Ireland is a beautiful country that attracts tourists from all over the world. And no wonder, because the Emerald Isle hides many mysteries and reveals magic. Castles rise here, and fairies, elves, gnomes and other creatures from fairy tales hide in the forests. To visit this wonderful place, residents of Russia need to apply for a visa. The experience of travelers shows that it can be issued independently or with the help of travel agencies that provide such a service.
To Ireland with a UK visa
It is important to understand that there is the island of Ireland and there is the state of Ireland. These are completely different things. The state does not own the entire island, its northeastern part belongs to the UK. Holders of a valid UK visa can travel to the south of Ireland on it from 2011and until the end of October 2016, but only on one condition - at least once you need to visit the UK before that.
Further in the article we will only talk about a visa to the Republic of Ireland.
Ireland visa - Schengen?
The Republic of Ireland is not part of the Schengen area, so it is impossible to visit this country with a Schengen visa. Conversely, an Irish visa is not valid in Schengen countries.
Types of visas
Before you start collecting documents, you need to decide which visa you need to enter Ireland. They are divided into several types.
1. Tourist. The consulate of the country issues such visas to those who want to visit Ireland as a traveler.
2. Guest. Consular officers issue such visas to friends or relatives of citizens living in Ireland.
3. Transit. Used if you are traveling to any country, and your path lies through Ireland.
4. Workers. Those who find work in Ireland receive such visas.
5. Business visas. The consulate provides them for business trips at the invitation of Irish partners.
6. Student. Issued to those who intend to study in Ireland.
There are two more types of visas: short-term and long-term. The first ones are valid for 3 months (these are tourist, guest and business visas). Long-term are issued only for study, employment or family reunification.
Visa step by step
1 step. Fill out an application for a visa to Ireland. This can be done online at the officialwebsite.
2 step. After that, you need to print a short version of the questionnaire, sign and date.
3 step. All necessary documents are collected. Their list will be presented below.
4 step. Consular fee is paid.
5 step. All collected papers are sent to the Irish Embassy.
6 step. If everything is done correctly, the visa will be approved, it will be possible to pick it up.
As you can see, there is nothing supernatural. You need a little patience, attentiveness and knowledge of the nuances, and you will do everything yourself. You can be proud of yourself that you issued a visa to Ireland on your own, without anyone's help.
The questionnaire is filled out in English. It would also be nice to attach their translations, confirmed by the signature of a notary, to all other documents. But practice shows that the embassy accepts documents without their certification.
Documents for a visa to Ireland
1. Questionnaire filled out on the website.
2. Two color photographs sized 35x45 mm.
3. Passport with blank space for visa stamping (requires at least 2 blank pages). It must be valid for at least another 6 months after returning to Russia.
4. A photocopy of the old foreign passport, if any. We need pages with information about visas.
5. A photocopy of the Russian passport. Need all completed pages on separate A4 sheets.
6. A photocopy of the medical policy, insurance mustcover the amount from 30,000 euros.
This is the standard set of documents for issuing a visa to Ireland. Below is a list of additional documents for tourist and visitor visas.
7. Bank statements, we need information about ongoing transactions for the last six months.
8. Certificate from work about income, length of service and position held. Embassy staff must be sure that you have enough funds to live in Ireland. If you are traveling with family and one of the family members is not working, the letter must indicate that you are responsible for all expenses. If you do not work yourself, you must attach a letter from the sponsor and a certificate from his place of work. For schoolchildren and students, it is enough to make a certificate from the educational institution, and for pensioners - a photocopy of the pension certificate.
9. A letter of application stating the reasons for visiting Ireland. If you are going to visit someone, you need a photocopy of this person's passport and an invitation from him, which indicates his address and the duration of the visit.
10. Photocopy of marriage and birth certificates. You need to confirm your marital status if you are traveling with or without your family. Sometimes a visa to Ireland is not issued to unmarried women, it is believed that they plan to find a spouse abroad and stay with him.
11. Hotel booking confirmation if you will be staying there. You can send an e-mail letter from the hotel, which indicates that you have really booked a room, or attach the original reservation, sent by the hotel staff by fax.
Additional documents for pensioners
1. Photocopy of pension certificate.
2. A photocopy of the savings book.
3. Photocopy of credit card.
4. Bank statements.
If the sponsor pays for the trip, the following documents are required:
- statement from his bank account;
- certificate of sponsor's work indicating salary;
- a statement written by the sponsor, in which he must indicate the amount allocated for the trip;
- photocopy of pension certificate.
It is advisable to translate documents into English.
