In This Section

Introduction
Who can apply?
When you can apply?
How to apply
Fees
Activities not permitted with this visa
Supporting documentation

Guide to supporting documentation
Return of documents
Send your documents
After you apply
Visa decisions
When you travel
Visas for people aged under 18

Introduction

You may apply for an unpaid internship visa for less than 90 days if it is a requirement of your studies. An internship of more than 90 days must be paid. See when and how you can apply and other important information below.

Who can apply?

If you are required to do unpaid work experience (an internship) as an essential part of your college or university studies you may apply for an internship (unpaid) visa to travel to Ireland – under the following conditions:

  • You must be a 3rd level student
  • You must be studying full time
  • You must be studying in one of the disciplines on the highly skilled occupations list
  • You must be studying outside of Ireland in an approved/accredited academic institution.

The internship can be for up to 90 days. You cannot get a visa to undertake an unpaid internship of more than 90 days.

It is possible to have a paid internship of more than 90 days.

When you can apply?

You can apply for an internship visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to Ireland.

If you are visiting another state prior to travelling to Ireland, you must have the relevant visa for that state in your passport before applying for an Irish visa.

How to apply

Apply for an Irish visa online via AVATS

Answer all questions in AVATS fully and honestly. You should:

  • Apply for a short-stay C visa
  • Select ‘Internship’ as the reason for travel
  • Input ‘Unpaid’ to the question ‘Employment Permit/Atypical Working Scheme Approval Number’

When you have completed the online application process, you must follow the instructions on the summary application form that is created by the online system. The summary form will contain information on where you are to submit your supporting documentation.

You must print, sign and date the summary form which must be submitted with your supporting documentation.

You may be required to provide your biometric information as part of the application process.

A guide to supporting documentation is set out below.

Fees

Please refer to the table of visa fees for information on the fee that you may be required to pay. Some applicants do not have to pay the visa fee and details are in the previous link. You may be required to pay other charges, for example relating to the submission of your documents.

You may be able to pay the fee in local currency. The website of the visa office, embassy or consulate, detailed in the summary application form, will have details about additional charges and local payment options.

Activities not permitted with this Visa

You are not permitted to:

  • Undertake other unpaid work
  • Undertake any paid work
  • Access any public funds.

Supporting documentation

The documents required below are important because they provide information about your personal circumstances in the country from which you are applying. It is your responsibility to satisfy the visa officer that a visa should be granted for the purpose sought.

The submission of any or all of these documents does not guarantee that your application will be successful. Original documents must be provided. If you submit a document that is not in English or Irish, it must be accompanied by a full translation. Each translated document must contain:

  • Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
  • The date of the translation

  • The translator’s full name and signature

  • The translator’s contact details.

All letters submitted from a business, company or other organisation must be on official headed paper and show the organisation’s:

  • Full name
  • Full postal address
  • Telephone number (fixed line – not mobile/cell phone)
  • Website address
  • Email address (Yahoo and Hotmail email addresses are not accepted)
  • A contact person’s name and title/position

  • Written signature of an authorised representative (electronic signature is not accepted).

The visa officer considers each application on its merits and may request additional information or documentation.

Guide to supporting documentation

Your name and visa application reference number must be printed clearly on the back. More information on photograph requirements.

Your current passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your intended date of departure from Ireland.

  • If you are not a national of the country where you are applying from, you must submit evidence of your permission to be in that country, for example: a residence card. You must also have at least 3 months permission to be in that country after your intended date of departure from Ireland.

  • Your full contact details
  • Your reason for wanting to come to Ireland
  • How long you intend to stay
  • Details of any members of your family who are currently in Ireland, or any other EU Member State
  • Details of where you intend to stay while you are in Ireland
  • Stating that the cost of trip is being paid by yourself, or if not, details of the third party paying the costs of the trip (for example the host company /organisation, your university or government body)
  • Your commitment that you will observe the conditions of your visa, that you will not become a burden on the State, and that you will leave the State on the expiry of your permission to remain in Ireland.

Details of your accommodation and travel details, for example:

  • Hotel/guesthouse/hostel booking confirmation (may be by email)
  • If you are staying with a host, a supporting letter from the host confirming the accommodation details and that you are able to stay with them.

You must provide an up-to-date bank statement, showing what money has been paid into and out of the account over the last six months. You must submit this whether or not you are covering the costs of the visit yourself.

