Ireland visit visa for Pakistan passport holders

Ireland runs its own visa system, separate from the UK and from the Schengen area. A Schengen visa, even a multiple-entry one, does not let a Pakistani passport holder enter Ireland. You need an Irish short stay 'C' visa, which Immigration Service Delivery (part of Ireland's Department of Justice) issues for visits of up to 90 days. It covers holidays and visits to family or friends who live in Ireland, but you cannot work, paid or unpaid, or use publicly funded services such as a public hospital.

The application has three parts. First you fill in the online form on AVATS, choosing 'Short Stay (C)' and the reason for travel, such as 'Visit Family/Friend'. Then you pay the fee: €60 for a single entry or €100 for multiple entries. Finally you post your passport and documents to the application office shown on your summary sheet, within 30 days of creating the online application. Every traveller needs a separate application, as Ireland has no family visas, and a parent or guardian applies for anyone under 18. Immigration Service Delivery suggests preparing about three months before you travel and advises against buying tickets before you have a decision.

Ireland is strict about paperwork. It accepts original documents on paper only, so photocopies, USB sticks and Dropbox links will not count, except where the guidance says a copy is fine. Letters from employers, universities or companies must be on headed paper with a full address, phone number, website and a named contact. They need a handwritten signature, and an email address from Yahoo or Hotmail is not accepted. Birth, marriage and other state certificates issued in Pakistan must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and any document not in English needs a certified translation.

Money is checked closely. Your bank statement must be original or certified by the bank, show your name, address and account number, and cover money in and out over the last six months. Explain any large deposits in writing. If a relative in Ireland is paying part of the cost, they write down what they will cover in euro and send their own bank statement, three recent payslips, their latest tax document and an employer letter, along with a copy of their Irish residence permit. You still include your own bank statement. To show you will come back, send your three latest payslips and a letter from your employer giving your leave dates, or a college letter if you are a student, plus property or family documents.

Be open about your history. Ireland requires you to declare any earlier visa refusal for any country, with the original refusal letter, and says it will refuse applications that hide one. False documents can lead to a refusal you cannot appeal and a ban on Irish visas for five years. Immigration Service Delivery says a decision usually comes about eight weeks after your documents arrive. The Dublin Visa Office publishes new decisions every Tuesday, and other offices give updates directly. There is no appeal for a short stay refusal. Instead you make a new application that deals with the reasons in your refusal letter. Even with a visa, the officer at border control decides whether you can enter and stamps the length of your stay, up to 90 days, so carry copies of your application documents.