Ireland’s Ministry of Justice has decided to give travellers from all countries under its visa regime the option to apply for short-term, multiple-entry visas with a validity of up to five years.
Until now, Ireland has issued short-term, multiple-entry visas valid for one year, two years, and three years. The only exception to the previous rule was that, since 2019, Chinese passport holders could obtain such visas valid for five years.
The extension was announced last week by the country’s Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, who said it is a positive development, especially for people who visit Ireland often for business or family reasons. “This will make travelling to Ireland a more convenient and attractive option at a time when travel worldwide is resuming and our tourism industry, in particular, is reopening following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Minister said.
Until now, Ireland only issued multi-entry visas to applicants with a “compliant Irish travel history.” Under the new program, however, applicants who have frequent travel to the UK, Schengen zone, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, and who have honored the conditions of those, may also apply for a multi-year visa (of any duration from 1 to 5 years), even if they have no previous Irish travel history. A multi-entry visa may also be approved for some business travellers, under certain conditions, who have no previous travel history to Ireland.
The Ministry also noted that the standard single-entry visa option also remains available. The fee for a single entry visa is €60, while the fee for a multiple-entry visa is €100.
Sources:
Ireland Department of Justice
Schengen Visa Info News
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