A dummy ticket for an Ireland visa is optional. The Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi states: "Flight bookings are not required for a visa." Indian applicants need the short-stay "C" visa, which costs EUR 60 single entry or EUR 100 multiple entry (INR 5,300 or INR 9,000 at the Embassy, September 2026). You apply on AVATS, then at a VFS Global centre.
- The Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi says flight bookings are not required for a visa.
- Irish immigration tells applicants to wait for approval before buying any travel tickets.
- The short-stay C visa costs EUR 60 single entry or EUR 100 multiple entry (INR 5,300 or INR 9,000 at the Embassy, September 2026), and the fee is non-refundable.
- The Embassy lists 6 to 8 weeks for a visit visa, counted in working days from the day it receives your file.
- Ireland is not in the Schengen area, so a Schengen visa does not cover it.
On this page
- Do you need a dummy ticket for an Ireland visa?
- What your application letter and holiday plan should say
- Ireland is not part of the Schengen area
- Visa type, fee and how to apply from India
- Ireland visa processing time from India: 6 to 8 weeks
- Combining Ireland with a UK trip
- If you still want a flight reservation for your file
- Before you apply: a checklist
A flight booking is not required for an Ireland visa. The Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi states: "Flight bookings are not required for a visa." Irish immigration adds: "Wait for approval before you buy any travel tickets." A dummy ticket for Ireland visa applications is therefore optional.
What carries your travel plan in an Irish file is the holiday plan with dated accommodation reservations, the application letter and the finance plan. Some applicants still add a flight reservation to keep the same dates across those papers. That is its only job here. It is not on the document list, and it will not speed up a decision.
Do you need a dummy ticket for an Ireland visa?
No. The Embassy's page on processing times and decisions states: "Flight bookings are not required for a visa." The same page warns: "Flights booked before the receipt of a visa are booked at your own risk." Irish immigration's guide to the short-stay C visa tells applicants to wait for approval before buying any travel tickets.
Both official sources put the risk of an early booking on you. If the visa is refused or arrives late, what you get back depends only on the airline's fare rules. Our guide on booking a flight before visa approval sets out the options.
The UK takes a similar line: its guidance lists flight bookings as "less useful as evidence" for a visitor visa. Our UK visa page explains that, which helps if your trip takes in both countries.
What your application letter and holiday plan should say
They should give the same dates, the same towns and the same reason for the trip, and the holiday plan should show where you sleep each night. Irish immigration's document list asks for an application letter, signed summary sheets, a holiday plan with accommodation reservations showing dates, a finance plan, proof of your obligations to return home, fee proof and details of any past visa refusals. A flight booking is not on it.
Say you plan 12 days in May 2027. The travel paragraph of your application letter could read:
I am applying for a single-entry short-stay visa to visit Ireland for tourism from 12 to 24 May 2027. I will stay in Dublin from 12 to 17 May, Galway from 17 to 21 May and Killarney from 21 to 24 May, as shown in my holiday plan and accommodation reservations. My employer has approved leave for these dates, and I return to work in Pune on 26 May.
Check that the dates on your signed summary sheets match that paragraph before you submit. Our guides to a visa cover letter and a day-by-day travel itinerary show the full structure.
The finance plan may ask for the estimated "cost of airline tickets in Euro". That is a figure you write, not a document you attach: look up a fare for your dates on an airline website and use it. The rest of the finance plan rests on your bank statements. For the accommodation reservations, each town needs check-in and check-out dates. Our hotel reservation for a visa file covers one city and one set of dates per booking; for several towns, ask on WhatsApp before you order.
Ireland is not part of the Schengen area
A Schengen visa does not let you enter Ireland, and an Irish visa does not let you enter a Schengen country. Ireland is an EU member that opted out of the 29-country Schengen area and runs its own visa policy. If your trip also takes in France, Italy or another Schengen state, that part needs its own Schengen visa, applied for separately.
Ireland also uses neither the EU's Entry/Exit System nor ETIAS, and passports are still stamped at the Irish border.
Visa type, fee and how to apply from India
Indian nationals visiting for tourism apply for the short-stay "C" visa, which covers stays of up to 90 days. The fee is set in euro on Irish immigration's visa fees page, and the Embassy in New Delhi publishes the rupee amounts.
| Visa | Fee (EUR) | Fee at the Embassy in New Delhi (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Single entry | EUR 60 | INR 5,300 |
| Multiple entry | EUR 100 | INR 9,000 |
| Transit | EUR 25 | Not published |
The visa fee is non-refundable whatever the decision. VFS Global charges its own service fee on top, so budget for both.
Apply online on AVATS
Fill in the Irish online visa form. You then have 30 days to submit your documents.
Pay the visa fee and keep the proof
INR 5,300 for single entry or INR 9,000 for multiple entry (September 2026). Fee proof is on the document list, so you need it before you hand in your file.
Book and attend a VFS Global appointment
Hand in your passport, signed summary sheets and supporting documents at a VFS Global centre. Residents of India aged 5 or over give biometrics there.
Wait for the Embassy's decision
The Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi processes the application, and your passport comes back by courier.
Appointments are booked through VFS Global's Ireland service for India, which collects documents and biometrics. Our explainer on what visa centres do covers the difference between a centre and the Embassy.
