Ireland With UK Visa

This post explains how to travel to Ireland without the need of any extra Irish visa but just a valid UK visa. There seems to be quite a big confusion about whether one can travel to the Republic of Ireland (not Northern Ireland) with a UK visa. A few friends of mine and people online also seemed misinformed about the same. However, a quick Google and some cases online reveal that indeed one can travel to Ireland with a UK visa and without the need of an extra Irish visa under the Short Term Visa Waiver Program. So, the good news is one can travel to Ireland with UK visa under certain conditions. They are:

• You need to have a valid C type short term UK visa
• You should have obtained entry to the United Kingdom first
• Your trip to Ireland must end before the UK visa ends
• You must belong to one of the following nationalities: Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, India, Kazakhstan, China, Thailand, Uzbekistan

Now I will clarify some of the doubts many people had or seem to be having below.

Can I directly land in the Republic of Ireland with an unused UK visa?

No. You need to first get the entry permission from an immigration officer in the United Kingdom.

Can I directly land in the Republic of Ireland with a used UK visa from the past which is valid?

Yes. I used my UK visa for a trip to London in July 2019. I flew directly to Dublin from Munich and was stamped by an immigration officer in the Republic of Ireland.

Do I need to enter the Republic of Ireland only via the United Kingdom?

No. You can also fly directly to the Republic of Ireland if you have a used and valid UK visa.

Can I use a UK visa that was issued somewhere but not my home country?

Yes. My UK visa was issued in Germany and I am an Indian national.

I am an Indian / Chinese national and have no BIVS stamp. Can I still travel to the Republic of Ireland with my UK visa?

Yes, if it fits the conditions mentioned on the website. I did not have a BIVS stamp on my UK visa either. I just had a UK visa issued in Germany that was valid and used once at the time of visiting Republic of Ireland.

Here is a link to a detailed FAQ: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/visa-waiver-programme-oct2016.pdf/Files/visa-waiver-programme-oct2016.pdf

This page was last updated on: November 18, 2019