Visa to Dublin in 2021: self-processing of documents

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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.

Irish Embassy in Russia

In 2021, nothing will change either; in the Russian Federation there will remain only one Irish embassy, ​​which is located in the capital of Russia.

The visa department receives and processes all Russians wishing to travel to Ireland.

You can bring the papers yourself to the embassy. If you are interested in any questions related to paperwork, you can ask them on the embassy website, leaving a request with your contact details, and then the consulate representatives will call you back.

If you don’t want or don’t have the opportunity to do the paperwork yourself, then you can find specialists (on the Internet) who can check and help with the preparation of an invitation or voucher. They will help you fill out a questionnaire and an insurance policy in English. They can competently advise the traveler on submitting papers to the Irish visa center. And most importantly, they will help you obtain documents from the embassy without the personal presence of a person who wants to travel to a small country in Northern Europe.

Moscow

• Located at Grokholsky Lane, building 5.
• Open Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 17:30.
• Call the number: +7 495 937‑59-11.

Irish Consulate in St. Petersburg

• Located at Proletarskaya Dictatorship Square, building 5.
• Open on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00.
• Call the number.

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.

Types of visas

There are different types of permits to visit the state. The purpose of the trip is the main condition for issuing a certain category of document.

Tourist

The complete list of documents for applying for a tourist visa to Ireland on your own is as follows:

1. Foreign passport, as well as copies of all its non-blank pages.
2. An old passport and copies of all its non-blank pages.
3. Copies of all pages of the general passport of the Russian Federation.
4. Two photographs of standard size 3.5x4.5 cm.
5. Detailed certificate received from the place of work. The document must be printed on the official letterhead of the employing company and contain the following information: current company details, date of hire, official position of the applicant, salary amount. A certificate of this type is confirmation of the social status of the visa applicant. The signature and seal of the organization on the form is required .
6. Unemployed people must provide a certificate from the work of the relative who will sponsor the trip and papers that can confirm the relationship. A sponsorship letter is also required.
7. A bank certificate confirming that the applicant has a personal account with a balance of at least 50,000 rubles (or a separate statement from a bank deposit).
8. Medical insurance policy (recommendatory requirement).
9. Prepaid hotel room reservation.
10. Copies of air tickets (recommendatory requirement).
11. If you use a car during a trip, you will need copies of documents for the car, a copy of your driver's license and car insurance for travel to the Schengen countries.

Official Irish authorities meticulously examine each visa applicant . The problem of illegal migrants has become acute in recent years across Europe, so barriers are being erected to the maximum.

You will need to prove that your ties with Russia are strong, and you definitely plan to return to your homeland. It will be more difficult for single women to obtain a visa; they are seen as potential illegal “brides” planning to get married in one of the Schengen states and enjoy all the benefits of being a citizen’s wife.

Additional documents can significantly increase your chances of obtaining a visa.:

• Copies of certificates of ownership of any real estate;
• A copy of the marriage certificate or birth certificate of children;
• A rough description of the route with attached copies of tickets for various events.

Business

Requested by persons traveling to Ireland for business purposes. In addition to basic identification documents, for a business visa to Ireland you must have an invitation from an Irish company.

The invitation is issued on the official letterhead of the company and contains the following information:

1. Company name;
2. Personal data of the invited employee and his position;
3. Length of stay;
4. Purpose of the visit;
5. Contact details of the person responsible for the trip;
6. Information about the financial support of the trip and place of residence.

Transit

There is no requirement to obtain a transit visa to Ireland for Russians traveling through Dublin to other countries. This rule removes a significant part of the worries from frequent travelers.

Guests

A visitor visa to Ireland is required if you plan to travel to the country at the invitation of its citizen or a person legally living in Ireland. You will need:

1. Original and copy of invitation;
2. Contact details of the inviter;
3. Information about the purpose of the trip and the length of stay in the country;
4. Information about who is going to pay expenses for the entire period of stay;
5. A copy of the main page of the inviter’s passport;
6. If there is a relationship, supporting documents are provided.

Educational

If the main purpose of the trip is to study at one of the educational institutions, then a student visa to Ireland is required. The following additional documents must be attached to the standard set of papers:

1. An official request from the student’s host party (institute, college, etc.);
2. Documents containing information about the inviting party;
3. Confirmation of parental status: a certificate from work with salary information included in it;
4. Student autobiography (optional requirement);
5. Certificate of payment for studies;
6. Documents containing information about the planned place of residence.

Workers

A work visa to Ireland is required for everyone who gets a job in Ireland and plans to enter into an employment contract for a more or less long period of time. The work permit is issued by a special organization - the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment of Ireland. She considers the request of the employer or the application of the employee himself who is going to apply for a vacant position.

