Russians need a visa to Ireland: list of documents, application form, photo

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Ireland is located in the north of Europe, on the island of the same name, most of which belongs to the territory of this state, only a small area belongs to Great Britain. Ireland is not on the list of countries participating in the Schengen agreement, so you need to get an Irish visa to travel.

Those Russian citizens who have a multiple-entry UK visa can enter Ireland using it, but only if the document has already been used to visit England, and entry is through British lands.

Types of visas

Ireland issues three types of visas:

• C - the so-called short-term visa, it is received by tourists and persons traveling to the country for guest or business purposes, as well as for studying courses; however, visits are possible for a period of no more than 90 days;
• D - issued to those who plan to stay in the country for a long time; the reason for receiving such a document may be a work contract, university studies, restoration with family, marriage;
• transit visa - it is issued in order to make a transfer in Ireland without any problems; in practice it is rare.

Almost all visas approved by the Irish consulate are single-entry. In rare cases, for those who often travel a lot to the country for business purposes, an exception can be made and a multiple visa can be issued.

Applying for a visa yourself

The Irish Consulate does not use the services of visa centers and has simplified the submission of documents as much as possible, although the process of collecting papers cannot be called easy.
In order to submit documents you must:

• complete the online application on the Department of Justice and Equality website;
• collect all necessary documents;
• submit them to the consulate and pay the consular fee there.

After filling out the application form, the visa applicant receives an application number and information on where to submit documents and where to pay the consular fee. They can be taken to the consulate in person or sent by courier.

How much does a visa to Ireland cost in 2021?

The cost of an Irish visa consists of a consular fee (charged for processing documents and making a decision on issuing a visa) and a service fee (fee for accepting documents at the VFS Global visa center). Fees are accepted in rubles at the exchange rate on the day of submission of documents to the CC. Payment is possible in cash or by credit card.

From May 2021, the cost of an Irish visa is:

• 60 € for Single Journey visa (single entry);
• 100 € for Multiple Journey visa;
• 25 € for a transit visa.

Regardless of the visa requested, the service fee is 20 €.

Spouses and dependent children of citizens of Ireland, Switzerland, and countries of the European Economic Area are exempt from paying the fee. Visas requested under the recreation program for children of the Chernobyl zone and accompanying persons are also issued free of charge.

If, instead of the requested multiple visa, the Irish issued a single entry visa, the difference in cost of 40 € is not refunded.

Documents for a visa to Ireland

Required documents to obtain a tourist visa:

1. The form
   must be filled out in English (must be printed), you can use the detailed instructions from the consulate on how to enter the data correctly;
2. International passport
   Valid for at least 6 months from the date of departure from Ireland;
3. Copy of international passport
   Photocopies of old international passports, if any, with visas;
4. Photograph
   Two color photographs measuring 3.5 × 4.5 cm (see photo requirements below);
5. Financial guarantees
   Certificate from work indicating salary and time of vacation granted, original bank account statement for the last 6 months, etc.; the consulate does not provide information about what amount in the account is considered sufficient; each time the decision is made individually;
6. Documents confirming the purpose of the trip
   For tourist travel, a hotel or apartment reservation is usually included, as well as a description of the planned movements;
7. Medical insurance
   Minimum coverage 30,000 EUR;

It is also recommended to bring papers confirming your connection with your homeland (real estate, work and family ties, etc.), in short, any evidence confirming the applicant’s intentions to return home.

If a visa applicant has ever received visa refusals from other countries, it is necessary to provide them and a description of the alleged reasons for such a decision.

All documents submitted to the consulate must be either in English or have a notarized translation. The package for each person must be packed in a thick envelope; however, if several people submit an application at once, the envelopes can be placed in one common one.

What visa do you need for Ireland and how to apply for it?

A trip to Ireland with children requires a visa for each child. For a child visa you need:

• fill out a form signed by the parent (upon reaching 14 years of age and by the child himself);
• 2 Schengen-compliant photos;
• birth certificate or passport of the child;
• copies of parents’ internal passports;
• in the case when a child travels with one of the parents or without them, accompanied by a third party - a notarized consent to travel from both parents.