Bank statements must be on headed paper. Your name, address, account number and account type must be visible on the statement. Any large lodgements must be explained.

Note: You may use a printed internet statement but it must be officially certified by your bank. We will not accept uncertified internet statements.

If you are sending a bank statement from a deposit or savings account, you must also include a letter from your bank confirming that you are allowed to withdraw money from that account.

If a third party, for example the host company or organisation, your university or government body is responsible for covering your costs, you must provide full details and evidence of the funding.

A letter from your course director detailing:

  • The course that you are studying, how many years you have been a student there, how many years or terms you have left at that university
  • The nature and duration of your internship and how the internship relates to your course of study
  • Who will cover the cost of the internship and how you will be supported for the duration of stay inclusive of travel, accommodation, living expenses, and so on, Supporting documentary evidence must be provided, where applicable
  • Where applicable, how the host company or organisation is linked to the university and supporting evidence of same for example hosting agreement, the date you will be expected to return to your studies.

A letter from the host company or organisation in Ireland detailing:

  • The nature and duration of your internship
  • Who will cover the cost of the internship and how you will be supported for the duration of stay inclusive of travel, accommodation, living expenses, and so on. Supporting documentary evidence must be provided, where applicable
  • How the host company or organisation is linked to the University and supporting evidence of same (for example hosting agreement) where applicable.

NOTE: The host must ensure that any arrangement for unpaid internships conforms with Irish employment law and regulations including minimum wage legislation. Information can be obtained from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

If your proposed internship involves working with children (under 18 years of age) or vulnerable persons, you must show evidence that the sponsoring organisation have ensured that you have undergone Garda (Irish police) vetting.

A police clearance certificate from your country of residence must also be submitted.

Evidence of medical or travel insurance does not need to be provided with your application. However, the Visa Officer may request it before they make a decision on your application.

If your visa is approved, you must have evidence of medical or travel insurance when you arrive at the port of entry (airport or seaport) and must present it to the Immigration Officer on request.

It is important that you provide evidence that you have strong family, social or economic ties to your country of residence, as you are applying for a short stay visa for Ireland (which permits visits of less than 90 days).

This is necessary in order to satisfy the visa officer that you will leave Ireland on, or before, your intended date of departure from Ireland.

It is your responsibility to provide this evidence. All of the information that you provide must be in the form of documentary evidence which can be verified by the visa officer.

Examples of evidence of your obligations to return:

If you are employed, you must provide your 3 most recent payslips and a letter from your employer stating:

  • How long you have been employed there
  • The dates you will be absent from your employment
  • The date you will be returning to work in that employment.

If you are a student, you must provide a letter from your college stating:

  • The course you are studying
  • How many years you have been a student there
  • How many years or terms you have left at that college, and that you will be returning there following your visit to Ireland.

Details of any family members living in your country of residence – if you are married or have any dependent children, and your spouse or children are remaining at home, you should submit your marriage certificate and birth certificates for the children.

Evidence of any property you own or rent for example title deed or tenancy agreement.

All letters submitted should be on official company headed paper and give full contact details so that they can be verified. These must include a full postal address, name of contact, position in company or college, telephone number (landline), website, and email address (email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail are not accepted).

If you have been refused a visa or preclearance in the past for any country, you must provide details about the refusal. The original letter issued to you by the authorities of that country must be provided with your application.

In addition if you have:

  • Been deported from any country or
  • Been refused entry to any country or
  • Been otherwise required to leave any country (including overstaying in any country).

then you must provide original documentation issued by the authorities of that country with your application and a full explanation for consideration.

Your application for an Irish visa will be refused if you do not include information about past visa refusals.

You must also provide official documentation of any criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

“Any State issued official documents, such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Divorce Certificates that were issued by a State outside of the EEA or Switzerland, must be attested/apostilled as genuine by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the State that issued the document, in order that it can be accepted as evidence for Irish visa purposes. Such documents are required to be translated into English or Irish, if necessary. Translations done outside the EEA or Switzerland must also be attested/apostilled as genuine, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country in which the translation occurs. Send us both the original documents and the certified translations. Translations done in the EEA or Switzerland do not need to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Any State issued official documents, such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Divorce Certificates that were issued by a State within the EEA or Switzerland do not require to be attested as genuine from Member States. A translation of these documents is not required where a multilingual standard form (MSF) is also provided. Such MSF forms are available from Member States on request. If an MSF is not provided by you then those documents are required to be translated into English or Irish, if necessary in order that it can be accepted as evidence for Irish visa purposes. Translations done outside the EEA or Switzerland must also be attested/apostilled as genuine, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country in which the translation occurs. Translations done in the EEA or Switzerland do not need to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We will also accept the Extract of a European marriage certificate, issued in accordance with the “Convention on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records“, as proof of a marriage within the EEA or Switzerland. Send us both the original documents and the certified translations.”

