The Irish Visa Office in Abu Dhabi is based at the Embassy of Ireland, Abu Dhabi, UAE. This office is now responsible for processing applications from nationals or residents of Oman. The Visa Office in Abu Dhabi can only accept visa applications which have been made on line. If you have any queries relating to the visa application process you can call the Visa Office directly. Otherwise please proceed as per the instructions below to launch an on-line application.

Applicants are reminded that completing the on-line application form is only the first step in the visa application process. An application can only be processed when the on-line form is completed AND the required backing documentation, passport photograph and appropriate fee is received by the Visa Office.

It is no longer possible to apply using a downloaded/paper application form.

INFORMATION NOTE TO ASSIST APPLICANTS

An information note has been prepared to assist applicants. This is available in English, and also in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Turkish and Urdu.

To launch an on-line application please click here .

MINIMUM DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED WITH ALL VISA APPLICATIONS

·         Your application form should be FULLY completed. No question should be left blank.

·         You must sign the form yourself – nobody can sign it on your behalf (except in the case of a child under 18, where the parent(s) may sign on behalf of the child).

·         UNSIGNED APPLICATIONS, OR APPLICATIONS ACCOMPANIED BY UNSIGNED PASSPORTS, WILL BE REFUSED

·         Where a child under the age of 18 is travelling alone, the consent of both parents/guardians is required. If the child is travelling with one parent, the consent of the other parent is required. Where only one parent has total custody and access rights, official evidence of this must be provided.

·         All documents submitted should be in English or, where the original document is in another language, the original document should be submitted along with a notarised translation of same.

·         At the time of your visa application you must possess a passport which is valid for 6 months after the date you propose to leave Ireland. Applications submitted without such a passport cannot be considered.

·         For applications for long-term stays such as employment, study, or joining your spouse, it is advisable that your passport should be valid for at least 12 months. If you are permitted to remain in Ireland for more than 3 months you must register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau. The charge for registration is €100 each time. You will not be registered beyond the date of expiry of your passport. It is therefore in your own interest to have a passport which is valid for at least 12 months.

·         If your passport is relatively new, it may assist your application if you provide your former passport showing previous visas for any other country and your travel history.  

·         All visa applicants must be able to show evidence that they can support themselves for the duration of their stay in Ireland.

·         A detailed bank statement should be submitted, clearly naming the account holder and showing bank contact details.  The statement should cover the immediate 6 month period prior to submitting a visa, and show sufficient funds to cover the proposed travel. Lump sum lodgements made in the run up to the application being made are not taken into consideration when assessing a person’s ability to support themselves.  If you are not the account holder, then the application should include a letter from the account holder confirming their sponsorship of your visit.

·         For all categories of visa applications it will be necessary to include details of any other family members in Ireland, or any other EU State, at the time of the application.

·         Details of any previous visa applications for Ireland made by you MUST be given

·         If you have been refused a visa for any other country, details of this, preferably the original letter issued to you by the authorities of that country, should be submitted. Concealment of any other visa refusals will result in your Irish visa application being refused.

SUBMITTING YOUR DOCUMENTATION AND VISA FEES

You should submit your visa application to the Consulate in Manama. Please telephone the Consulate in advance of travel to check the office working times.

 The contact details of the Consulate are: 

Honorary Consulate of Ireland
Banz Group Head Office P.O. Box 2244
Juffair Manama
Kingdom of Bahrain

Telephone:  + 973-177-28146

Fax:  + 973-177-29403

Email: irishconsulate@batelco.com.bh 

When you have completed the on line application and have all of the accompanying papers you can lodge the application with the Honorary Consul in Manama. The Honorary Consul will send your papers to the Embassy in the UAE on your behalf, having undertaken an initial examination of all the papers. All visa applications submitted to the Honorary Consulate are sent to the Irish Visa Office based at the Embassy of Ireland in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for processing. The actual decision on your visa will be made in the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

You will be contacted by the Consulate when a decision has been made on your application. All decisions following assessment will be provided to the Consulate in Muscat as required for onward posting or collection of the visa.

If you are unable to submit the application to the Consulate in Manama and wish to send your application directly by courier to the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi you will have to arrange to pay the visa fees directly to the Visa Office’s bank account. The method of payment will be by bank transfer and evidence of transfer of the payment will be required to be provided with your papers to be sent by courier or alternative secure mail to the Embassy of Ireland Abu Dhabi. The fee for processing your visa application will be 360 AED for a single entry visa. In circumstances where a multiple entry visa may be granted the fee will be 600 AED.  A transit visa will cost 25 euros.  You can pay the fee in your local currency at the relevant AED exchange rates. You should refer to www.inis.gov.ie for information as to when a multiple entry visa may be granted. The details can be found on the site at the section dealing with visa fees. This section of the site also provides details as to when a fee may not be required.

