Ireland is one of the few countries where the official answer to "do I need a flight ticket for the visa?" is a clear no. The Irish Embassy in New Delhi says so in writing, and Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), the part of Ireland's Department of Justice that runs visas, tells applicants to wait for a decision before buying travel. That changes how you should build your file. Below we set out who needs the short-stay 'C' visa, what the official checklists list, what happens at Dublin Airport, and the narrow cases where a flight reservation still earns a place. Every rule links to an official page in the numbered sources at the end.
Ireland visit visa: key facts
| Question | Official answer |
|---|---|
| Visa type for a holiday | Short Stay 'C' visa, reason for travel "Visit Tourist", for stays of up to 90 days.[1][2] |
| Do Indian citizens need one? | Yes, unless they qualify under the British Irish Visa Scheme or the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme with a UK visitor visa.[5] |
| Flight booking | "Flight bookings are not required for an Irish visa." Booking before the decision is at your own risk.[4] |
| When to apply | Up to 3 months (90 days) before travel.[2][6] |
| Processing time | ISD: a decision within approximately 8 weeks of receipt. New Delhi, visit category: 6 to 8 weeks (update of 17 September 2026), counted in working days from receipt at the Embassy.[1][6] |
| Visa fee | €60 single entry, €100 multiple entry; in India ₹5,300 and ₹9,000, plus VFS service charges. Not refunded on refusal.[3][5] |
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months after the date you plan to leave Ireland.[1] |
| Insurance | Not needed with the application in New Delhi; required once the visa is approved, and you must be able to show it on arrival.[1][7] |
Who needs an Irish visit visa?
It depends on the nationality printed in your passport. ISD keeps the list of visa-required and non-visa-required nationalities, and anyone on the visa-required list must get a visa before travelling for a stay of under 90 days.[2] Indian passport holders are on that list. So are many other nationalities in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East; check the ISD list rather than relying on a friend's experience.
There are two ways round it for some Indian travellers who also visit Britain:
- British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS). Indian nationals living in India can hold one visa, endorsed "BIVS", for both countries. You must enter the country that issued the visa first.[9]
- Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme. If you hold an eligible UK short-stay visa and have already landed in the UK on it, you can travel on to Ireland within your remaining UK leave without a separate Irish visa.[2]
The Embassy in New Delhi adds a catch that trips people up: neither scheme is open to Indian nationals who live in the UK, even if they hold visitor visas. They only cover people who arrive in Britain as short-stay visitors.[5] Ireland also does not issue family visas or e-visas, so each traveller, including every child, needs a separate application.[1]
What does Ireland say about flight tickets?
Three official statements, read together, settle this:
- Embassy of Ireland, New Delhi: "Flight bookings are not required for an Irish visa." It adds that anyone who books a flight before receiving the visa does so at their own risk.[4] The processing-times page repeats the point.[6]
- Immigration Service Delivery: in its trip-planning guidance, "Wait for approval before you buy any travel tickets." Later on the same page it advises against purchasing tickets before you know the outcome.[1]
- New Delhi checklist (April 2026): under Tourism it lists a hotel reservation, a "Travel itinerary", an application letter and evidence of obligations to return home. No flight booking appears.[7]
So the travel itinerary is something you write: your dates, where you sleep each night, how you move around. ISD's own list of required documents asks for a "holiday or vacation plan" with printed accommodation confirmations, and an application letter giving the dates you plan to arrive and leave.[1] None of that needs an airline booking behind it.
Straight answer: if you are applying for an Irish tourist visa from India, you can leave the flight booking out entirely and lose nothing. Never buy a non-refundable fare before the decision. Ireland is telling you, in plain words, not to.
Is there any point adding a flight reservation?
Sometimes, yes, but treat it as optional supporting evidence, not a requirement. We'd consider one in three situations:
- Your route touches another country. ISD asks for a letter describing your travel plan to and from Ireland if you arrive from, or continue to, a country other than your home country, and whether you need visas there.[1] A reservation showing, say, Mumbai to Dublin, then Dublin to Paris, makes that letter easy to follow.
- You are using BIVS. You must show Ireland is your primary destination and enter Ireland first.[9] A routing that lands in Dublin first supports what your letter says.
- You simply want your dates pinned down. Some applicants find it easier to write the itinerary once they have a real flight schedule, with actual arrival times, in front of them.
If you include one, call it what it is in your letter: a "flight reservation" or "proposed flights", never a ticket. And keep the dates identical to your application form, hotel bookings and leave letter. A reservation that contradicts the rest of the file does more harm than leaving it out.
Which documents do you actually need?
