Short-Term Stay - Less Than 90 Days
About short stay ‘C’ visit (family/friend) visa
If you are a visa required national you must apply for a visa before travelling to Ireland. Each traveller must apply for a separate visa. There are no family visas. A parent or legal guardian should make a tourist visa application for a young person (aged under 18). You should not buy travel tickets before you receive a decision on your visa application. A short stay ‘C’ visit (family/friend) visa allows you to travel to Ireland for up to 90 days.
Reason for travel - Visit family/friends
To come to Ireland to visit family or friends for less than 90 days, select the following options in AVATS:
- Visa type: ‘Short Stay (C)
- Reason for travel: ‘Visit Family/Friend’
- Journey type: ‘Single’ or ‘Multiple’ (as appropriate for you)
An important required documents – Invitation letter
When applying for a visit to family and friends, an invitation letter stands out as a crucial document requirement.
The letter from the friend(s) or family member(s) you plan to visit in Ireland must state:
- The reason they are inviting you to Ireland
- The dates they plan to see you in Ireland
- A description of how they know you.
The letter must include a clear legible colour photocopy of the picture page of their National Identity Card or passport (including for Irish citizens). The letter must also include a statement by your friend(s) or family member(s) that they understand you must:
- Obey the conditions of your visa in full
- Not rely on public services (for example public hospitals) or become a burden on the State
- Leave Ireland before your immigration permission expires.
You must get a separate letter from each friend/family member you are visiting who has a different home address. A single letter for friends/family who live at the same address is acceptable.
Conditional requirements for the invitation letter
If you are invited to stay with your friend(s) or family member(s) in their home, the letter must state:
- That they are inviting you to stay with them in their home
- The dates you are invited to stay and their full postal address (including EirCode).
- If the friend(s) or family member(s) inviting you to Ireland is a non-EU/EEA and non-Swiss citizen, the letter must include:
- A clear legible colour photocopy of their current valid Irish Residence Permit
- A clear legible colour photocopy of the current valid immigration permission stamp in their passport.
If your friend(s) or family member(s) will help to pay for your vacation, the letter must include:
- A cost estimate and a description of what they will pay for (if appropriate), for example cost of airline tickets in Euro, cost of accommodation and living expenses for your short stay in Ireland.
- Documents that prove they can afford to pay a full description of required documents is on this page.
What are the conditions of my stay on a Short Stay ‘C’ Visa?
If your application is successful and you are permitted to enter Ireland then you are required to fully obey the conditions of your visa. In summary this means that
- You must leave Ireland before your permission to be in Ireland expires
- You do not work (any type of paid or unpaid work) (unless you have been granted a business, performance/ tournament or Employment (Atypical) Visa
- You do not become a burden on the State or access publicly funded services such as a hospital
- You have appropriate travel/medical insurance for the duration of your trip
- You do not seek to enter the UK, EU or EEA country without a valid visa for that country if required by that country.
Navigating visa applications can be a challenging process due to numerous requirements and regulations. Our purpose is to provide you with the necessary assistance to streamline this process and find optimal solutions.