFree movement—
DjiboutiEmbassy visa—
DominicaEmbassy visa—
Dominican RepublicEmbassy visa—
EcuadorEmbassy visa—
EgyptEmbassy visa—
El SalvadorVisa-free90 days
Equatorial GuineaEmbassy visa—
EritreaEmbassy visa—
EstoniaFree movement—
EswatiniEmbassy visa—
EthiopiaEmbassy visa—
FijiVisa-free90 days
FinlandFree movement—
FranceFree movement—
GabonEmbassy visa—
GambiaEmbassy visa—
GeorgiaEmbassy visa—
GermanyFree movement—
GhanaEmbassy visa—
GreeceFree movement—
GrenadaVisa-free90 days
GuatemalaVisa-free90 days
GuineaEmbassy visa—
Guinea-BissauEmbassy visa—
GuyanaVisa-free90 days
HaitiEmbassy visa—
HondurasEmbassy visa—
Hong KongVisa-free90 days
HungaryFree movement—
IcelandFree movement—
IndiaEmbassy visa—
IndonesiaEmbassy visa—
IranEmbassy visa—
IraqEmbassy visa—
IrelandFree movement—
IsraelVisa-free90 days
ItalyFree movement—
JamaicaEmbassy visa—
JapanVisa-free90 days
JordanEmbassy visa—
KazakhstanEmbassy visa—
KenyaEmbassy visa—
KiribatiVisa-free90 days
KosovoEmbassy visa—
KuwaitEmbassy visa—
KyrgyzstanEmbassy visa—
LaosEmbassy visa—
LatviaFree movement—
LebanonEmbassy visa—
LesothoEmbassy visa—
LiberiaEmbassy visa—
LibyaEmbassy visa—
LiechtensteinFree movement—
LithuaniaFree movement—
LuxembourgFree movement—
MacauVisa-free90 days
MadagascarEmbassy visa—
MalawiEmbassy visa—
MalaysiaVisa-free90 days
MaldivesVisa-free90 days
MaliEmbassy visa—
MaltaFree movement—
Marshall IslandsEmbassy visa—
MauritaniaEmbassy visa—
MauritiusEmbassy visa—
MexicoVisa-free90 days
MicronesiaEmbassy visa—
MoldovaEmbassy visa—
MonacoVisa-free90 days
MongoliaEmbassy visa—
MontenegroEmbassy visa—
MoroccoEmbassy visa—
MozambiqueEmbassy visa—
MyanmarEmbassy visa—
NamibiaEmbassy visa—
NauruEmbassy visa—
NepalEmbassy visa—
NetherlandsFree movement—
New ZealandVisa-free90 days
NicaraguaEmbassy visa—
NigerEmbassy visa—
NigeriaEmbassy visa—
North KoreaEmbassy visa—
North MacedoniaEmbassy visa—
NorwayFree movement—
OmanEmbassy visa—
PakistanEmbassy visa—
PalauEmbassy visa—
PalestineEmbassy visa—
PanamaVisa-free90 days
Papua New GuineaEmbassy visa—
ParaguayVisa-free90 days
PeruEmbassy visa—
PhilippinesEmbassy visa—
PolandFree movement—
PortugalFree movement—
QatarEmbassy visa—
Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
RomaniaFree movement—
RussiaEmbassy visa—
RwandaEmbassy visa—
Saint Kitts and NevisEmbassy visa—
Saint LuciaEmbassy visa—
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa-free90 days
SamoaVisa-free90 days
San MarinoVisa-free90 days
São Tomé and PríncipeEmbassy visa—
Saudi ArabiaEmbassy visa—
SenegalEmbassy visa—
SerbiaEmbassy visa—
SeychellesVisa-free90 days
Sierra LeoneEmbassy visa—
SingaporeVisa-free90 days
SlovakiaFree movement—
SloveniaFree movement—
Solomon IslandsVisa-free90 days
SomaliaEmbassy visa—
South AfricaEmbassy visa—
South KoreaVisa-free90 days
South SudanEmbassy visa—
SpainFree movement—
Sri LankaEmbassy visa—
SudanEmbassy visa—
SurinameEmbassy visa—
SwedenFree movement—
SwitzerlandFree movement—
SyriaEmbassy visa—
TaiwanVisa-free90 days
TajikistanEmbassy visa—
TanzaniaEmbassy visa—
ThailandEmbassy visa—
Timor-LesteEmbassy visa—
TogoEmbassy visa—
TongaVisa-free90 days
Trinidad and TobagoEmbassy visa—
TunisiaEmbassy visa—
TurkeyEmbassy visa—
TurkmenistanEmbassy visa—
TuvaluVisa-free90 days
UgandaEmbassy visa—
UkraineVisa-free90 days
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free90 days
United KingdomFree movement—
United StatesVisa-free90 days
UruguayVisa-free90 days
UzbekistanEmbassy visa—
VanuatuEmbassy visa—
Vatican CityVisa-free90 days
VenezuelaEmbassy visa—
VietnamEmbassy visa—
YemenEmbassy visa—
ZambiaEmbassy visa—
ZimbabweEmbassy visa—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

United Kingdom2 of 199 passports visa-free · 83 eVisa/ETAPortugal94 of 199 passports visa-freeSpain94 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do US citizens need a visa or ETA for Ireland?

No. Citizens Information lists the United States of America among the countries whose citizens do not need a visa to land in Ireland. The Immigration Service says the immigration officer places a stamp in your passport that sets out the duration of your stay, which is at the officer's discretion, up to a maximum of 3 months.

Can I visit Ireland with a Schengen visa?

No. Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs says a Schengen visa is not valid for travel to Ireland, and that a UK visa is not valid either, except in limited cases under specific schemes such as the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme. Chinese nationals living in China and Indian nationals living in India may be eligible for the British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS).

Do I need a UK ETA to travel to Ireland?

No official Irish source we could read requires a UK ETA for travel to Ireland. Ireland's Immigration Service says an ETA cannot be used under its Short-stay Visa Waiver Programme: a national holding a UK ETA and not a UK visa needs a separate Irish visa to travel to Ireland.

Do South African citizens need a visa for Ireland?

South Africa is not among the countries Citizens Information lists as not needing a visa to land in Ireland, and it lists South Africa among the countries whose citizens need a valid Irish transit visa when landing in the State. Visa-required nationals visiting for 90 days or less apply for a Short Stay ‘C’ visa (€60 single entry) online through AVATS.

How long can I stay in Ireland as a tourist?

The Immigration Service says the immigration officer places a stamp in your passport that sets out the duration and conditions of your stay; the duration is at the officer's discretion, up to a maximum of 3 months. If you arrive with a short stay ‘C’ visa, you must leave before your landing stamp expires.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source