Helen McEntee

Up to now, Ireland has offered one-year, two-year and three-year multi-entry visas, with the option of a five-year multi-entry visa only available to Chinese passport holders since 2019. This eligibility has now been extended to all visa-required countries.

Mrs McEntee said: “The availability of five-year multi-entry short-stay visas to eligible applicants from all visa-required countries is a very positive measure. It will enable people who visit Ireland regularly, for business or family reasons in particular, to make one application, which when granted, will then cover travel over a five-year period.

“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.”

In general, multi-entry visas are only issued to an applicant who has shown a compliant Irish travel history. However, people who have frequent travel to the UK, Schengen zone, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, and have observed the conditions of those visas, will also be able to apply for a multi-year visa 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.