You can apply for a visa to Ireland yourself at the Irish Embassy or Consulate in St. Petersburg. Irish Visa Application Center accredited by the Embassy - VFS Global. Ireland Visa Application Center offices are located in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Samara, Omsk.

You can also do this through a tour operator by paying a certain amount.

To apply for a visa to Ireland for Russians in 2021, the following list of documents is required:

• Ireland visa application completed online on the Department of Justice and Equality website (https://www.visas.inis.gov.ie) in English and printed. After filling out the form on the website, the application is assigned a number, with a date for submitting documents and information on how to pay the consular fee. A sample form for filling out the form is also available on the website.
• A foreign passport with a validity period of at least 6 months from the end of the trip and at least two blank pages. To obtain a long-term visa, the passport must be valid for at least 12 months from the date of submission of documents and have 4 blank pages.
• 2 photos.
• Old passport (if available), photocopies of all completed pages and visas.
• Copies of all pages of the internal passport.
• Documents confirming the purpose of the trip (tourist policy, invitation, etc.).
• Confirmation of residence availability. For tourists, this can be a paid hotel reservation, for guests by invitation - confirmation of legal residence in Ireland of the inviter, indicating the address of residence.
• A document confirming that the applicant has a sufficient amount of funds (bank statement, income certificate, etc.).
• Unemployed people or other persons who do not have funds for the trip must provide a sponsorship letter and papers confirming the sponsor's solvency.
• Additional documents:
• for pensioners - pension certificate;
• for students - student card, invitation from the university;
• for employees - a certificate from the place of work indicating personal data, length of service, salary and company contacts;
• for a business visa - invitation, purpose and duration of the trip, contact details of the person responsible for the visit, etc.
• It is not necessary, but it is advisable to have health insurance suitable for Schengen countries and round-trip tickets.
• To travel by invitation, you must provide a notarized invitation indicating the personal data of both parties, residential addresses and travel dates.
• The chances of obtaining any visa will increase significantly if you attach documents confirming the presence of a strong connection with your homeland: family, children, parents, business in your homeland, real estate, etc.

All documents for a visa to Ireland must be placed in an envelope. If a group trip is planned, for example, a family trip, then the documents for each person must be placed in separate envelopes, then all the envelopes must be put into a common one.

The biometric photo required to obtain a visa to Ireland must meet the following requirements:

• Size 3.5x4.5
• Colored, matte, on a light or white background without corners, circles or frames.
• Not more than six months old.
• The face should occupy 70-80% of the photo, the shoulders and top of the head should be visible.
• The use of retouching, dark glasses, hats and other accessories that cover part of the face is not allowed, with the exception of religious headdresses, but they should not cover the face.

To receive it you need to do the following:

1. go to the Department of Justice and Equality website and fill out the form. You can go to this site using the link.
2. collect documents for a visa in accordance with the list
3. come to the visa center with a complete package of documents for a visa and submit them for consideration
4. pay the visa application fee at the consulate

To obtain a visa to Ireland, you need to prepare the documents listed below. This article provides a list of documents for applying for the most popular category of Irish visa - short-term tourist.

• Visa application form: completed online, printed and signed by the applicant
• Passport: valid for at least six months after the date of return from Ireland
• Old passports (if available)
• Photos: 2 pieces, color. One photo is pasted in the upper left corner of the printed application form.
• Receipt for payment of visa fee
• Proof of accommodation in Ireland, e.g. hotel booked
• Bank statement for the last six months
• A certificate from the applicant’s work indicating information about salary and position. The certificate must be issued on the employer's official letterhead, have a representative's signature and seal, and also contain contact information for checking the information. If the applicant is a student, then a certificate from the educational institution is provided.
• Marriage certificate, children's birth certificate
• Certificate of ownership of the car and real estate (if available)

If the trip is not paid for by the applicant himself, then a sponsorship letter is additionally attached, which confirms that the sponsor will bear all costs of the trip. In addition to the sponsorship letter, you will need to attach a document confirming the applicant’s relationship with the sponsor, a copy of the sponsor’s passport, a certificate from the sponsor’s employment and an extract from his bank account for the last six months.

