The short answer
- Who: nationals of 21 listed countries with a UK short-stay visit visa.
- How: enter the UK first on that visa, then travel on to Ireland. No Irish visa, no fee.
- How long: up to 90 days, or the time left on your UK permission, whichever is shorter.
- Not covered: a UK ETA, transit and marriage visas, and long-stay UK permission. Visits only: no work or study.
Check your visa
Visa waiver checker
Whether your UK visa covers a visit to Ireland, and for how long.
To register for the first time
From ISD’s Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme page. The immigration officer decides at the border. Nothing you enter is sent or saved.
Who can use it
You can visit Ireland without an Irish visa if all three are true:
- You hold a passport from one of the listed countries.
- You have an eligible UK short-stay visa, and you’ve entered the UK on it.
- Your visit to Ireland ends before your UK permission ends.
| Region | Countries |
|---|---|
| Europe | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye |
| Middle East | Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (only with a UK visa issued before 1 Feb 2024) |
| Asia | China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam |
| South America | Colombia, Peru (Peru only with a UK visa issued before 1 Feb 2024) |
Ukraine is on ISD’s list too, but Ukrainians haven’t needed an Irish visa since February 2022. People from Hong Kong and Macau don’t need one either. If your country isn’t listed and you need a visa, apply for an Irish visa.
Which UK visas count
UK short-stay visit visas count, including multi-entry ones, except visas for:
- visitors in transit;
- visitors coming to marry or enter a civil partnership.
Long-term UK permission doesn’t count: student visas, family visas, or any other UK “D” visa or residence permit. If you live in the UK on one, you need an Irish visa, but as a national of a listed country and a long-term legal resident of the UK, you don’t pay the fee.
Enter the UK first
You must land in the UK and be given permission to stay there before you travel to Ireland. Each new period of UK permission, up to 180 days each time, needs a new entry into the UK first.
If you’ve already been to the UK on that permission and gone home, you can fly straight to Ireland, as long as the visit fits within the time left.
Coming down from Belfast by road or rail? There are no checks at the land border, but you must report to an immigration officer within 30 days. The Northern Ireland arrivals guide has where and how.
How long you can stay
The most is 90 days, or the time left on your UK permission, whichever is less, and the immigration officer decides on arrival:
| UK permission | Already used | Most you can stay in Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| 180 days | 30 days | 90 days (150 are left, but 90 is the limit) |
| 180 days | 160 days | 20 days |
The waiver is for visits only: you can’t work, study or live here on it. And it isn’t reciprocal: an Irish visa doesn’t get you into the UK, including Northern Ireland, unless it’s endorsed BIVS.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
What is the Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme?
An Irish scheme that lets nationals of certain countries, who have entered the UK on a UK short-stay visa, visit Ireland without an Irish visa, within the time left on their UK permission.
Which countries are on the visa waiver list?
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye; Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia; China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam; and Colombia and Peru. Ukraine is also listed, but Ukrainians don't need an Irish visa at all.
Can I use a UK ETA to visit Ireland?
No. ISD says a UK electronic travel authorisation can't be used for the programme. If you need a visa for Ireland and only have an ETA, apply for an Irish visa. Nationals of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Peru can use the waiver only with a UK visa issued before 1 February 2024.
Can I fly straight to Ireland on my UK visa?
No. You must first land in the UK and be given permission to stay there. The exception: if you've already been to the UK on that permission and gone home, you can fly straight to Ireland while it still has time left.
How long can I stay in Ireland on the visa waiver?
Up to 90 days, or the time left on your UK permission, whichever is shorter. For example, with 180 days of UK permission and 160 used, you could stay 20 days. The immigration officer decides on arrival.
I live in the UK. Can I use the waiver?
Not with long-stay UK permission, such as a student, work or family visa. You need an Irish visa, but if you're from one of the listed countries and a long-term legal resident of the UK, you don't pay the visa fee.
Does an Irish visa let me into the UK?
No. The programme isn't reciprocal. To enter the UK, including Northern Ireland, you need a UK visa, unless you have a visa endorsed BIVS under the British-Irish Visa Scheme.
Sources
All sources checked on 5 Oct 2026.
- Short stay visa waiver programmeImmigration Service Delivery
- Visa requirements for entering IrelandCitizens Information
- Entry for non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss and non-UK nationals (arriving via the border with Northern Ireland)Immigration Service Delivery