Tier 5 Visa: Travel To Ireland From The Uk

If you are a UK citizen, you do not need a visa to travel to Ireland. However, if you are a UK visa holder, you may or may not need an Irish visa depending on your nationality and the type of UK visa you hold. Under the British-Irish Visa Scheme, Chinese and Indian nationals with certain UK short-stay visas can travel to Ireland without a separate Irish visa. This scheme also works in the opposite direction, allowing Chinese and Indian nationals with certain Irish short-stay visas to travel to the UK without a separate UK visa.

British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS)

The British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) allows eligible individuals to travel to and within the Common Travel Area (CTA)—Ireland and the United Kingdom (excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands)—using a single visa for short stays only. The visa must be endorsed with the letters 'BIVS' by a visa officer, and there is no appeal against a decision not to endorse a visa with 'BIVS'.

Currently, the scheme only applies to Chinese and Indian nationals living in China (including Hong Kong and Macau) or India at the time of application. Eligible visas include:

• Permitted Paid Engagement visas
• All standard visitor categories where the maximum period for a single visit is six months (except 'visitor in transit' and 'visitor for marriage or civil partnership')
• Irish 'visit (family/friend)' visas

Under the BIVS, individuals must first travel to the country that issued the visa. For instance, if you have an Irish short-stay visa and plan to visit the UK, you must go to Ireland first. With a British visitor visa, you must first enter the UK.

A single-entry 'BIVS' endorsed visa permits a single entry to the CTA, but you may travel between Ireland and the UK multiple times during your stay. The maximum permitted stay in Ireland is up to 90 days or until the end of the UK permission, whichever is shorter. An immigration officer determines the duration.

The BIVS does not guarantee entry into Ireland, and if you arrive via the border with Northern Ireland, you must report to an Immigration Officer within 30 days (or within 7 days if for business or employment).

Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme

The Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme allows citizens of certain countries who have a short-term UK visa to enter Ireland without needing a separate Irish visa. This programme is part of the Common Travel Area rules, which allow British nationals to visit and remain in Ireland indefinitely without a visa or residency permit.

The countries included in the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme are:

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• India
• China

Citizens of these countries can travel to Ireland and the UK using eligible UK visitor visas, including:

• All standard visitor categories with a maximum period for a single visit of six months
• Permitted Paid Engagement visas

However, unaccompanied children and those with standard visitor visas exceeding six months are not eligible.

To be eligible for the programme, applicants for Irish short-stay visas must apply at a UK/Irish visa application centre in India or China. Applications cannot be made from other countries during the first phase of the scheme. It's important to note that the scheme currently only applies to Indian and Chinese nationals.

Under the programme, eligible visa holders must first travel to the country that issued the visa. For example, if you have an Irish short-stay visa and want to visit the UK, you must go to Ireland first. If you have a British visitor visa and want to visit Ireland, you must go to the UK first.

Additional Information

While British nationals do not need a visa to enter Ireland, they may still be asked to provide proof of their nationality by Irish immigration officers or when using ferries and airlines. It is recommended to carry a passport for this reason.

Exempted countries

Citizens of certain countries are exempted from requiring a visa to enter Ireland. These include citizens of the UK, Switzerland, or a country in the European Economic Area (EEA)—which includes the EU, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Nationals of the following countries are also exempted:

• Hong Kong
• Macau
• Swaziland (Eswatini)
• United Arab Emirates
• United States of America
• Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

Additionally, citizens of Ukraine do not need a visa to travel to Ireland.

For holders of a UK visa, there are further exemptions. Under the British-Irish Visa Scheme, Chinese and Indian nationals with certain UK short-stay visas can travel to Ireland without a separate Irish visa. This scheme also works in the opposite direction, allowing eligible Chinese and Indian nationals with certain Irish short-stay visas to travel to the UK without a separate UK visa.

Other Visa Options

For those who do not qualify for the exemptions mentioned above, there may be other options for visa-free travel to Ireland. These include:

• Holding a residence card issued by an EEA country or Switzerland due to being a family member of an EEA or Swiss citizen living outside of the EEA/Swiss family member's home country.
• Holding a UK short-stay visa and qualifying for the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme or the British-Irish Visa Scheme.
• Being a school student from an EU/EEA country travelling as part of a school trip and having the school principal complete an application form to be presented to immigration upon arrival.

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

The island of Ireland is divided into two: the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Ireland in the north. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, while the Republic of Ireland is an independent country.

If you have a UK Tier 5 visa, you can travel to Northern Ireland without needing an additional visa. This is because Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so you are not leaving the country or entering a new one.

However, if you want to travel to the Republic of Ireland with a UK Tier 5 visa, it depends on the type of Tier 5 visa you hold. If you have a short-stay UK Tier 5 visa, you may be eligible for the Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme, which allows you to travel to the Republic of Ireland for less than 90 days without needing a separate Irish visa. This programme is only available to citizens of certain countries, including India and China.

If you have a long-stay UK Tier 5 visa, you will need to apply for a separate Irish visa to enter the Republic of Ireland. This is because UK visas and leave to enter or remain in the UK are not valid for the Republic of Ireland, as it is a separate country with its own visa requirements.

It is important to note that there is a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, known as a 'soft border'. If you are from the UK or EU, you can cross this border by showing your ID. However, if you are from another country, you will need to present your passport and Irish visa at the border.

Additionally, if you are a student in the UK with a Tier 5 visa, you can travel to Northern Ireland but not the Republic of Ireland without a separate Irish visa.

Student visa travel restrictions

The Tier 5 visa category is for migrants who want to work in the UK for a limited period. There are two types of visas under Tier 5: the Youth Mobility Scheme and Temporary Workers, which is further divided into several subcategories.

Tier 5 visa holders are allowed to bring their dependants, usually their partner or children under 18, to the UK. Dependants must apply at the same time as the primary applicant and pay the healthcare surcharge.

There are no explicit travel restrictions for Tier 5 visa holders. However, the visa is specifically for those who want to work in the UK, and there are time limits on how long a person can stay in the UK on this visa. The amount of time a person can stay depends on the length of their visa and the start and end dates of their job. Depending on the scheme, a person can get a visa for a maximum of 12 or 24 months. They can enter the UK up to 14 days before the date their job starts and stay for up to 14 days after it ends, as long as they do not overstay the end date on their visa.

Regarding travel to Ireland, the British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) allows Chinese and Indian nationals with certain UK short-stay visas to travel to Ireland without a separate Irish visa. Under this scheme, a person with a UK visitor visa can travel to Ireland and vice versa. However, they must first travel to the country that issued their visa. For example, if a person has an Irish short-stay visa and wants to visit the UK, they must go to Ireland first.

It is important to note that the BIVS only applies to Chinese and Indian nationals at this time. For other nationalities, a separate visa may be required to travel to Ireland, even if they do not need a visa for the UK.

Frequently asked questions