This table puts the main items side by side, with what the official pages say and our practical view. It is based on ISD's required-documents list and the New Delhi checklist.
| Document | Required? | Official wording, in short | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight booking or ticket | No | Not required; booking before the decision is at your own risk[4] | Optional. Never buy a fixed fare first. |
| Travel itinerary / holiday plan | Yes | A written plan with where you will stay[1][7] | Day by day, matching your hotel dates. |
| Accommodation | Yes | Reservation confirmations showing the dates at each place; New Delhi asks whether it has been paid[1][7] | Free-cancellation bookings are fine; state honestly whether paid. |
| Application letter | Yes | Reason, arrival and departure dates, places, who pays, a promise to leave[1] | Signed, dated, one or two pages. |
| Bank statements | Yes | Six months of transactions, on bank letterhead or bank-certified[1] | Explain any large recent deposits. |
| Employment evidence | Yes, if employed | Three recent payslips and an employer letter with leave and return dates[1] | New Delhi wants the letter dated within four weeks.[7] |
| Travel or medical insurance | After approval | Must be held on arrival; the officer may ask for it earlier[1] | Buy it once the visa is granted. |
| Previous refusals | Yes, if any | Undisclosed refusals lead to refusal[1] | Always declare, with the original letter. |
Two details catch Indian applicants out. First, ISD wants documents in original form, and letters from organisations on headed paper with a landline number and a non-Yahoo, non-Hotmail email address.[1] Second, in New Delhi the employment letter and salary certificate must be dated within the four weeks before you apply.[7] Get these from your HR team early.
How to write the travel itinerary
Write it as a simple table or list: date, town, where you sleep, what you plan to do, and how you get to the next place. That is all the officer needs to see that your trip makes sense and your money covers it.
Here's an example. Say you land in Dublin on 12 May and fly home on 22 May. Your plan might read: 12 to 15 May, Dublin, hotel near Temple Bar; 15 to 18 May, Galway by train, B&B in the city; 18 to 20 May, day trips to the Cliffs of Moher and Connemara by coach; 20 to 22 May, back to Dublin, same hotel; 22 May, depart Dublin. Each night lines up with a hotel confirmation. The arrival and departure days match the letter and the AVATS form. Nothing else is needed.
If you do choose to add a reservation, use the same 12 May and 22 May dates. If you don't, write "flights to be purchased after visa decision" in your letter. That sentence reflects exactly what the Irish authorities advise.
How to apply from India, step by step
- Fill in the AVATS form online. Choose Short Stay (C), single or multiple entry, and "Visit Tourist" as the reason.[2] Print, sign and date the summary form it produces.
- Book a VFS appointment at your local visa application centre and pay the fee there: ₹5,300 for single entry or ₹9,000 for multiple entry, plus VFS charges.[5]
- Give biometrics. Residents of India aged five or over provide them at the centre unless exempt.[5]
- Hand over your documents in checklist order. VFS scans the originals and returns them; your passport is kept by the Embassy until the decision.[4][5]
- Wait for the decision. Files lodged in Delhi reach the Embassy the next working day; other centres take two.[6] The Embassy publishes decision lists, and your passport comes back through VFS.
- Once approved, buy your real ticket and your travel insurance, then travel within the dates printed on the visa.
Applicants in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka also apply to the Embassy in New Delhi, through slightly different channels: posting to the Embassy from Bangladesh, VFS Kathmandu in Nepal, and the Honorary Consulate in Colombo for Sri Lanka.[5]
Processing times and the best moment to apply
Apply as early as the rules let you. ISD lets you lodge an application as much as three months ahead of travel, and recommends that lead time.[1][2] The New Delhi visit category was running at 6 to 8 weeks in the September 2026 update, and that clock only starts when your file reaches the Embassy. It excludes weekends, Embassy closures, the wait for a VFS slot and the courier home.[6]
Visa validity is the other reason not to fix flights early. A short-stay visa normally runs for 90 days from the date it is granted, sometimes less, and you can only present it at the border within those dates.[2] If the decision comes late, a ticket bought months ahead could fall outside the window. Our honest advice: apply about 90 days out, plan on roughly two months for the decision, and buy flights only when the visa is in your hand.
What happens at Dublin Airport?
A visa lets you travel to Ireland. It does not give you the right to enter. An immigration officer at the airport decides, and can refuse entry even to a visa holder.[1][8]
At a minimum you need your passport, your visa and your boarding card. ISD lists other useful documents: a travel itinerary, proof of funds, health insurance covering your stay, accommodation details, and invitation letters.[8] Carry copies of what you submitted with the application; ISD suggests it.[1] By the time you fly, your "travel itinerary" will naturally include the real return ticket you bought after approval.
If you're admitted, the officer stamps your passport with the date you must leave, up to a maximum of three months.[8] Ireland does not stamp passports on exit, but staying past that date is unlawful.[1] If you are refused, you're returned to where you flew from.[8]
Careful with Northern Ireland: an ordinary Irish visa does not let you cross into Northern Ireland or anywhere in the UK. Only a BIVS-endorsed visa does that, or a valid UK visa.[2] Plan your route accordingly.
Visiting Ireland and the UK on one trip
This is the one Irish case where a clear flight plan does real work. With a BIVS-endorsed Irish visa, you must enter Ireland first. On a single-entry BIVS visa you can move between Ireland and the UK several times on that one journey, and leave from either country.[9] When applying, you must show Ireland is your main destination.[9]
So a sensible file for, say, ten nights in Ireland and four in London would show Delhi to Dublin, Dublin to London, and London to Delhi. The application letter explains it and the hotels back it up. A reservation can sit behind that letter so the officer sees the sequence is real. It still isn't required, and you still shouldn't pay for the flights until the decision. For the UK side of the trip, read our UK visa flight booking guide.
