Entry Visa to Ireland

All the members of your family that are moving with you are British/Irish or EU, no visa is required!

If even one member of your family holds only a South African passport and does not have an Irish, British, or EU passport, they will require an Irish visa to enter Ireland.

One or more members of the family holds Irish, the rest hold SA passports

On AVATS

• Apply for the spouse (married) “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Join Family (Irish nat) (Spouse)
• Apply for each of the children “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Join Family Irish nat) (Other)
• Apply for the De facto partner “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Pre-clearance – Join Family (Irish nat) (de facto partner)
• Apply for the children of De facto relationships “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Pre-clearance – Join Family (Irish nat) (dependants)

Include all the documents listed below in “Documents for all SA passport holders to include”

PLUS

• Include the plan- 
• Has the Irish sponsor come first to Ireland? If so what have they done to secure work/accomodation?
• If the Irish sponsor is travelling with the Non-EEA family- what is the Irish sponsor planning to do to find work to meet the financial requirements and accomodation?
• Is it a De Facto pre-clearance?

One or more members of the family holds EU, the rest hold SA passports

EU treaty is the C visa to get you into the country, then you do the EUTR1/EUA1 when in the country within 90 days

Before you can come to Ireland you need to apply for a “C” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland for each of the SA passport holders

On AVATS

• Apply for the spouse (married) “C” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Family Member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit (spouse)
• Apply for each of the children “C” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Family Member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit (other)
• Apply for the De facto partner “C” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Family Member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit (de facto partner)
• Apply for the children of De facto relationships “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Family Member of EU/EEA/Swiss cit (other)

Include all the documents listed below in “Documents for all SA passport holders to include”

PLUS

• Include the plan- 
• Has the EU sponsor come first to Ireland? If so what have they done to secure work/accomodation?
• If the EU sponsor is travelling with the Non-EEA family- what is the Irish sponsor planning to do to find work to meet the EU Treaty requirements and accomodation?
• Is it a De Facto pre-clearance?

One or more members of the family holds British, the rest hold SA passports

Before you can come to Ireland you need to apply for a “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland for each of the SA passport holders

This has been the case since Brexit, the pre-clearance we have been showing you for the last 3 years is the same pre-clearance “D” Visa that everyone else now has to apply for, so no recent changes for you. Its as per the full description already on SA2eire

Please refer to the existing guidance on this application in FULL detail

All family members hold SA passports

Critical skills:

Wait until you have the CSEP approved

• Apply for the CSEP holder for the “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland based on the fact you now have your CSEP, EMPLOYMENT
• Apply for the spouse (married) “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Join Family (Non-EEA nat) (Spouse)
• Apply for each of the children “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Join Family (Non-EEA nat) (other)
• Apply for the De facto partner “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Pre-clearance – Join Family (de facto partner CSEP/HA)
• Apply for the children of De facto relationships “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Pre-clearance – Join Family (dependants)

General work permit

Wait until you have the GWP approved

• Apply for the CSEP holder for the “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland based on the fact you now have your CSEP, EMPLOYMENT

Wait 12 months until your IRP renewal is done, then apply for the family

• Apply for the spouse (married) “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Join Family (Non-EEA nat) (Spouse)
• Apply for each of the children “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Join Family (Non-EEA nat) (other)
• Apply for the De facto partner “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Pre-clearance – Join Family (de facto partner)
• Apply for the children of De facto relationships “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland as Pre-clearance – Join Family (dependants)

Study permit

Wait until you have the Study visa approved

• Apply for the Study permit holder for the “D” Visa, stay longer than 90 days to enter Ireland based on the fact you now have your Study permit, choose the option Study
• Most Study visas do NOT allow family/Children only HA researchers or in some circumstances. Read on that before going forward

Include all the documents listed below in “Documents for all SA passport holders to include”

PLUS

• Include the plan- 
• Has the Work permit sponsor come first to Ireland? If so what have they done to secure accomodation?
• GWP- have they renewed their IRP? Include this!
• Is it a De Facto pre-clearance?

To apply for an entry visa to Ireland, the required documents can vary depending on your purpose of travel (e.g., holiday, work, family reunification, etc.). However, the general list of documents typically required for most visa applications includes:

1. Visa Application Form

• Complete the online visa AVATS application form available on the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) website. After submission, you will be provided with a visa application number to track your application.

• Book with VFS

2. Valid Passport

• Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended stay in Ireland.

• It must have at least 2 blank pages for visa stamps.

3. Visa Application Fee

• The fee varies depending on the type of visa. Ensure that you pay the appropriate fee. The fee is non-refundable.

4. Photographs

• Two recent passport-size color photographs that meet the official guidelines (usually a neutral background, face visible, etc.).

5. Proof of Financial Support

• You must provide evidence that you can support yourself during your stay in Ireland, depending on visa type

• This could include bank statements for the last 6 months, payslips, sponsorship letters, etc.

6. Travel Itinerary (Holiday visas)

• If you’re traveling for tourism, a detailed itinerary of your planned travel dates and places to visit in Ireland.

• If traveling to visit family or friends, provide the address and contact details of the host.

• more on holiday/ visitor HERE

7. Accommodation Details

• Evidence of where you will be staying in Ireland, such as hotel bookings, a letter from a host (if staying with family/friends), or confirmation from your landlord.

8. Letter of Invitation (for family/friends visiting)

• If you are visiting family or friends, you may need to submit a letter from them inviting you to stay, along with a copy of their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or passport.

9. Health Insurance

• Proof of travel insurance that covers medical expenses for the duration of your stay in Ireland.

10. Visa Letter of Support (if applicable)

• If someone else is financially supporting your stay, such as a relative or employer, you may need to provide a sponsorship letter along with proof of their financial status (e.g., their bank statements, tax returns).

11. Employment and/or Study Evidence (if applicable)

• If traveling for work or study, provide supporting documents such as:

  • A work permit or employment contract (for work visas).

  • An acceptance letter from an Irish educational institution (for student visas).

12. Proof of Relationship (for family reunification)

• If applying for a visa to join a spouse, partner, or family member, you may need to provide:

  • Marriage certificates, birth certificates, or evidence of a de facto relationship.

13. Previous Visas (if applicable)

• If you have previously traveled to Ireland or other countries, provide copies of your past visas or entry/exit stamps.

14. Additional Documents (if applicable)

• Depending on the type of visa, you might be required to submit other supporting documents such as:

  • A letter of employment or invitation from a company (for business visas).

  • A letter of support for a business trip or conference.

15. Travel History (if applicable)

• A record of your travel to other countries in the past, including visas issued, and any history of refusal if applicable.

16. Visa Refusals (if applicable)

• If you’ve had a visa application refused in the past, provide details or documents explaining the circumstances or reasons for refusal.

Please see Irish Immigration for these specifics!

Coming to Ireland on Business

Coming to Ireland to attend a conference/event

Coming to Ireland as a Scientifi researcher

Coming to Ireland to write an exam

Coming to Ireland as an Internshi

Coming to Ireland to marry

Coming to Ireland for medical treatment

Coming to Ireland as the Minister of Religion

Coming to Ireland to Perform or attend a tournament (participants- so singers/ actors, sports people for 1-off events)

Coming to Ireland for Training

Coming to Ireland only to Transit to another country like Northern Ireland for example

Coming to Ireland to visit Family/Friends

Coming to Ireland as a Tourist

Coming to Ireland with a volunteer visa – pre-clearance