Country topic
Visas in Ireland
Ireland's list of nationalities that do not need a visa to visit includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States (the May 2025 copy of the list held by the Irish Embassy in Belgium; the immigration service's own version sits behind an interactive tool). On arrival the border officer decides how long you may stay, up to a maximum of 3 months, and entry is always at the officer's discretion. You may be asked for a passport, a visa if needed and a boarding card, and can be refused even with a valid visa. The Irish consulate's page for US citizens says they may stay up to 90 days for tourism or business. [V1] [V2] [V18] Ireland is not in the Schengen Area and does not take part in the EU Entry/Exit System, so travellers coming directly to Ireland are not bound by that system. How days spent in Ireland count towards another country's visa-free limit is not covered here, so it is unknown. [V1] [V3]
What we found
The research, with its sources.
Research information, not advice. Rules change, so check the source before you act on one.
- Ireland's list of nationalities that do not need a visa to visit includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States (the May 2025 copy of the list held by the Irish Embassy in Belgium; the immigration service's own version sits behind an interactive tool). On arrival the border officer decides how long you may stay, up to a maximum of 3 months, and entry is always at the officer's discretion. You may be asked for a passport, a visa if needed and a boarding card, and can be refused even with a valid visa. The Irish consulate's page for US citizens says they may stay up to 90 days for tourism or business. [V1] [V2] [V18]
- Ireland is not in the Schengen Area and does not take part in the EU Entry/Exit System, so travellers coming directly to Ireland are not bound by that system. How days spent in Ireland count towards another country's visa-free limit is not covered here, so it is unknown. [V1] [V3]
- A visa-required national applies online for a Short Stay C visa, up to 3 months before travel and from the country where they live. It covers visits of up to 90 days, for reasons such as a holiday, family visit, conference, business activities related to your job, or employment of under 14 days. The applicant must show ties to the country of residence and enough money to support the stay. False or misleading information can lead to a block of up to 5 years on Irish visas. [V4]
- A non-EEA national needs an Employment Permit or Atypical Permission before working in Ireland. For work over 90 days you must have a contract of employment and the relevant work permission. The routes listed are Critical Skills and General employment permits, intra-company transfer, internship, scientific researcher on a hosting agreement, working holiday, the Immigrant Investor Programme, the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme, atypical working for nurses and locum hospital doctors, visiting academic, volunteer and minister of religion. None is for remote work for an employer or clients abroad; the service does not say in words that no such route exists. [V5] [V6]
- For work under 90 days, the Atypical Working Scheme covers a position not covered by other employment rules, and a short stay business visa allows up to 90 days for business or for work lasting 14 consecutive days or less (page last updated 25 July 2024). Whether a rostered or remote job abroad can use these is not stated, so it is unknown. [V7]
- The Immigrant Investor Programme closed to further applications from close of business on 15 February 2023, although the immigration service's work-routes page still lists it; applications already on hand continue to be considered. The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme lets you establish a business in Ireland and work in it full time, with no other employment allowed. It asks for about €50,000 of funding available (to be safe, more than €51,000) and an innovative business proposal, with a non-refundable €350 application fee; proposals are considered quarterly. [V6] [V19] [V20]
- Retirement permission (Stamp 0) asks for an individual income of about €50,000 a year (to be safe, more than €51,000) and access to a lump sum equal to, for example, the price of a home. Finances must be certified by an Irish accountancy firm and be pension income or readily accessible funds; investment sums are not normally measured. It also needs private medical insurance with full cover in private hospitals, and the holder cannot access State benefits. No age minimum is stated. Visa-required people also need a D-Reside visa; others travel after the approval letter and register within the 90-day landing stamp. Processing averages four months. [V8]
- Stamp 0 is permission to stay for a temporary period, subject to conditions: you must be fully financially self-sufficient, cannot use publicly funded services such as treatment in a public hospital, must hold private medical insurance, and must not work or run a business unless the service's letter of permission says so. A 2018 ministerial answer calls it "a low level immigration status which is not intended to be reckonable for long term residence or citizenship", while any person may still apply to naturalise at the Minister's absolute discretion. Stamp 1 (permission to work) is reckonable as residence for naturalisation. [V9] [V10]
