Types of visas for Ireland

If you are a Spanish, Swiss, or any other EU country’s national, you can travel to Ireland without needing to apply for a visa.

Similarly, you will not need to apply for the IRP (Irish Residence Permit). This means that you can study and work in Ireland indefinitely and without restrictions.

Additionally, EU citizens do not need to purchase medical insurance to travel to Ireland; applying for the European Health Insurance Card will be sufficient to receive medical assistance in Ireland.

If you are a Chilean, Mexican, or Argentinean national and want to travel to Ireland to study English, you will not need to apply for a visa. However, if the duration of your studies exceeds 90 days (3 months), you will need to apply for the IRP (Irish Residence Permit).

• Stay up to 90 days: You will not need to apply for the IRP (Irish Residence Permit). Upon crossing the border, they will stamp your passport with a tourist visa valid for 90 days.
• Stay over 90 days: You will need to apply for the IRP (Irish Residence Permit) to stay in Ireland for more than 3 months. Upon crossing the border, they will stamp your passport with a tourist visa valid for 90 days, and once you are in Ireland, demonstrating that your course lasts more than 90 days, you can apply for the IRP. Additionally, you can work part-time (20 h./week). But that’s not all, during the months of June, July, August, and September, and from December 15th to January 15th, you can work full-time (40 h./week).

Regardless of how long you plan to stay in the country, you must purchase medical insurance that covers the duration of your stay. If you are not sure which insurance to purchase, you can write to us and we will help you purchase it so that you do not have any problems at customs.

If you are a Colombian, Peruvian, or Ecuadorian national and want to study English in Ireland, you will need to apply for a visa before traveling to the country.

Also, if your stay exceeds 90 days, you will also need to apply for the IRP (Irish Residence Permit).

• Stay up to 90 days: You need to apply for the Short Stay Tourist Visa to enter Ireland, but you do not need to apply for the IRP (Irish Residence Permit).
• Stay over 90 days: If you intend to study and work in Ireland, you must apply for a student visa before traveling and once in the country, you must also apply for the IRP (Irish Residence Permit). With the student visa, you can work part-time (20 h/week) and full-time (40 h/week) during certain times of the year (from June to September and from December 15th to January 15th).

Regardless of the length of your stay, you must purchase medical insurance before traveling to Ireland. But don’t worry, because at Dingoos, we will help you purchase it.

To apply for this visa, you will need:

• A valid passport with a minimum validity of 6 months from the date of arrival in Ireland.
• A letter explaining the reasons why you want to go to Ireland, including the planned arrival and departure dates.
• You will also need to write a vacation or study plan, depending on the purpose of your trip, indicating where you will be staying. You must also include the accommodation reservation documents where you will be staying.
• If you are going to take a course during the 90 days, you will need the school’s confirmation letter and their details (name, phone, and address).
• Two passport-sized photos that meet these requirements.
• Economic funds to support you during your stay. These will be approximately €700 per month.
• Proof that you will return to your home country when the 90 days are over.
• Medical insurance that covers your entire stay (you will need to present it upon arrival in Ireland).
• Payment of visa application costs: €60 (Single entry) or €100 (Multiple entry).

• A valid passport with at least 6 months of validity from the date of entry into the country.
• A letter of enrollment from the school for a 25-week course.
• A letter of application: you must write a letter explaining why you want to study in Ireland.
• Economic funds to support you during your stay. You must prove that you have at least €10,000 in your bank account. If your course lasts less than six months, you must demonstrate €700 for each month of study.
• Medical insurance that covers your entire stay.
• Payment of visa application costs: €60 with a single entry to the country (Single entry) or €100 with multiple entries (Multiple entry).

To obtain this visa, you must meet certain requirements:

• Valid passport
• Your nationality must be on the list of approved countries (mentioned in the previous point).
• Aged between 18-35 (except for Chile, aged 18-30)
• No criminal record
• Purchase medical insurance that covers your entire stay (1 year)
• Have sufficient funds to support yourself in the country (€1,500)
• Have a return ticket or demonstrate funds to purchase one (€1,500)

These are some of the main requirements to be able to obtain the General Employment Permit:

• Have a job offer and have a letter from the future employer.
• Have the necessary skills, experience, and education for the job position.
• The job position must not be on the list of prohibited professions.
• The employer must have performed the Labour Market Needs Test.
• The minimum salary of the job offer must be €30,000 per year.
• In some cases, it can be applied with an annual salary of €27,000.
• The company that is going to hire you must have at least 50% of the staff with European nationality.

