The granting of an Irish visa is, in effect, only a form of pre-entry clearance. It does not grant permission to enter Ireland and Immigration Officers have the authority to grant or deny admission. Visa holders are subject to normal immigration control at the point of entry and should always carry with them the originals or copies of the documents submitted with their visa applications for possible inspection by Immigration Officers.

Furthermore, a visa does not grant permission to remain in Ireland. The date of validity shown on the visa indicates only the date before which it must be presented to an Immigration Officer. The length of stay is decided by an Immigration Officer at the port of entry.

A visa holder who remains in Ireland longer than the permitted period and/or who submits false or misleading information in support of his/her application may become liable for prosecution and/or subject to deportation.

The granting of a visa is not a mere formality. As a result, the Embassy will not be held responsible for any cancelled or unused travel tickets in the event of a visa application not being processed by an applicant's intended date of travel or where an application has been rejected by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. As a result, we advise all visa applicants NOT to purchase or book travel tickets until their visa application has been approved, issued and received.