The cost of a visa to Ireland consists of the cost of the consular fee and the service fee for the services of the visa center.

The consular fee for a single visa is 60 euros, and for a multiple entry visa – 100 euros.

The visa center service fee will cost 20 euros.

All fees must be paid in Russian rubles at the visa center when submitting documents. Payment is accepted both in cash and by bank cards.

The fees are non-refundable regardless of whether the applicant has been issued a visa or not.

For those who have visited the UK at least once on a class C visa, a free visit to Ireland is possible for up to 90 days. In this case, you do not need a special visa to Ireland for Russians in 2019; you can immediately go to Dublin (the capital of the country). Many travelers head to Ireland with a UK visa directly from England in order to see as many interesting things as possible in one tour.

Photo requirements

The photograph for the visa application must be recent (no earlier than six months before submitting documents), in color, and taken on a white or light gray background. The color of skin, hair and eyes must correspond to reality.

The face takes up about 80% of the photo, the shoulders and top of the head are visible, the gaze is directed straight. The mouth is closed, you can smile slightly. Hats (except those worn for religious reasons), dark glasses and frames that are too heavy are prohibited; any accessories cannot cover part of the face.

One photo must be pasted onto the printed application form, and on the back of the second you must write your last name, first name and patronymic, as well as the online application number.

The length of the head from the chin to the crown is approximately 30 mm (70-80% of the area). The photo is taken from the front, the gaze is directed at the camera, there is no smile.

Consular fee – 60 €

To obtain a visa you must pay a consular fee. The cost of a single-entry visa type C is 60 EUR, those who plan to obtain a multiple visa will have to pay 100 EUR, and a transit visa costs 25 EUR. Prices on the page are for September 2021.

The fee is accepted in rubles and only in cash; you cannot pay by card on the spot, but you can make a bank transfer to an Irish bank in advance and provide a receipt. In case of refusal of a visa, the consular fee is not returned, just as the difference is not returned if a person requested a multiple visa and received a single one.

A single-entry visa to Ireland costs 60 EUR, a multiple-entry visa costs 100 EUR, and a transit visa costs 25 EUR.

Spouses and children of citizens of Ireland, Switzerland and the European Economic Area, persons holding diplomatic passports and a number of other categories are exempt from paying the consular fee.

Visa application price

Permission to enter the republic requires payment for services:

The visa center fee is 20 EUR. Each application is paid. You can pay in cash (in Russian currency) or by credit card.

At the same time, there is a list of categories of citizens from whom fees are not charged:

• officials;
• children and spouses of citizens of the EEC countries, Ireland, Switzerland;
• children who are going to be adopted by Irish citizens;
• citizens who arrive under the refugee program;
• children who fall under the rehabilitation program after the Chernobyl disaster.

The issue of the cost of a visa also includes financial support for the trip. If in order to obtain a Schengen visa the amount that must be officially recorded in the traveler’s account, then in the case of an Irish visa this issue is resolved individually. It is enough to have an official salary of 800 USD per month, and if a family travels, then the average monthly income should be 600 USD per month for each family member. These data are not official; in each case, a larger or smaller amount may be requested.

Visa processing times

The processing time for a tourist visa is approximately 8 weeks from the date of receipt of documents, although the consulate states that this period may be longer if not all documents are provided and for a number of other reasons. But in some cases, the decision is made very quickly - from 10 days. Those planning to obtain a long-term D visa will have to wait about six months.

It is recommended to submit documents no earlier than 13 weeks before the intended trip.

Terms of consideration

Documents for obtaining a visa are allowed to be submitted no earlier than 13 weeks before the date of the intended trip. Applications are considered in the order they are received, only certain extraordinary circumstances can speed up this process, but everything remains at the discretion of the Irish Migration Service.