- A General Employment Permit is applied for by the employer or the worker, and needs a job offer from a genuine employer registered in Ireland. The official minimum pay figures are about €32,700 (horticulture, meat processing, health care assistants and home support), about €34,000 (a recent graduate of an Irish college) and generally about €36,600 a year; to be safe, more than €37,000. Every occupation is eligible unless on the Ineligible Occupations List. Most jobs need a Labour Market Needs Test, and at least 50% of the firm's employees must be EEA nationals (waived for some start-ups). The first permit is for up to 2 years, renewable for up to 3 more; apply at least 12 weeks before the start date. The processing fee for a new permit is €1,000 for 6 to 24 months (€500 for 6 months or less). A spouse or partner of a General Employment Permit holder is not eligible for a dependant permit and must apply in their own right. [V11]
- A Critical Skills Employment Permit needs a job offer of at least 2 years. The official minimum pay figures are about €36,800 (within 12 months of qualifying) and about €40,900 a year for occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List, which needs a relevant degree; to be safe, more than €41,000. Other eligible occupations need about €68,900 a year; to be safe, more than €69,000. No Labour Market Needs Test applies. Holders can apply at once for family reunification, and their spouses and partners can seek any employment and apply for a Dependant/Partner/Spouse permit, currently free of charge. Holders can apply directly to the Department of Justice for Stamp 4. [V12]
- The Ineligible Occupations List (file dated 21 August 2026) is a list of employments for which no employment permit is granted. It includes "other construction and building trades not elsewhere classified", except steel fixers, fencing operators or erectors, curtain wallers and plastic lining technicians; construction operatives such as road and rail construction; and large goods vehicle drivers unless they hold a CE or C1E licence. It does not name carpenters, plumbers or electricians by title. Whether a particular trade is eligible is for the Department to confirm. [V13]
- A spouse, partner or minor child can apply at once to join a holder of a Critical Skills Employment Permit, an investor, a start-up entrepreneur and some other Category B sponsors. For holders of other employment permits (Category C), the family member can apply after the sponsor has legally worked in Ireland for 1 year. Other non-EEA nationals, including most students, are not eligible sponsors. Stamp 0 retirement permission is not named in either category, so whether a family member can join is unknown. Earnings thresholds apply under the policy document and were not read here. [V14]
- People from outside the EU, UK and Switzerland who come to work, study, live or join family for more than 90 days must register with the immigration service; the landing stamp tells you to do so within 90 days, and the service says it will not cancel a permission if no appointment is available in that time. The Burgh Quay Registration Office in Dublin is the nationwide office where all first-time registration appointments take place, by confirmed appointment only. Registration brings an Irish Residence Permit card by post. [V15] [V16]
- After 5 years (60 months) of legal residence on employment permits you may apply for Long Term Residency, which lets you work for a further 5 years without a work permit. You must be in employment when you apply, of good character and not an undue burden on the State; applications from self-employed people are not accepted. The service reports very high volumes and delays in processing. The fee is €500, and time on Stamp 0 does not count towards the 60 months. [V17]
- The permit minimums above took effect on 1 March 2026 (General from €34,000 to €36,605, Critical Skills from €38,000 to €40,904), and further adjustments are phased in through 2030, so check the figure again before you apply. [V21]
- For US citizens only, the US-Ireland Working Holiday Authorisation is open to people over 18 who are in full-time post-secondary education or graduated in the past 12 months. It is valid up to 12 months from arrival and cannot be extended. It needs a bank statement showing access to at least US$1,500 (to be safe, more than US$1,600) and costs US$295 on the Washington page (the Department's general page still prints US$270). Stays over 90 days need registration, with a €300 Irish Residence Permit fee, and a PPS number. [V22]
- Irish citizenship by descent is a citizenship route, not a visa. If a grandparent was born in Ireland, or a parent was an Irish citizen at your birth without being born in Ireland, you can apply online to the Foreign Births Register; once entered you are an Irish citizen and can apply for an Irish passport. The fee is €278 for adults (€153 under 18), including return postage, and the Department says processing takes about 12 months. [V23]
- Naturalisation currently needs 1 year of continuous reckonable residence immediately before applying plus 4 years in the 8 years before that (5 of the last 9 in all); time on an employment permit (Stamp 1) and on Stamp 4 counts. The Government approved drafting of a Bill on 9 September 2026 whose General Scheme proposes raising the period from 5 to 8 years for most applicants and adding language and civics tests. That is a proposal, not law. [V24] [V25]
The Fernshore Index
How the Index grades visas, by passport.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Visa, United States passport
Unknown
Research for US passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
Unknown
Research for Canadian passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
Unknown
Research for Australian passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
Unknown
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
The country
More on Ireland.
