Ireland visa requirements for Thai citizens

Embassy of Ireland in Bangkok, with an appointment requested by email (irishembassythailand@dfa.ie)

Thai nationals need a visa for Ireland, which is not in Schengen: a Schengen visa does not count, and a UK one only when entering under the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme or the British Irish Visa Scheme. The application is filled in online; at the end the summary and declaration are printed, signed and dated, and handed in with the passport, photo and documents at the Embassy of Ireland in Bangkok. The embassy no longer accepts applications by post: an appointment is requested by writing to irishembassythailand@dfa.ie, and incomplete applications are not accepted. The fee is paid when the application is submitted, by transfer to the embassy's Bangkok Bank account or in cash at the office, plus a communications fee of 400 THB per application. The embassy gives these indicative times: 6 to 8 weeks for tourism or family visits and 2 to 4 weeks for business, conferences or performances. Agencies helping with the process must fill in the form assistance section and provide a signed authorisation from the client.

Official application site →

Authorisation system

None (Ireland is not part of Schengen or ETIAS)

Ireland is an EU member state but not part of the Schengen Area: it maintains its own border regime within the Common Travel Area it shares with the United Kingdom. This is why ETIAS: the European travel authorisation system, not yet operational for Schengen countries: doesn't apply to entering Ireland at all, either now or once it launches. As of the verification date, Ireland has no electronic travel authorisation system of its own, operational or announced.

Fee

€60

Fee for the Irish short-stay visa: 60 euros for a single entry and 100 for multiple entries. Some nationalities are exempt from paying it. The application centre's service charge is added where there is one. A Schengen visa is not valid for entering Ireland.

Required documents

• A valid passport or equivalent document establishing your identity and nationality, to be handed to the immigration officer on request along with any information they reasonably require. Not required of under-16s (Immigration Act 2004, s. 11)
• A valid Irish visa if your nationality needs one. It is a separate visa: a Schengen visa does not get you into Ireland (s. 4(3))
• Being in a position to support yourself and any dependants travelling with you. The Act sets no figure: the officer assesses it (s. 4(3))
• Your real reason for travelling has to match the one you state: the officer can refuse entry if there is reason to believe you intend to enter for purposes other than those expressed (s. 4(3))

Health insurance

Not mandatory for this destination.

When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓

Transit rules

The Schengen 90/180-day rule does not apply to Ireland, since it is not a Schengen member. British and Irish citizens can move between both countries without passport control or a stay limit thanks to the Common Travel Area; all other nationalities should check Ireland's own stay regime (Immigration Service Delivery), independent from that of any other European country.