In This Section

Introduction
What a visa looks like
About your visa
What the visa information means

Introduction

You may need a visa if you wish to travel to Ireland or pass through an Irish airport on your way to another destination.

What a visa looks like

If your application for a visa is successful, a document (like the one pictured below) will be placed into a blank page of your passport or travel document. This is your visa:

Irish Visa Sticker Post – July 2019

About your visa

A visa allows you to travel to Ireland during the dates shown on the visa document. It does not guarantee that you will be allowed into Ireland.
When you arrive at border control an immigration officer will examine your visa, passport and other documents. The officer can refuse you entry to Ireland even if you have a visa.

If you are given permission to enter, the officer will place a ‘landing stamp’ in your passport.

The landing stamp shows the reason for your visit, for example , holiday, work, study. It also shows how long you can stay, up to a maximum of 90 days.

What the visa information means

This is the official number of your visa.

‘Ireland’ is printed here. This means that your visa is valid for travelling to Ireland.

Dates are printed here.

You are permitted to travel to Ireland between these dates (inclusive) and request permission to enter the country.

  • ‘C’ means that this is a short stay visa. It is issued for visits to Ireland of 90 days or less
  • ‘D’ means that this is a long stay visa. It is issued for visits to Ireland of 90 days or more.

The number ‘1’ or the word ‘Multi’ is printed here.

  • ‘1’ means you can use this visa to travel to and enter Ireland once only
  • ‘Multi’ means that you can use the visa to travel to & enter Ireland more than once, between the dates shown at 3/4 above.

A number or the letters ‘XX’ may be printed here.

  •  A number (example 21) means that you can stay in Ireland for a certain number of days only (example 21 days)
  •  ‘XX’ means that the immigration officer at border control will decide how long you can stay in Ireland.

The place where the visa was issued is printed here.

The date the visa was issued is printed here.

Your passport number is printed here.

Your surname and first name are printed here.

  •  Your nationality, original visa application number and date of birth are printed here (in this order for Post-July 2019 visas)
  •  Your original visa application number, date of birth and nationality are printed here (in this order for Pre-July 2019 visas).

The purpose of your visit to Ireland is also printed here together with any conditions, for example – , visit, business, spouse of Irish national.

Short stay ‘C’ visas for children aged under 18 must show if the child is travelling alone (unaccompanied) or with an adult (accompanied).

Read a longer description about what to expect when travelling with children aged under 18.

This page was last updated on May 17, 2023