Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2022
552. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Justice the provisions that are in place for the urgent return of passports in the case of persons (details supplied) when making a short stay business visa application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52938/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhen applying for a visa, an applicant must submit their current passport and this must be valid for at least 6 months after the date the applicant plans to leave Ireland. The visa office will also require a photocopy of each page from all previous passports where available. The application will be delayed if the applicant does not provide copies of all previous passports available.
As part of the application process, the visa office usually retains an applicant's passport for the duration of the application, as the visa office will place the visa sticker in the passport if the application is successful. However if an applicant wishes to have their passport returned while the process is ongoing, they may contact the visa office by email and request their passport be returned, including reasons why they would need it returned.
The Ankara Visa Office can be contacted at the following address:
visaankara@dfa.ie.
The visa office will contact the applicant when a decision has been made, asking them to return their passport if successful, so that the visa can be attached. The Deputy may wish to note that the current processing time for business visas in the Ankara Visa Office is just under 4 weeks.