Additional documents for students
1. Student bank statement. They must cover the cost of the trip.
2. Income certificate from the parent's place of work.
3. A photocopy of the certificate and other certificates of education.
4. Autobiography.
5. A photocopy of documents confirming that accommodation and education in Ireland is paid.
Additional documents for individual entrepreneurs
Slightly different documents are required for a visa to Ireland for Russian entrepreneurs.
1. A photocopy of the certificate of registration of an individual entrepreneur.
2. A photocopy of the certificate of registration with the tax authority.
3. Certificate from work indicating details, phone number and average monthly income of the entrepreneur.
4. A photocopy of the income tax return for the lastyear.
Additional documents for children
1. Photocopy of birth certificate.
2. Baby photos.
3. A letter of parental consent if the child is traveling alone or will be accompanied by other relatives. If a child goes on a trip with one of the parents, then the consent of the second is required.
4. A child under 14 years old fits into the parents' foreign passport, it is not necessary to fill out a questionnaire for him.
5. From the age of 14, a teenager should already have his own passport. In this case, a separate questionnaire is filled out for him, one of the parents puts his signature.
Depending on what kind of visa you need for Ireland, you collect the appropriate package of documents.
Photo Requirements
1. Two identical color photographs.
2. Photo size 3.5x4.5 cm.
3. The background must be light.
4. Facial expression should be neutral, no need to smile, hair should not cover eyes.
5. The third part of the photo should be taken by the face, the rest by the background.
6. On the reverse side, you need to clearly write your last name, first name and application number.
The photo must not be:
- frames, red eyes, glare;
- headdress;
- sunglasses (only be photographed with clear glasses).
Terms of registration
Usually visa to Ireland is issued within 10-15 business days. But these are only indicative terms, it can be issued earlier or later. It all depends onthe degree of workload of the embassy staff. For example, in the summer they will work more slowly, because at this time of the year there is the largest influx of tourists. Therefore, you should take care of obtaining a visa in advance, and not at the very last moment. In order not to worry about anything, it is better to submit documents a month in advance. This option will be the best. If you contact a travel agency to arrange everything for you, please note that in this case the terms will increase by a few more days.
Visa fees
Visa fee is a fee that the embassy takes for its work (issuing visas). The price for the provision of such a service is set in euros, but you need to pay in rubles at the internal rate. Cash only accepted.
Today, the cost of the consular fee depends on the duration of the visa to Ireland:
- for a single entry visa - 60 euros (about 2900 rubles);
- for a multiple entry visa - 100 euros (about 4900 rubles);
- for a transit visa - 25 euros (about 1200 rubles).
If you made a mistake somewhere or you were denied a visa for some reason, the amount of the fee is not refundable. In order to have a guarantee of obtaining a visa, you can seek help from specialists in a travel agency, but then you will have to pay another 5-8 thousand rubles to the above amount. As you can see, preparing the documents yourself will be much cheaper.
What should I do if I was denied a visa?
If you are denied a visa, within 2 months you have the opportunity to appeal towriting.
It is impossible to challenge the decision of the embassy staff only in the case when they found an obvious forgery in the documents. For example, if the specified information is far from reality or you forged a document. Of course, you can accidentally make a typo, but rules are rules, and in the embassy they are very strict. No one is issued a visa to Ireland just like that, the visa center carefully approaches the verification of papers, so you should also approach their filling with special care. As they say, it is better to keep silent about something than to lie. Carefully read all the requirements and follow the instructions, then you can avoid problems.
Embassy of Ireland in Russia
In Russia today there is only one diplomatic mission of the Republic of Ireland, it is located in Moscow. There are no consulates of this country in other cities. The visa department accepts all Russians. Documents can be brought in person to the embassy at the address: Moscow, Grokholsky lane, building 5. The visa department is open from Monday to Friday from 9.30 to 17.30. But it is better to clarify the reception time in advance by calling: +7-(495)-937-5911. Employees will politely answer all your questions, but sometimes it’s not possible to get through on the first call, especially during the holidays, so be persistent. No time for calls? Then you can ask your questions by e-mail. The embassy has its own email: [email protected].
If you can't get to the capital, don'tbe upset, the embassy does not use an interview system. A specialist from the visa department will review your paperwork and make a decision. If it is positive, then you will have a visa to Ireland in your hands, and you can safely go on a trip. You can send all documents by mail to the address mentioned above, indicating the index 129090 on the letter. Or you can do this using the services of a courier service. In this case, you will need to write a power of attorney for the courier so that your documents will be accepted from him at the embassy.
As you can see, everyone can collect documents for a visa. But you always have a choice: do it yourself and save a few thousand in the family budget by studying all the requirements of the Irish embassy, or be lazy and turn to specialists in a travel agency, while spending a considerable amount.