Topics
More about Ireland.
Questions about Visas in Ireland.
Do I need a visa to visit Ireland?
Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US passports are in the non-visa column of Ireland's list. At the border the officer sets your stay, up to a maximum of 3 months, and can refuse entry even with a valid visa. The Irish consulate says US citizens may stay up to 90 days for tourism or business.
Is there a remote-worker or digital nomad visa for Ireland?
The immigration service lists none. For work over 90 days it asks for a contract of employment and a work permission, and its list of routes has nothing for working remotely for an employer or clients abroad. It does not say in words that no such route exists, so ask it before you plan.
Can I retire to Ireland, and what does Stamp 0 ask for?
Stamp 0 is for people of independent means: an individual yearly income (to be safe, more than €51,000), access to a lump sum such as the price of a home, certification by an Irish accountancy firm and private medical insurance. It is renewable; no length or step to permanent residence is stated.
What salary does an Irish employment permit require?
An Irish employer must offer the job. A General Employment Permit generally needs a minimum yearly pay (to be safe, more than €37,000). A Critical Skills permit needs a higher minimum for listed occupations (more than €41,000) or for other eligible ones (more than €69,000).
Do I have to register with immigration after I arrive?
If you come from outside the EU, UK or Switzerland to work, study, live or join family for more than 90 days, yes. Your landing stamp tells you to register within 90 days, at the Burgh Quay Registration Office in Dublin, by appointment. You then receive an Irish Residence Permit card by post.
Does Ireland have a golden visa, and is it still open?
No. The Immigrant Investor Programme closed to further applications from close of business on 15 February 2023; applications already on hand continue to be considered. The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme continues: a set amount of funding available (to be safe, more than €51,000), an innovative proposal and a €350 fee.
Can I get Irish citizenship through a grandparent?
Possibly. If a grandparent was born in Ireland, or a parent was an Irish citizen at your birth without being born there, you can apply to the Foreign Births Register online. Once entered you are an Irish citizen and can apply for a passport. The fee is €278 for adults and processing takes about 12 months.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [V1] List of Visa Required and Non-Visa Required Nationalities, May 2025, Department of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Ireland in Belgium (assistance copy of the Irish visa list; not the ISD page). Checked 16 October 2026. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United States of America are in the non-visa column. Says Ireland is not in the Schengen Area.
- [V2] Entry for non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss and non-UK nationals, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 27 June 2024. Stay at the officer's discretion, up to a maximum of 3 months.
- [V18] Visas for Ireland (US citizens), Consulate General of Ireland, San Francisco (ireland.ie, Department of Foreign Affairs). Checked 16 October 2026. US citizens are not visa required and may remain up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.
- [V3] EU Entry/Exit System (EES), Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 8 October 2025. Ireland does not participate in the EES.