This work permit can be applied for by the interested party or the employer by contacting the work permit delegation in Ireland.

The price of this permit varies depending on the duration:

• 6 months: €500
• Up to 2 years: €1,000

To be eligible for one of these permits, you must meet several requirements:

• Having a job offer for one of the demanded professions on this list.
• Having the necessary skills, experience, and education for the job position.
• The employer must have completed the Labour Market Needs Test.
• The minimum salary for the job offer must be:
  • €32,000 per year if the job is in the Critical Skills Occupation List
  • €64,000 per year if the profession is not on the List of Ineligible Occupations
• The employer must offer you at least 2 years of employment contract.

Whether you need to apply for a visa to travel to Ireland depends on your nationality. For example:

• European Union or Switzerland: you do not need a visa to travel to Ireland.
• Chile, Mexico, or Argentina: you do not need to apply for a visa to travel to Ireland.
• Colombia, Peru, or Ecuador: you need to apply for a visa before traveling to Ireland.

Although speaking English is important to get a job in Ireland, it is not necessary to start with lower-skilled jobs. In any case, the most important thing will be your attitude. If you are proactive and willing, you will soon find a job and gradually improve your level of English to apply for more qualified positions.

Yes, as long as the course duration does not exceed 90 days of study. But remember, with this visa, you cannot legally work.

If you are from one of the European Union countries, you do not need it since you can use your health card.

If you are from any other nationality, it is mandatory to take out health insurance that covers the entire duration of your stay in Ireland. In addition, it is highly recommended to be prepared for possible medical incidents. At Dingoos, we usually recommend Travelfine’s travel medical insurance.

Yes. The Irish Immigration Department may ask you to demonstrate that you have sufficient funding to support yourself during your stay in Ireland. The funds to be demonstrated vary depending on the type of visa you are considering applying for:

• Short Stay Tourist Visa – €500 per month.
• Student Visa – at least €7,000 in the bank account.

As each case is particular, we recommend that you contact our Dingoos Guides team to choose the visa that best suits your profile and needs. They will detail the exact amount you must present as proof of financial funds.

Yes, you can process the renewal paperwork from within the country. At the time of the visa renewal, you will need to present the documents that prove you meet the requirements of the visa you are applying for.

At Dingoos, we offer a free visa renewal service so that you do not have to worry about the paperwork and procedures for your renewal. We do it for you.

The IRP or Irish Residence Permit is a certificate that indicates that you are registered with the Irish Immigration Department. It is a plastic card that contains personal information such as name, stamp type, photo, fingerprints…

If you are not from the EU or Switzerland and will be in Ireland for more than 90 days, you will need to apply for yours when you arrive in the country to be able to legally work.

COVID-19 protection measures are constantly changing. However, here is a summary of entry restrictions to Ireland due to COVID-19, depending on your nationality:

• Spain, Switzerland, and European Union:
  Currently, you can enter Ireland with a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before travel or if you have completed the full vaccination schedule with one of the recognized vaccines, or the COVID recovery certificate. If you meet any of these conditions, you will not have to quarantine upon arrival in Ireland. Before traveling, you will also need to fill out the Passenger Locator Form.
• Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru:
  Currently, to travel to Ireland without the need to quarantine upon arrival, you will need to present the complete vaccination schedule with one of the recognized vaccines, or the COVID recovery certificate. Before traveling, you will also need to fill out the Passenger Locator Form, and the airline may ask you to present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to travel

Ireland is one of the top European destinations for studying English, and specifically Dublin has been positioning itself as one of the best cities in Europe for years. According to the United Nations, Ireland was the third country with the highest Human Development Index (HDI) in 2019. I recommend that you take a look at our post on what it’s like to live in Ireland.

If you intend to study in Ireland for more than three months and apply for a long-stay student visa, you will need to complete your visa application and wait an average of 8 weeks to obtain the resolution of your application. Visit the Irish immigration government page or write to us to resolve your doubts.

You must make the online application through the Irish immigration government page following this link.