Return of documents

All documents submitted with your application must be original. We will return marriage, birth and death certificates to you after your application is processed. If there are other documents you want returned, type or write a list of the documents you want and:

  • Include the list with your visa application
  • Include the original documents from the list (we will return these after processing)

  • Include a photocopy of each document (we will keep these).

Your application may be refused if you do not submit all documents. Even if you submit everything required, there is no guarantee that a visa will be granted.

Send your documents

When you are satisfied that you have prepared your application documents, put them into a strong padded envelope and send them to your application office. If you are making a visa application for yourself and another person, you may send them together.

To send together:

  • Place each person’s application documents into separate envelopes

  • Write the name and visa application transaction number of each applicant on each envelope

  • Place each envelope into a larger envelope and send it to the application office.

Be sure to pay the correct postage for large packages.

After you apply

When we receive your application, we will check that you have included:

  • Signed and dated application summary sheets
  • Proof of payment of the visa application fee (if applicable)
  • All other documents listed above.

When reviewing your application we may contact you to ask for more information or documents. We may also:

  • Send your passport/travel document for official authentication
  • Contact An Garda Síochána (Irish police) for information about you

  • Contact government departments or other agencies for information about you, for example: INTERPOL.

Biometric Information

In some cases, you may need to provide biometric information as part of your application.

Contact your application office (as listed on your application summary sheet) to find out if you need to provide biometric information and how to do so.

Visa Decisions

Where to check your visa decision

Dublin visa office
If your application was sent to the Dublin visa office, new visa decisions and waiting times are published every Tuesday.

All other offices
If you send your application to an international visa office, Irish Embassy or Consulate, contact that office for an update on your application.

If your visa is approved

An Irish visa will be placed into a blank page of your passport or travel document.

Your passport or travel document and certain original documents (for example: marriage, birth or death certificates and other documents listed by you) will be returned to you by post or arranged for collection at an international visa office, Irish Embassy or Consulate.

If your visa is refused

You will be sent a ‘letter of refusal’ that explains why your application was not approved.

Your passport or travel document and certain original documents (for example: marriage, birth or death certificates and other documents listed by you) will be returned to you by post or arranged for collection at an international visa office, Irish Embassy or Consulate.

Appeal a visa decision

You can appeal a negative visa decision at no cost. To do so, you must submit an appeal within 2 months of the date on your letter of refusal.

When you travel

An Irish visa allows you to travel to Ireland. It does not give you permission to enter the country.
You can be refused entry even if you have a visa.

Border Control

When you arrive at border control you must prove that you have a valid reason for entering Ireland to the immigration officer.

You will need your passport, visa and other documents. For example, you should bring copies of documents from your application with you when you travel. Here is more information about what to expect at border control.

If you cannot satisfy the immigration officer, you will not be allowed into Ireland. 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, business, work) and how long you can stay, up to a maximum of 90 days.

Leaving Ireland and returning home

The time period you are permitted to stay in Ireland is shown on the landing stamp in your passport. You must leave the country before your permission expires. It is against the law to remain here without permission.

Extend a stay for unforeseen circumstances

In exceptional circumstances, you may apply to extend your permission to stay in Ireland. To apply for an extension, the circumstances of your visit must change in an unexpected way after you arrive in Ireland.

An extension will not be granted to extend the period of your internship. You must be in Ireland to apply and submit an application before your existing permission expires.

Visas for young people (aged under 18)

An internship application for a young person (aged under 18) should be made by their parent or legal guardian. The process follows the same steps described above with some extra conditions (as below) to protect the young person’s safety.

An Irish visa issued to a young person aged under 18 will show if they are travelling alone (unaccompanied) or with an adult (accompanied). Read a longer description of Irish visas issued to young people and the conditions that apply.

Click here for extra conditions for young people aged under 18
This page was last updated on May 24, 2023