Mistakes that weaken Irish applications
- Buying a non-refundable ticket to "look serious". It doesn't help, and Ireland says so.
- Hiding a previous refusal from any country. ISD states this will lead to refusal.[1]
- Uncertified internet bank statements. They must be stamped or certified by your bank.[1]
- Dates that drift between the AVATS form, letter, hotel and itinerary.
- Sending extra papers later. New Delhi will not accept post-submission documents unless a visa officer asks for them.[4]
- Any false or misleading document. ISD warns this can mean refusal and, in some cases, a five-year bar.[1]
Where our reservation fits for Ireland
We'll be direct, because the official guidance is direct. For most Irish tourist visa files, you do not need anything from us. If your trip involves the UK, a third country, or you want your itinerary anchored to real flights, our reservation is a low-cost way to show a route without buying it. Your name sits on it, under a live PNR the airline's "Manage booking" page will display. Nobody can fly on it, because nothing has been paid.
That price covers one passenger, whether the route is one way or return; a multi-city routing such as Delhi, Dublin, London, Delhi costs one fee for each pair of legs (details on the price page). Expect the PDF in your inbox roughly 10 minutes after paying; Razorpay handles UPI, cards and netbanking. Before checkout you'll see the hold period for your route, which is why we suggest ordering a day or two ahead of the VFS slot. Check it with our PNR verification guide, and follow progress on the order tracking page.
Accommodation proof is covered on our hotel bookings page. For broader context, our pages on flight reservations for visas and requirements by country compare Ireland with its neighbours, and the Schengen visa guide covers the continental side of a Europe trip. Ready to book? Go to the booking page or start from our home page.
Routing through the UK or Europe?
A reservation with a live PNR shows the sequence without buying fares. ₹699 / $9 per passenger.
The Irish authorities decide every visa and every entry. A reservation, or any other document, cannot make that decision for them.
Questions people ask about the Irish visit visa
Is a flight ticket needed for an Irish tourist visa?
No. The Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi states that flight bookings are not required for an Irish visa, and that booking before you receive the visa is at your own risk. Immigration Service Delivery also advises waiting for the decision before buying tickets. Submit a written travel itinerary, hotel confirmations, funds and ties-to-home evidence instead.
Will a flight reservation help my Irish visa application?
Only in specific cases. If your trip also covers the UK or another country, ISD asks you to explain your onward and inbound travel, and a reservation can make that routing clear. For a simple return trip from India, it adds little. Never describe a reservation as a ticket, and keep its dates identical to your application.
How long does an Irish visit visa take from India?
The Embassy in New Delhi listed 6 to 8 weeks for visit visas in its September 2026 update, counted in working days from when your file arrives at the Embassy. VFS appointment waits and courier time come on top. ISD's general guide says around 8 weeks. Apply up to 90 days before you travel.
How much is the Ireland visa fee in India?
The Embassy lists ₹5,300 for a single-entry visa and ₹9,000 for multiple entry, paid to VFS when booking, plus VFS service charges. In euros, ISD sets the fee at €60 single and €100 multiple. The fee is not refunded if you withdraw or are refused.
Do I need travel insurance before applying?
Not in New Delhi. Its checklist says travel and medical insurance is only required once the visa is approved. ISD adds that a visa officer may ask for it before deciding, and that you must have it when you arrive and show it to the immigration officer on request. Buy cover for the whole stay after approval.
Can I visit Northern Ireland on an Irish visa?
Not on an ordinary one. An Irish short-stay visa does not let a UK visa-required person enter any part of the UK. Indian nationals living in India can ask for a BIVS-endorsed visa, which covers both, provided they enter Ireland first and Ireland is the main destination. Otherwise you need a separate UK visa.
Can I use my UK visa to visit Ireland?
Possibly. Under the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme, Indian and other listed nationals with an eligible UK short-stay visa can visit Ireland without an Irish visa, provided they have first landed in the UK on that visa and their Irish visit ends before their UK leave runs out. Indians living in the UK cannot use it.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- Immigration Service Delivery (Ireland), How to apply for a short stay ‘C’ visit (tourist) visa.
- Immigration Service Delivery, Coming to visit Ireland: frequently asked questions.
- Immigration Service Delivery, Preclearance and entry visas fees.
- Embassy of Ireland, India, Visa types and visa documentation.
- Embassy of Ireland, India, Visas for Ireland (how to apply from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka).
- Embassy of Ireland, India, Processing times, decisions and appeals (update of 17 September 2026).
- Embassy of Ireland, New Delhi, NDVO VAC checklist (PDF, April 2026; version date 26.03.2026).
- Immigration Service Delivery, Entry for non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss and non-UK nationals.
- Immigration Service Delivery, British Irish Visa Scheme.
Related: flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · how to verify a PNR.