Ireland is a beautiful country that attracts tourists from all over the world. And not surprising, because the emerald island 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 an island of Ireland and there is a state of Ireland. These are completely different things. The state does not own the entire island; its northeastern part belongs to Great Britain. Holders of a valid English visa can travel to the south of Ireland from 2011 until the end of October 2016, but only on one condition - at least once you need to visit this in the UK.
The rest of the article will focus only on a visa to the Republic of Ireland.
Visa to Ireland - Schengen?
The Republic of Ireland is not included in the Schengen area, so it is impossible to visit this country on 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 what kind of visa you need in 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. Such visas are obtained by those who have found work in Ireland.
5. Business visas. The consulate provides them for business trips at the invitation of Irish partners.
6. Student. Awarded to those who intend to study in Ireland.
There are two more types of visas: short-term and long-term. The first are valid for 3 months (this is a tourist, guest and business visa). Long-term loans are issued only for training, employment or family reunion.
Step-by-step visa application
1 step. An application for a visa to Ireland is being filled out. This can be done online on the official website.
2 step. After that, you need to print a short version of the questionnaire, put a signature and date.
3 step. All the 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 Embassy of Ireland.
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. It takes a little patience, attentiveness and knowledge of the nuances, and you will do everything yourself. You can be proud of yourself that you have issued a visa to Ireland yourself, without any help.
The questionnaire is filled in English. All other documents would also be nice to attach their translations, confirmed by the signature of a notary. But practice shows that the embassy accepts documents without their certification.
Documents for a visa to Ireland
1. Questionnaire completed on the site.
2. Two color photographs measuring 35x45 mm.
3. A passport with an empty space for gluing a visa (at least 2 blank pages are required). He must act for at least another 6 months after returning to Russia.
4. A photocopy of the old passport, if any. We need pages where there is information about visas.
5. A photocopy of the Russian passport. We need all the filled pages on separate sheets of A4 format.
6. A photocopy of the medical policy, insurance must cover an amount of 30,000 euros.
This is a standard set of documents for applying for a visa to Ireland. Below is a list of additional documents for tourist and guest visas.
7. Account statements from banks; we need information on operations for the past six months.
8. Certificate of employment on income, seniority and position. Embassy staff must be sure that you have enough money to live in Ireland. If you are traveling with relatives, and one of the family members does not work, you must indicate in the letter that you bear all the costs. If you yourself do not work, you must attach a letter from the sponsor and a certificate from his place of work. Pupils and students just need to make a certificate from the institution, and for pensioners - a photocopy of the pension certificate.
9. A letter of application stating 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, in which his address and duration of the visit are indicated.
10. Photocopy of marriage and childbirth certificates. You need to confirm your marital status if you are traveling with or without 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 to live.
11. Confirmation of the reservation at the hotel if you will be staying there. You can send an e-mail from the hotel, which indicates that you really have reserved a room, or attach the original reservation sent by the hotel staff by fax.
Additional documents for seniors
1. A photocopy of the pension certificate.
2. A photocopy of the savings book.
3. A photocopy of the credit card.
4. Bank statements.
If the sponsor pays for the trip, then the following documents are needed:
- statement from his bank account;
- certificate of work of the sponsor 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. Statement of student bank accounts. They should cover travel expenses.
2. Certificate from the place of work of parents about income.
3. A photocopy of the certificate and other certificates of education.
4. Autobiography.
5. A photocopy of documents confirming that accommodation and training in Ireland are paid.
Additional documents for individual entrepreneurs
For a visa to Ireland for Russian entrepreneurs, slightly different documents are required.
1. A photocopy of the registration certificate of an individual entrepreneur.
2. A photocopy of the certificate of registration with the tax authority.
3. A certificate of work indicating the details, phone number and average monthly income of the entrepreneur.
4. A photocopy of the income tax return for the last year.
Additional documents for children
1. A photocopy of the birth certificate.
2. Photos of the child.
3. A letter of parental consent if the child is traveling alone or will be accompanied by other relatives. If the 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 foreign passport of the parents; you do not need to fill out a questionnaire on it.
5. From the age of 14, a teenager should already have his own passport. In this case, a separate questionnaire is filled out on it, one of the parents puts the signature.
Depending on what type of visa you need in Ireland, you collect the appropriate package of documents.
Photo Requirements
1. Two identical color photographs.
2. The size of the photographs is 3.5x4.5 cm.
3. The background should be bright.
4. Facial expression is neutral, you do not need to smile, hair should not close your eyes.
5. The third part of the photograph should be occupied by the face, the rest by the background.
6. On the back you need to clearly write your name, first name and number of the questionnaire.
The photo should not contain:
- frames, red eyes, glare;
- headgear;
- dark glasses (only allowed to be photographed with transparent glasses).
Deadlines
Typically, a visa to Ireland is made within 10-15 business days. But these are only indicative terms; they can issue it earlier and later. It all depends on the 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 vacationers. Therefore, it is worth taking care of a visa in advance, and not at the very last moment. In order not to worry about anything, it is better to submit documents for a month. This option will be the most optimal. If you go to a travel agency so that they themselves arrange everything for you, keep in mind that in this case the terms will increase by a few more days.
Visa fee
Visa fee - this is the fee that the embassy takes for its work (visa application). The price for providing such a service is set in euros, but you need to pay in rubles at the domestic rate. Only cash is accepted.
To date, the cost of the consular fee depends on how long a visa is made 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).
In case you were mistaken somewhere or were refused a visa for some reason, the fee is not refundable. To have a guarantee of obtaining a visa, you can contact the travel agency for help, but then you will have to pay about 5-8 thousand rubles to the above amount. As you can see, preparing documents yourself will be much cheaper.
What should I do if my visa application is refused?
If you are denied a visa, within 2 months you have the opportunity to appeal in writing.
It is impossible to challenge the decision made by the embassy staff only if 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 the rules are the rules, and they are very strict at the embassy. Just because no one is issued a visa to Ireland, the visa center carefully approaches the verification of papers, so you should also approach to filling them with special care. As they say, it’s better to be 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. In other cities, consulates of this country are not available. The visa department accepts all Russians. Documents can be brought personally to the embassy at the address: Moscow city, 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 time of reception in advance by calling: + 7- (495) -937-5911. Employees will politely answer all your questions, but sometimes you can’t get through the phone the first time, especially during the holidays, so be persistent. No time for calls? Then you can ask your questions by e-mail. The embassy has its email: irishembassymoscow@dfa.ie.
If you do not have the opportunity to get to the capital, do not worry, the embassy does not use an interview system. A specialist from the visa department will review your papers and make a decision. If it is positive, then you will have a visa to Ireland on hand, and you can safely go on a trip. All documents you can send by mail to the above address, indicating the letter code 129090. 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 are accepted at the embassy.
As you can see, collecting documents for a visa is within the power of everyone. But you always have a choice: do it yourself and save several thousand in the family budget, having studied all the requirements of the Irish embassy, or be too lazy and turn to specialists in a travel agency, while spending a considerable amount.