The visa fees mentioned above must be paid in full – depending on the visa being sought. These fees are required to undertake an examination of the application. Any commission charges payable to your bank or the receiving bank in Abu Dhabi cannot be deducted from the visa fee.  If there are charges from the sending and receiving bank you must provide sufficient funds to cover these costs. You should check these costs with your bank and cover the cost of the sending and receiving bank. It will not be possible to examine applications where the correct fee has not been provided. Deductions cannot be made from the visa fee amount for commission charges of the banks.

When submitting your application as mentioned earlier you must enclose a confirmation of payment. When making the payment to the bank you should also indicate your name or your AVATS reference number on the lodgement slip. This is to ensure we are easily able to match your application to the fees received in our bank account. Only when you have checked the requirements for the visa you are seeking and have all of the necessary papers should you send the application for assessment. APPLICATIONS RECEIVED WITHOUT A RECEIPT OF PAYMENT WILL BE DELAYED UNTIL THE VISA OFFICE HAS EVIDENCE OF THE FEES HAVING BEEN PAID FOR THAT APPLICATION TO THE BANK A/C.

The bank account details are as follows:

Name of holder: Embassy of Ireland, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Account number: 6202417770
Bank: National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Main Branch, Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Swiftcode: NBADAEAA
IBAN No:  AE220350000006202417770 

PROCESSING TIMES

IMPORTANT: Regardless of indicative processing times below you ‘should’ always apply for your visa well in advance and allow at least 2-3  weeks for your application to be processed.

Provided that all the required documents have been supplied and are in order, applications for short stay ‘C’ visas will be processed within 1-5 working days from the time the application is received by the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi.  In other cases, and particularly if you do not have any previous visas, you should apply for your visa well in advance and allow up to 7 working days from the time the application is received by the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi for your application to be processed.

 Long stay visas (D Visas) such as Study, Employment, Join Spouse/Parent of Irish National and Join Spouse/Parent of EEA National and EU Treaty Rights visas will be processed generally within 15 working days from date of receipt of the application by the Irish Visa Office. 

Incomplete applications will result in a delay. The onus is on the applicant to supply the required documentation and to satisfy the visa officer that a visa may be granted. Please note that these are indicative processing times only. Processing may take longer at certain times of the year or depending on the complexity of the application.

How will I be notified when a decision is made?

You will be contacted either by the Honorary Consulate in Muscat or by the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi when a decision has been made on your application or if further clarification or documentation is required. 

If my application has been turned down, how do I appeal the decision?

If you are refused a visa you may appeal this decision in writing only to the Visa Appeals Officer at:

Visa Appeals Office
Embassy of Ireland
1 and 2 Khalifa Al Suwaidi Development
19th (off 32nd Street)
Al Bateen
P.O. Box 61581
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

Any further information or additional documentation which you wish to have taken into account should be sent for the attention of the Visa Appeals Officer. Provision of such additional documentation will be considered but does not guarantee approval of the application. The visa reference number must be quoted on all future correspondence along with your name and nationality.

How do I lodge an appeal?

Appeals must be in written form and posted to the Visa Appeals Officer at the above address. Faxed or emailed appeals will not be considered. No appeal will be allowed if you are found to have given false or misleading information in any part of your application.

Is there a time limit?

Yes, you should submit your appeal within 2 months of the refusal date.

How much does it cost?

There is no charge for an appeal against refusal of a visa.

What happens when I make my appeal?

On receipt of the appeal the Appeals Officer will review the application again, taking account of any further comments you have made in the grounds of appeal and of any supporting documentation. On examination and review the original decision may be reversed. If the Appeals Officer does not alter the decision, you will be notified in writing.

How long will my appeal take?

4-6 weeks from receipt of appeal.

You should submit your appeal by courier or in person ‘directly’ to the Abu Dhabi Visa office and ‘not’ to the Consulate or Embassy in your country. If you do submit your appeal to a consulate or Embassy you may be asked to pay the full courier costs and/or any administrative charges associated with sending the appeal. The Embassy or Consulate will not be responsible for the cost or delivery of your appeal papers to the Abu Dhabi Visa Office. Neither will they offer you any assistance with regard what documents or information you should send with an appeal to Abu Dhabi. You should follow the procedures on this website on how to submit your appeal to the Abu Dhabi Visa Office.