Ireland Names 16 Countries Exempt From Visa Fees
Ireland has published the names of 16 countries whose citizens are exempt from paying visa application fees, but the exemption does not mean those travellers can enter the country without a visa.
Ireland’s Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), under the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, lists the nationalities that qualify for visa-fee exemptions on its official immigration website.
The development means eligible nationals can apply for an Irish visa without paying the standard application fee, although they must still meet the relevant immigration requirements.
For travellers from countries that require an Irish visa, the normal fees are €60 for a single-entry visa, €100 for a multiple-entry visa and €25 for a transit visa.
16 countries exempt from Ireland visa fees
According to the Irish immigration authorities, citizens of the following countries are exempt from paying the visa fee:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Ecuador
- Indonesia
- Jamaica
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- North Macedonia
- Peru
- Serbia
- Sri Lanka
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
The list covers countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
What the Ireland visa fee exemption means
The exemption applies to the visa fee, not necessarily the visa requirement itself.
This means a citizen of one of the 16 countries may still need to submit a visa application before travelling to Ireland, depending on the purpose of the trip and the person’s circumstances.
The Irish immigration authority separately states that visa-required nationals must obtain a visa before travelling to Ireland for a short stay, unless they fall under an applicable exemption or visa-waiver arrangement.
Applicants may also have to pay other charges connected with submitting their documents. The Irish immigration service warns that the visa fee itself is an administrative charge and that additional charges, such as those relating to document submission, may apply.
Nigeria is not on Ireland’s 16-country list
Nigeria is not included among the 16 nationalities currently listed for the visa-fee exemption.
This means Nigerian applicants should not assume that the announcement removes the Irish visa application fee for them.
Nigerian travellers should also distinguish the fee exemption from Ireland’s separate visa-waiver arrangements, which cover certain nationalities and specific circumstances.
Ireland’s Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme, for example, allows nationals of certain countries who hold eligible UK short-stay visas to travel to Ireland for short visits without obtaining a separate Irish visa, subject to the programme’s conditions. Nigeria is not among the countries listed under that programme.
Other people who may qualify for a visa-fee exemption
The 16 nationalities are not the only people who can qualify for an Irish visa-fee exemption.
Ireland also lists certain family members of Irish citizens, qualifying family members of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens under the Free Movement Directive, some long-term UK residents from countries covered by Ireland’s Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme, holders of diplomatic, service or official passports travelling in an official capacity, and programme refugees among categories that may be exempt.
Applicants in these categories may need to provide documents proving that they qualify for the exemption.
The Irish immigration authority specifically warns applicants to make sure they are genuinely exempt before selecting the fee-exemption option. Incorrectly claiming an exemption when a fee should have been paid can result in the application being withdrawn and a new application being required.
Ireland visa fees remain in place for other applicants
For applicants who do not qualify for an exemption, Ireland’s published visa fees remain €60 for a single-entry visa, €100 for a multiple-entry visa and €25 for a transit visa.
The fee is an administrative charge for processing the application and is generally not refundable if an application is refused or withdrawn.
Applicants are therefore advised to check their eligibility and the specific requirements for their travel category before submitting an application.
For Nigerians planning to travel to Ireland, the 16-country announcement does not create a new visa-free route or a fee waiver.