Ireland Visa from Dubai: AVATS, VFS, Fees and the UK Visa Waiver

The short answer: Emiratis, and British, EU and US passport holders, can visit Ireland without a visa. Most other UAE residents, including Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals, need an Irish short-stay 'C' visa. You apply online through AVATS, then hand in your documents at VFS Global in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The fee is €60 for a single entry or €100 for multiple entries, and Sri Lankans pay nothing. A Schengen visa is not valid for Ireland. Indian and Filipino nationals with a UK visa may be able to skip the Irish visa, under a scheme due to end on 31 October 2026.

Dublin's Georgian streets and pubs, the Cliffs of Moher, Galway and the Ring of Kerry are about eight hours' non-stop flight from the UAE. Ireland sits outside the Schengen area and runs its own visa system, so it needs its own application even if you already hold a UK or Schengen visa.

Ireland visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati, British, EU, US passports	No visa needed for a visit
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Short-stay 'C' visa before travel
How to apply	AVATS online form, then documents at VFS Global, Dubai or Abu Dhabi
Visa fee	€60 single entry, €100 multiple entry; Sri Lankan nationals exempt
Stay	Up to 90 days
Schengen visa valid?	No
Appeals	None for short-stay refusals since 1 June 2026; you reapply instead

Who needs an Irish visa

Ireland's Department of Justice publishes a list of visa-required nationalities. The UAE is not on it, so Emirati citizens can visit for up to 90 days without a visa. India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are, so their nationals need a visa wherever they live. Your UAE residence decides where you apply, not whether you need a visa.

Even without a visa, you are checked at the border. An immigration officer at Dublin airport decides how long you can stay, and can refuse entry, so carry your return ticket, your accommodation details and evidence that you can pay for the trip.

How to apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

1. Fill in the AVATS form on the Irish Immigration Service's online system. Each traveller, children included, needs their own application.
2. Print, sign and date the summary sheet AVATS produces.
3. Book an appointment with VFS Global, the Embassy of Ireland's partner in the UAE. Its centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and premium appointments at partner venues across the emirates cost an extra AED 499.
4. Submit the signed summary, your passport, photos and supporting documents, and pay the visa fee at the centre.

You can apply up to three months before you travel. Apply early, especially for summer and December.

Documents

The Irish Immigration Service asks every visitor to show who they are, why they are visiting, how they will pay for it and why they will go home. For a tourist visa from the UAE that usually means:

• Passport and recent passport photographs
• The signed AVATS summary and a signed application letter explaining your trip
• A trip plan: hotel bookings or an invitation from family or friends in Ireland
• Proof of funds: recent bank statements showing you can cover the trip
• Proof you will return: your UAE residence visa, Emirates ID and an employer letter or trade licence
• Travel medical insurance for your stay
• Any previous visa refusals, for any country, declared honestly

VFS publishes a checklist for each visa type. Use the current one, as the exact number of months of bank statements and residence validity it asks for can change.

Fees and processing time

The visa fee is €60 for a single entry, €100 for multiple entries and €25 for a transit visa. It is not refunded if you are refused. Nationals of some countries pay no fee, and Sri Lanka is one of them; Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian and Bangladeshi nationals pay the standard fee. VFS adds its own service charge.

Ireland does not publish a fixed processing time for applications from the UAE: it says waiting times vary by visa office and change over the year. Allow several weeks, and don't book non-refundable flights until your visa is granted.

No appeals since June 2026

Since 1 June 2026, you can no longer appeal the refusal of a short-stay visa. If you are refused, you make a fresh AVATS application, ideally addressing the reasons given in the refusal letter. It is worth getting your first application right.

Can I visit Ireland with a UK visa?

Sometimes. Two schemes link the UK and Irish visas:

• The Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme lets nationals of certain countries who already hold a UK visitor visa and have first entered the UK travel on to Ireland without an Irish visa, for up to 90 days or until their UK permission ends, whichever comes first. The list includes India and the Philippines, as well as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey and others. It does not include Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. The programme is due to run until 31 October 2026; check whether it has been extended before you rely on it.
• The British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) lets one visa cover both countries, but only for Indian nationals living in India and Chinese nationals living in China. Indian nationals applying from the UAE cannot use it.

A Schengen visa does not allow entry to Ireland. Ireland is outside the Schengen area, so Europe's new entry systems, EES and the coming ETIAS, do not apply to trips to Ireland either.

Flights from the UAE

Emirates flies twice a day non-stop from Dubai to Dublin, and Etihad twice a day from Abu Dhabi. The flight takes about eight hours westbound and seven and a half back. Times shift when Ireland changes its clocks, so check with the airline before you book.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for an Ireland visa from Dubai?

Complete the AVATS form online, print and sign the summary, then book an appointment at VFS Global in Dubai or Abu Dhabi to submit it with your passport, documents and fee.

How much is the Ireland visa fee?

€60 for a single-entry visa or €100 for multiple entry, plus the VFS service charge. Sri Lankan nationals are exempt from the visa fee. Fees are not refunded if you are refused.

How long does an Ireland visa take from the UAE?

Ireland does not publish a fixed time; it varies by visa office and season. Allow several weeks, and apply up to three months before you travel.

Can I visit Ireland with a UK visa?

Indian, Filipino and some other nationals who hold a UK visitor visa and enter the UK first can travel on to Ireland under the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme, due to end on 31 October 2026 unless extended. Pakistani, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals cannot.

Is a Schengen visa valid for Ireland?

No. Ireland is not in the Schengen area and needs its own visa.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Ireland?

No. UAE nationals can visit Ireland without a visa for up to 90 days, subject to the usual checks at the border.

Planning a trip to Ireland

Five days covers Dublin and a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher or Wicklow; ten days adds Galway, Connemara and Kerry by car. Ireland pairs well with London or Edinburgh, if your visas allow. See our visa services for help preparing your application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• UK visa from Dubai
• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• UK tour packages from Dubai
• Canada visa from Dubai

Last checked 8 October 2026 against the Irish Immigration Service (visa-required nationalities, fees, the 'C' visa guide and the June 2026 change to appeals), the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme and British-Irish Visa Scheme pages, VFS Global's Ireland pages for the UAE and the Emirates timetable. Visa rules and the waiver programme's end date change; this guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with VFS Global or the Embassy of Ireland in Abu Dhabi before you apply.