If the flow of applications is not too large, an answer may be given within 10 days. This usually takes about 8 weeks. Applications for long-term visas take longer to process and the process can take up to six months.

You can track the status of your document by calling the visa center. The SMS notification service is very convenient, it is also provided by the visa center, its cost is 1.43 EUR. The necessary information will also be posted on the VFS Global website in the “Tracking the status of your application” tab.

Visa validity periods

A short-term visa type C is valid for 90 days from the date of receipt, it is most often single-entry, and the document may indicate the permissible period of stay in the country. Multiple-entry visas are issued for a longer period - in rare cases up to 3-5 years, but for this there must be good reasons, as well as previous visas to Ireland. For multiple-entry visas, the stay rule is 90 days per six months.

A long-term visa type D is valid for several years, but in most cases it also requires only one entry. Moreover, everyone who has received such a document is required to register with the National Immigration Bureau within 3 months from the date of entry into the country. Later, such persons can apply for a multiple-entry long-term visa.

Answers to questions about applying for a visa to Ireland

• How to pay the consular fee for a visa to Ireland
• What documents does a child need for a study visa to Ireland?
• Which visa to apply for to travel to the UK and Ireland
• Is it possible to get a visa to Ireland without a work certificate?
• What to indicate on a work certificate for a visa if the trip falls on holidays

Ask your question

Documents for a visa to Ireland: list from 2021

The Irish stipulate that all documents for obtaining a visa must be provided in English or have a certified translation. It is necessary to prepare originals of bank statements, employment certificates and, if possible, other documents. They must include accurate contact details so that the Irish visa officer can verify the accuracy of the information.

Dublin, Ireland

To obtain a visa in 2021 you must provide:

1. a printed online application form with a signature and a photo attached;
2. international passport (valid for long-term visas for 1 year, for short-term visas 6 months after leaving Ireland);
3. copies of invalid passports (if any);
4. 1 photo;
5. documents confirming the purpose of the trip;
6. Visa fees.

If there have been visa refusals from any country, you must provide copies of letters with justification. If they are not in English, a certified translation will be required.

The materials provided will not be returned, with the exception of the international passport and the original work permit. If a foreign passport is needed to visit another state before receiving an Irish visa, you must additionally attach a copy of the foreign passport and justification for its temporary return. The applicant must arrange the delivery of the passport from/to the embassy himself.

You can buy insurance for Ireland online using the Cherehapa service. There are 14 insurance companies represented there. You can choose the best offer in terms of price and quality.

Photo for visa to Ireland

On the embassy website, the photo requirements for an Irish visa are simple: width 35-38 and height 45-50 mm. More detailed requirements can be found on the Irish (Immigration and Naturalization Service) website, which states that the photograph must show a close-up of the face (70-80% of the image) and the top of the shoulders.

The photo should also be:

• “fresh” (not older than 6 months);
• colored (with good color balance, natural skin tones, no red-eye);
• made on a white or light gray background;
• with a neutral facial expression and head erect;
• with eyes open and mouth closed;
• Printed on photo paper with a matte back.

Example of a correct photo for an Irish visa
Only those who wear it for religious reasons are allowed to be photographed with a headdress. Glasses are allowed only for medical reasons and if the eyes are clearly visible in the photo.

One of the photographs is attached to the application. On the back of the second photo you must write in capital letters the applicant's full name and visa application/transaction number.

Visa documents for children

Since 2008, it has been possible for children to receive separate visas to Ireland, even if they are included in their parents’ passport. To do this, submit an individual package of documents.

For children under 14 years of age, a copy of the internal passport is replaced by a copy of the birth certificate. A notarized permission for the departure of parents who are not accompanying the child when crossing the border is also required.

Galway, Ireland

Additional documents for different types of visas

What documents need to be prepared to obtain a visa to Ireland, depending on the duration and purpose of the trip, can be found on the Irish website (Immigration and Naturalization Service).