There are two types of work visa – “green card permit” and “work permit”. The first is issued to persons whose salary will exceed 60,000 euros per year. Some types of activities require earnings of 30,000 euros per year. The second is issued for everyone else (if the requirements do not meet the green card permit program).

A work visa is valid for two years and can then be extended for another three. After one year of continuous work, the employee has the right to change employer.

The package of required documents for obtaining a work visa includes:

1. An official letter from the employer, which contains all the details of the hired specialist and the details of the employing company;
2. Work permit (copy and original);
3. Two copies of a completed resume using a special form from the resource https://www.inis.gov.ie/.

Family members of existing employees also receive the right to obtain a work visa.

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.

Stages of collecting documents

Before going to the Irish Embassy, ​​you must have a completed application form for a visa to Ireland and all the necessary documents for a visa to Ireland. You can fill out the form directly on the website of the country's government.

After this, you need to print out a shortened version of the application form and attach it to the original documents. The application form, like all other documents, must be in English, so the applicant is recommended to translate all documentation and have it certified by a notary. The Irish visa center often accepts regular Russian documents without translations.

Once the completed form has been printed out correctly, you can proceed with the remaining documents. These include:

• International passport (validity must exceed 3 months from the date of return to Russia) and its copy. There should be at least two more free pages left in the foreigner;
• A copy of the Russian passport with all completed pages. Moreover, each page is on a separate sheet;
• Two photos;
• A copy of health insurance in the amount of 30 thousand euros (international standards);
• If you are going on a visit, an invitation letter from the host party with a copy of the citizens’ passports. Entering the country with an official invitation is considered one of the most reliable. This ensures the government of the country that you will not become an illegal immigrant;
• Confirmation of hotel reservation. If you are applying for a tourist visa to Ireland, it is better to attach as many documents as possible indicating purely tourist intentions for the visit;
• A document confirming the applicant's solvency. This could be a 2NDFL certificate or a bank statement for the last six months. If you are going on a trip with your whole family, and there are one or two working citizens among you, the income according to the certificate should cover the expenses of non-working family members. On average, it is calculated that one family needs from 600 US dollars for a trip of up to two weeks. Because Those entering the country are treated with caution; you will have to make every effort to prove your attachment to Russia. Documents for real estate, car, etc. will help in this matter. This rule does not apply to those who need a student visa to Ireland;
• If you are applying for a student, work or business visa to Ireland, you must attach documents from your place of work or university, a copy of your invoice and a certificate of income from your parents, a diploma and an autobiography.

From this list it turns out that it is quite easy to obtain a visa to Ireland on your own. It is enough to know the rules and strictly follow them. One of these: a photo for a visa to Ireland, the requirements for which apply to any photographs for visas and international passports. To do this, you need to contact any photo studio. Once they have been printed, there is no need to attach photographs to the application form. Be sure to write your last name and application number legibly on the back so that it does not get lost among the documents.

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.

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.

Tourist visa and application features

Perhaps the most popular visa to Ireland among Russians. As practice shows, it is not difficult to obtain if you carefully consider the issue of preparing documents.

To submit your application yourself, you will need the following documents:

• A form to be filled out online in English and in accordance with special requirements. The application form is posted on the website of the representation of the Republic of Ireland in Russia.
• A valid passport with copies of all completed pages. Please note that your passport must be valid for at least six months after your intended departure from Ireland.
• An old passport, if you have one, and copies of its completed pages.
• Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation and copies of all pages, including blank ones.
• Two photographs, size – 3.5 by 4.5 cm.
• A certificate from your current place of work, on official letterhead. It must contain the correct details of the employing company, the date of your employment with the company, information about your position and salary. This document confirms the applicant’s status and plays an important role. The certificate must be certified with a “living” signature and seal of the organization.
• Unemployed people must attach a certificate from the place of work of a relative who will sponsor the trip, as well as confirm family ties.
• A bank statement containing information about the status of the applicant's bank account. The account must contain at least 50 thousand rubles.
• Medical insurance (the requirement is advisory).
• Hotel reservation confirmation. Additionally, it is recommended to provide a description of the travel route and tickets for events planned during the trip.
• Copies of plane tickets (the requirement is a recommendation).
• For road trips, you need car documents, a driver's license and car insurance to enter the Schengen countries.

Recently, the whole of Europe has been faced with the problem of illegal migration, which is why all EU countries, including Ireland, maintain a fairly strict visa regime. To get to Ireland you will first have to prove that you are strongly connected with your home country and do not plan to leave Russia for a long time. It is recommended to attach other documents to the main documents confirming your interest in returning home. These include copies of certificates of real estate ownership, marriage certificates or birth certificates of children. These documents can significantly increase the chances of a positive decision on issuing a permit.

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

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