Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 February 2013
266. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a breakdown by country of the number of holiday visas applied for to visit here in 2012; and the number that were successful. [7801/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2012, over 88,000 visa applications for travel to Ireland were processed, of which 91% were approved. Of that total, around 39,700 applications (49%) were for "Visit Visas", which include short-term visas for those who wish to visit family/friends as well as those who wish to visit as independent holiday makers. Just under 35,000 of these (88%) were granted. It is important to note that the grant rate for Visit Visas from prime growth tourist markets, i.e. the seventeen countries covered by the Irish Short Stay Visa Waiver programme, is significantly higher at 96.5% (approximately 21,800 visas granted from around 22,600 applications). Central Statistics Office figures for the first half of 2012 (latest available figures) show that, in total, 43,681 trips to Ireland were made by nationals of these countries. The total number of all types of visas issued to those nationals in the same period was 27,000 indicating that over 16,000 visitors availed of the Visa Waiver Programme in that time.
The detailed breakdown of these visa applications is currently being processed but I can inform the Deputy that rounded figures for the countries with the top ten highest number of Visit Visa applications are as follows:
|
Country |
No. of applications |
No. approved |
Approval rate |
|
Russia |
6500 |
6370 |
98% |
|
India |
5300 |
5050 |
95% |
|
Nigeria |
4300 |
2900 |
68% |
|
China |
3400 |
3250 |
95% |
|
Philippines |
2075 |
1650 |
79% |
|
Saudi Arabia |
1630 |
1625 |
almost 100% |
|
Pakistan |
1600 |
1040 |
65% |
|
Turkey |
1450 |
1400 |
97% |
|
Ukraine |
1200 |
1070 |
90% |
|
Thailand |
950 |
850 |
90% |
