The short answer
- Over the land border, nobody stamps your passport, but you still need a landing stamp.
- Report to an immigration officer within 30 days of arriving, or 7 days if you’re working or doing business: at Dundalk Immigration Office, Dublin Airport or Port, or a Garda immigration office.
- No landing stamp, no registration. ISD needs it to register you.
- Visa nationals need an Irish visa. A UK visa only works for visits, through BIVS or the visa waiver programme.
- Flying or sailing in from Britain? You see an immigration officer on arrival and get your stamp then.
Check your arrival
Northern Ireland arrival check
For people who aren’t EU, EEA, Swiss, UK or Irish citizens.
To register for the first time
From ISD’s border, registration, British Irish Visa Scheme and visa waiver pages. Nothing you enter is sent or saved. An immigration officer decides whether you can stay.
Why the land border is different
Ireland and the UK share the Common Travel Area, and there are no immigration checks on the land border. That doesn’t change the rules for people who aren’t EU, EEA, Swiss, UK or Irish citizens: you still need permission to be in Ireland, and the landing stamp is how that permission starts. Arriving by air or sea, you get it from the immigration officer. Over the land border, you have to go and get it.
Reporting to an immigration officer
ISD’s rule for arrivals via Northern Ireland: report to an immigration officer
- within 30 days of arriving, or
- within 7 days if you’re working or doing business here,
at the Dundalk Immigration Office, a port of entry at Dublin Airport or Dublin Port, or a local Garda immigration office. Bring your passport, your visa if you need one, and documents that explain your stay, like a letter of acceptance, a job offer or a travel itinerary. The officer decides whether you can stay, and for how long, and stamps your passport.
Coming via the UK with a UK visa
If your nationality needs a visa for Ireland, a UK visa or ETA doesn’t cover Ireland. You need an Irish visa, with two exceptions, both for visits only:
| What it allows | Conditions | |
|---|---|---|
| British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) | Short visits around the UK and Ireland on one visa | Visa endorsed “BIVS”. Enter the country that issued it first. Up to 90 days in Ireland, or the end of your UK permission |
| Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme | A visit to Ireland without an Irish visa, for nationals of listed countries | An eligible UK short-stay visa, after first entering the UK. Up to 90 days, or the rest of your UK leave. A UK ETA can’t be used |
Neither lets you work, study or live in Ireland, and you still report within 30 days if you cross the land border. The schemes aren’t reciprocal: an Irish visa doesn’t let you into the UK, including Northern Ireland.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
I came into Ireland from Northern Ireland and have no landing stamp. What do I do?
Report to an immigration officer within 30 days of arriving, or within 7 days if you're working or doing business: at the Dundalk Immigration Office, a port of entry at Dublin Airport or Dublin Port, or a local Garda immigration office.
Can I register without a landing stamp?
No. ISD's registration FAQ says you need a landing stamp to verify your date of entry, matching the permission you're registering. If you entered over the land border, get one before your appointment.
Can I enter Ireland with a UK visa?
Not usually, if your nationality needs a visa for Ireland: you need an Irish visa. The exceptions are a UK visa endorsed BIVS, under the British-Irish Visa Scheme, and the visa waiver programme for some nationalities holding an eligible UK short-stay visa. Both are for visits only.
Does a UK ETA let me visit Ireland?
No. ISD says a UK electronic travel authorisation can't be used for the visa waiver programme. If you need a visa for Ireland, apply for an Irish one.
I flew from London to Dublin. Do I get a stamp?
Yes. Non-EU nationals arriving by air or sea from outside the State present to an immigration officer, who decides whether to let you in and stamps your passport.
How long can I stay on the visa waiver programme?
Up to 90 days, or the time left on your UK permission if that's shorter, and only after you've first entered the UK on that visa.
Sources
All sources checked on 3 Oct 2026.
- Entry for non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss and non-UK nationals (arriving via the border with Northern Ireland)Immigration Service Delivery
- Frequently asked questions for registration (landing stamp)Immigration Service Delivery
- British Irish Visa SchemeImmigration Service Delivery
- Short-Stay Visa Waiver ProgrammeImmigration Service Delivery