Ireland visa processing time from India: 6 to 8 weeks
The Embassy in New Delhi lists 6 to 8 weeks for a visit visa and 4 weeks for a business, conference or event visa. It counts those in working days from the day your file reaches the Embassy. Irish immigration's general figure is "approximately 8 weeks".
VFS time comes on top. Files reach the Embassy the next working day from the Delhi centre and two working days from other centres, and your passport then returns by courier. Irish immigration recommends applying 3 months before travel, and the Embassy accepts applications up to 90 days ahead.
A worked example: your trip starts on 20 December 2026, so the earliest you can apply is 21 September 2026. You submit at a centre outside Delhi on Thursday 1 October. The file reaches the Embassy on Monday 5 October, and eight weeks of working days from there runs to about 30 November, before any closure days and courier time. That still leaves about three weeks before you fly.
Combining Ireland with a UK trip
Two arrangements let some Indian travellers see both countries without a second full application. They work differently, and neither is open to Indian nationals who live in the UK.
| Scheme | Who it is for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) | Indian nationals living in India | One visa endorsed "BIVS" can cover both countries. You must first enter the country that issued it. The endorsement is at the officer's discretion. |
| Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme (SSVWP) | Indian nationals who hold a UK short-stay visitor visa | Land in the UK first on that visa, then travel on to Ireland without an Irish visa, for up to 90 days or the time left on your UK permission, whichever is shorter. |
The SSVWP does not cover UK transit visas, marriage visitor visas, long-stay UK permissions or a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation. It runs on periodic extensions, so check the Irish immigration page before you rely on it. For the UK half of the trip, see our Standard Visitor visa guide.
If you still want a flight reservation for your file
Use it for one purpose: fixing the dates you write in your letter and holiday plan. Dummy Tickets Visa (DTV) books a reservation in the airline's system and holds it without paying the fare. It carries a PNR you can check on the airline's "Manage booking" page and arrives as a PDF by email or WhatsApp, typically 10–20 minutes after payment. It costs US$15 (₹1,200) per passenger, one-way or return, and it cannot be used to board.
Irish immigration says false or misleading information can lead to a refusal and a block on Irish visas for 5 years. Describe the document as a flight reservation in your letter, never as a paid ticket, and never edit the PDF. Our page on fake flight tickets explains the difference.
A hold is temporary, and how long it stays live depends on the airline. Ask for delivery the day before your VFS appointment and check the PNR on the airline's website before you go. If you leave it out, your file is still complete, because the Embassy's list does not ask for one. Our page on flight reservations for visa files explains what the document is and is not. DTV is not affiliated with the Embassy of Ireland, VFS Global or any airline.
Before you apply: a checklist
- Application letter, summary sheets and holiday plan carry the same dates
- Accommodation reservations with dates for every town on the trip
- Finance plan, bank statements and proof of your ties to India
- Details of any earlier visa refusals, from any country
- Fee paid for the right visa, single or multiple entry, with proof kept
- VFS appointment booked within 30 days of the AVATS form, with biometrics for anyone aged 5 or over
- A flight reservation only if you want one, labelled as a reservation
- No flights bought until the visa is granted
For countries where a flight document works differently, from New Zealand's ticket-or-funds rule to Schengen's reservation wording, our visa guides by country cover each one.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need travel insurance for an Ireland visa?
Not with the application. Irish immigration lists medical or travel insurance as something the officer may ask for, not a required document. You must hold it when you arrive in Ireland, so buy a policy that covers your travel dates once the visa is granted, and keep the certificate with your passport for the border.
Will immigration at the Irish border ask for my return ticket?
They may ask for documents that support your visit. An immigration officer at the border decides whether to let you in, and a visa does not guarantee entry. The official pages we read do not say a return ticket is legally required. By then your visa is granted, so carry the ticket you bought after approval, your accommodation details and proof of funds.
Can I appeal if my Ireland visa is refused?
No. From 1 June 2026, short-stay visa refusals cannot be appealed, except in EU free-movement family cases. The only route is a fresh application with a fresh fee. Read the refusal reasons, fix what they name, and see our guide to reapplying after a visa refusal before you apply again.
I am an Indian national living in the UK. Do I need an Irish visa?
Yes. The British-Irish Visa Scheme and the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme are not open to Indian nationals who live in the UK. Irish immigration says long-term legal residents of the UK from programme countries, including India, must apply for an Irish visa but will not have to pay the visa fee. Our page for UK residents covers the rest.
What if I am visiting family or friends in Ireland?
The Irish document list has a heading for an invitation letter, so include one from your host. It should give the same dates and address as your holiday plan, and say who pays for what. Our guide to the invitation letter for a visa shows what the host should write.
- Irish Immigration Service Delivery: how to apply for a short-stay C visit/tourist visa
- Irish Immigration Service Delivery: preclearance and entry visa fees
- Embassy of Ireland, New Delhi: visas for Ireland
- Embassy of Ireland, New Delhi: processing times and decisions
- Irish Immigration Service Delivery: British-Irish Visa Scheme
- Irish Immigration Service Delivery: Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme
- European Commission: the Schengen area
- VFS Global: Ireland visa services, India
Last updated by Girish A. Visa requirements change, so confirm the current checklist with the embassy, consulate or official application centre before you apply. A reservation supports a visa file and cannot guarantee a visa decision.