Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 September 2022
442. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to calls from an organisation (details supplied) to introduce a five-year visa to allow former Irish residents whose family still reside in Ireland to return to Ireland for regular family visits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44782/22]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that on 22 April 2022, I announced the extension of the 5-year multi entry short-stay visa option to all visa-required countries.
The availability of 5-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.’
Prior to this announcement, Ireland offered 1 year, 2 year and 3 year multi-entry visas, with the option of a 5 year multi-entry visa only available to Chinese passport holders (introduced in 2019). This eligibility has now been extended to all visa required countries.
In general, multi entry visas are only issued to an applicant who has shown a compliant Irish travel history. 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 the option of 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. A multi entry visa permits the holder to travel to Ireland on a number of occasions during the dates shown on the visa. The standard single entry visa option also remains available.
