The short answer
- Visa-free: citizens of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries can visit for up to 90 days without a visa.
- Visa needed? Apply online for a short stay C visa up to 3 months before you travel: €60, or €100 for multiple entry.
- At the border: an immigration officer decides whether you come in and for how long. Bring proof of your trip.
- No work without permission, no registration, and no extending unless something unexpected happens.
- Moving here? That needs a long-stay permission before you come.
Check your visit
Visit check
For visitors from outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland and the UK.
Not sure about the visa? Check ISD’s visa list.
To register for the first time
From ISD’s visitor, visa and border pages and Citizens Information, checked 4 October 2026. Nothing you choose is sent or saved. The immigration officer decides at the border.
Who needs a visa
Citizens of the EU, EEA, Switzerland and the UK don’t need a visa or permission to come. Many other nationalities can visit visa-free too, including:
| United States | Canada | Australia |
| New Zealand | Japan | South Korea |
| Brazil | Mexico | Argentina |
| Chile | Israel | Singapore |
| Malaysia | United Arab Emirates | Ukraine |
The full list is on Citizens Information and ISD. Everyone else applies for a short stay C visa before travelling, unless they hold an in-date EU family residence card, a UK visa endorsed BIVS, or qualify for the UK visa waiver programme.
At the border
Every visitor presents to an immigration officer on arrival, who decides whether to let you in and stamps your passport with how long you can stay, up to 90 days. Have ready:
- your passport, and visa if you need one;
- your return or onward ticket and itinerary;
- proof you can support yourself;
- your accommodation details;
- proof of health insurance for the stay;
- any invitation letters that explain your visit.
Even with a visa, an officer can refuse entry if they’re not satisfied.
Business, work and study
- Business visitors can attend meetings, negotiate and sign contracts.
- Work, paid or unpaid, needs a permission first. Visa nationals can work within a single 14-day period on a business visa, once in 90 days. Longer short-term work goes through the Atypical Working Scheme, and longer jobs need an employment permit.
- A short course under 90 days is fine as a visitor, paid in full before you travel. Longer study needs student permission.
Extending your visit
Visitors are expected to leave before their stamp runs out. You can only ask for more time for an unexpected change in circumstances, or if a doctor confirms you’re unfit to travel:
- given less than 90 days? Ask your local immigration office, with your passport and flight details, for up to 90;
- need more than 90? Apply to ISD on its extension form, through the Customer Service Portal, for up to 90 more days.
ISD refuses extensions to get medical treatment, to marry, to provide childcare, or to live here.
Moving here instead?
A visit can’t become a move. Living, working or studying in Ireland needs the right permission before you come (young, or a recent US graduate? look at a working holiday), and some visa-free nationals still need preclearance, such as partners of Irish citizens who aren’t married, or of Critical Skills permit holders. Start with your first 90 days, coming to work, coming to study or bringing family.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
Do Americans need a visa to visit Ireland?
No. US citizens, like Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Japanese and many others, can visit Ireland without a visa. An immigration officer stamps your passport with up to 90 days.
How long can I stay in Ireland as a tourist?
Up to 90 days, as the immigration officer decides when you arrive, whether or not you needed a visa. You don't register or get an IRP card.
Can I extend my visit?
Only if your circumstances change unexpectedly after you arrive, or you're unfit to travel. If you were given less than 90 days, ask your local immigration office. Beyond 90 days, apply to ISD on its extension form, for up to 90 more days. It's refused for medical treatment, marrying, childcare or living here.
Can I work while visiting Ireland?
Business visitors can attend meetings and sign contracts. Work needs permission: ISD says people from outside the EEA need a permission before coming to work. Visa nationals can work within a single 14-day period on a business visa.
How do I apply for a short stay visa?
Online, up to 3 months before you travel, from the country where you live, then send documents showing your reason for travel, money and ties to home. A single-entry visa is €60, multiple entry €100.
Can I appeal a refused visit visa?
Not since 1 June 2026: refused short-stay visas can't be appealed, except for family members under the EU Free Movement Directive. You can apply again.
Do I need ETIAS or EES to visit Ireland?
No. Ireland isn't in the Schengen area, so the EU's Entry/Exit System and ETIAS don't apply to trips here.
Sources
All sources checked on 4 Oct 2026.
- Visa requirements for entering IrelandCitizens Information
- Coming to visit Ireland, frequently asked questionsImmigration Service Delivery
- Extension of visitor permissionImmigration Service Delivery
- Entry for non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss and non-UK nationalsImmigration Service Delivery
- Short stay business visaImmigration Service Delivery
- Appeal a negative visa decisionImmigration Service Delivery