- [V4] Coming to visit Ireland: frequently asked questions, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 14 February 2024. Short Stay C visa for visa-required nationals; visits of up to 90 days.
- [V5] Coming to work in Ireland, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 6 August 2025. Non-EEA nationals need an Employment Permit or Atypical Permission first.
- [V6] Coming to work for more than 90 days, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 14 October 2025. Lists the routes for work over 90 days; none for remote work for an employer or clients abroad.
- [V7] Coming to work for less than 90 days, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 25 July 2024. Atypical Working Scheme; short stay business visa for business or work of 14 consecutive days or less.
- [V19] Minister Harris announces closure of the Immigrant Investor Programme (14 February 2023), Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (gov.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Closed to further applications from close of business on 15 February 2023; applications already on hand continue to be considered; the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme continues.
- [V20] Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP), Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 14 October 2025. 50,000 euros of funding and an innovative business proposal; application fee 350 euros, non-refundable; proposals considered quarterly.
- [V8] I want to retire to Ireland, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 25 June 2026. Stamp 0 for people of independent means.
- [V9] Immigration permission stamps, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 5 June 2026. Stamp 0 and Stamp 1 conditions.
- [V10] Dail written answer 191, Naturalisation Eligibility, 9 October 2018, Minister for Justice and Equality, Houses of the Oireachtas. Checked 16 October 2026. An eight-year-old answer; a newer official statement was not found.
- [V11] General Employment Permit, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE). Checked 16 October 2026. Minimum annual remuneration generally 36,605 euros; 50:50 rule; Labour Market Needs Test; 2 years then up to 3 more.
- [V12] Critical Skills Employment Permit, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE). Checked 16 October 2026. Minimum 40,904 euros for listed occupations, 68,911 euros for other eligible occupations; 2-year job offer; immediate family reunification.
- [V13] Ineligible Occupations List (IOL), file modified 21 August 2026, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE). Checked 16 October 2026. Employments for which no employment permit is granted. Word file read as text.
- [V14] Join non EEA family member, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 12 June 2026. Sponsor categories B and C and their waiting periods.
- [V15] Registration of immigration permission: frequently asked questions, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Burgh Quay Registration Office is the nationwide office where all first-time registration appointments take place.
- [V16] How to register your immigration permission for the first time, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 1 October 2025. Register within 90 days; an Irish Residence Permit card follows.
- [V17] Long Term Residency, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Five years (60 months) on employment permits; self-employed applicants not accepted.
- [V21] Government unveils roadmap for gradual increase in employment permit salary thresholds (2 December 2025), Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (enterprise.gov.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. From 1 March 2026 the General permit minimum rises from 34,000 to 36,605 euros and the Critical Skills minimum from 38,000 to 40,904 euros; further adjustments are phased in through 2030.
- [V22] Working holiday authorisation (US citizens), Embassy of Ireland, Washington (ireland.ie, Department of Foreign Affairs). Checked 16 October 2026. US citizens over 18 in full-time post-secondary education or graduated in the previous 12 months; up to 12 months, not extendable; bank statement showing access to at least 1,500 US dollars; fee 295 US dollars on this page (the Department's general page still prints 270).
- [V23] Registering a foreign birth (Foreign Births Register), Department of Foreign Affairs (ireland.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. Grandparent born in Ireland, or a parent who was an Irish citizen at your birth; fee 278 euros for adults (153 under 18); about 12 months; online.
- [V24] Becoming an Irish citizen through naturalisation, Citizens Information (Citizens Information Board, a statutory body). Checked 16 October 2026. 1 year of continuous reckonable residence immediately before applying plus 4 years in the 8 years before that; time on an employment permit (Stamp 1) and Stamp 4 counts.
- [V25] Government approval secured for the priority drafting of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2026 (9 September 2026), Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (gov.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. The General Scheme proposes raising reckonable residence from 5 to 8 years for most applicants, plus language and civics tests; a proposal, not law.