Ireland Short Stay Visa Checklist
Ireland’s Short Stay ‘C’ visa covers visits of 90 days or less. The right route depends on purpose — tourism, a short business trip of 14 days or less, a conference or event, or short study — and study switches to a long stay ‘D’ visa beyond 3 months. This checklist sets out which route applies. Based on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and IrishImmigration.ie.
Three quick facts
- 90 days or less. A visa-required national visiting Ireland for 90 days or less needs a Short Stay 'C' Tourist Visa.
- Purpose shapes the route. Short business trips (14 days or less) use the 'C' Business visa; conferences and events use the 'C' Conference/Event visa.
- Study split at 90 days / 3 months. Short study (90 days or less) uses 'C'; study for more than 3 months uses a long stay 'D' study visa.
Which Short Stay ‘C’ visa applies
| Visit / tourism | A visa-required national visiting Ireland for 90 days or less applies for a Short Stay 'C' Tourist Visa. |
| Business (meetings, negotiations, contracts) | Coming to attend meetings, negotiate or sign agreements or contracts and work for 14 days or less requires a Short Stay 'C' Business visa. |
| Conference / event | Coming to attend a conference, symposium or event requires a Short Stay 'C' Conference/Event visa. |
| Study — short | A short course of study of 90 days or less uses a short stay 'C' visit (Study) visa. |
| Study — long | Study for more than 3 months requires a long stay 'D' study visa. |
| Joining family | A non-EU/EEA and non-Swiss national wanting to join a family member in Ireland needs to apply for the relevant permission. |
Study in Ireland
Depending on your nationality and the duration of your study you may have to apply for either a Short Stay ‘C’ visa or a Long Stay ‘D’ visa before coming to Ireland. If you want to study in Ireland and are a non-EEA/non-Swiss national, you will need to have a letter of enrolment and to have paid your fees. Depending on your nationality, you may also need to apply for a visa.
Where the full document list lives
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade page retrieved for this checklist says a list of the different visa types and the documentation required is available on IrishImmigration.ie, and links there for full details on what you need to apply. The specific supporting documents (for example bank statements or an invitation letter) are therefore set by IrishImmigration.ie and the relevant visa-type pages, not reproduced here.
Not published in the retrieved pages
The visa fee amount, the processing time and biometric requirements for the Short Stay ‘C’ visa were not published in the pages retrieved for this checklist, so they are not published, so not asserted here. Confirm them on IrishImmigration.ie before you apply.
Photos and related checklists
Check the destination photo standard with the passport photo checker and compare sizes on the photo size chart. See also the Schengen visa documents checklist, the Germany visa documents checklist, the UK visa documents checklist, or follow the guide to taking a passport photo at home.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I visit Ireland on a Short Stay 'C' visa?
If you are a visa-required national and want to visit Ireland for 90 days or less, you need to apply for a Short Stay 'C' Tourist Visa.
What visa covers a short business trip to Ireland?
If you are a visa-required national coming to attend meetings, negotiate or sign agreements or contracts and work for 14 days or less, you need a Short Stay 'C' Business visa.
What visa is needed for a conference or event in Ireland?
If you are a visa-required national coming to attend a conference, symposium or event, you need a Short Stay 'C' Conference/Event visa.
Which visa applies if I am coming to study in Ireland?
It depends on nationality and duration. A short course of study of 90 days or less uses a short stay 'C' visit (Study) visa; study for more than 3 months uses a long stay 'D' study visa.
Do non-EEA/non-Swiss students need extra items for study?
Yes. If you want to study in Ireland and are a non-EEA/non-Swiss national, you need a letter of enrolment and to have paid your fees. Depending on nationality you may also need a visa.
What are the Ireland visa fee and processing time?
The DFA visas-for-Ireland page retrieved points to IrishImmigration.ie for full details and does not state the fee or processing time for a Short Stay 'C' visa, so it is not published, so not asserted here — check IrishImmigration.ie before you apply.
Sources: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland — ireland.ie/en/dfa/visas-for-ireland/, which points to irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-visit-ireland/, retrieved 2026-09-28. Rules and fees change, so confirm the current position on IrishImmigration.ie before you apply.