Travel to Eire on a UK tourist Visa for Thai Nationals

[Negita43]

Hi,

My Thai gf has a 10 year tourist visa for the UK

Next year we are thinking of also going to Northern Ireland and whilst there we would also like to visit Eire.

On exploring what the Visa requirements might be I came across this link

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Irish%20Short%20Stay%20Visa%20Waiver%20Programme

This appears to say that a Thai national who has a UK tourist visa can enter Eire on the strength of the UK visa without needing to apply for a visa for Eire.

My question; has anyone on the forum tried this and was it hassle free?

Thanks

[MartinL]

I asked exactly this question of the Irish immigration service in 2014 for a 2015 visit.

 

My question and their reply are in the attachment to this post. There was no hassle involved at all when arriving in Ireland. I doubt things have changed in the meantime.

 

Thai Visiting Ireland With UK Visit Visa.pdf

Edited December 17, 2018 by MartinL

[Negita43]

Thanks,

From what I read it seemed like that was the case but it's always good to hear from someone who has "been there done that".

Thanks again

[Jip99]

I took my parter a couple of years ago. No hassle at all - I recall that you do need to get cleared for travel BEFORE getting to the departure gate. I can’t remember exactly what we had to do, but I think it was a case of showing the passport and visa at the Ryanair booking desk.

[Negita43]

Thanks Jip99 - even the Ryanair check you talk about seems to have changed

Our first trip 8 or so years ago certainly we had to get a Schengen visa check before check in for a trip to Spain - April this year at Stansted - nothing, I guess the check in people do it now.

[Jip99]

6 minutes ago, Negita43 said:

Thanks Jip99 - even the Ryanair check you talk about seems to have changed

Our first trip 8 or so years ago certainly we had to get a Schengen visa check before check in for a trip to Spain - April this year at Stansted - nothing, I guess the check in people do it now.

 

That is interesting.... at Gatwick this year the Schengen visa had to be checked for flights to Spain, and to Greece.

[williewolf]

Went in April this year. Had to show  UK visa @ dedicated ryanair check in desk and no problems at all in Eire. Passport stamped for 10 days duration (we were only staying a week). On return to UK,boarding card shown again and stamped by ryanair staff. When we landed at BHX we got off the aircraft and went straight to baggage claim. No UK immigration.

[raven0099]

Sorry to go a bit of topic but how did you manage to get a 10 year tourist visa ?

 

I always thought the limit was capped, just that we would like to take my wife's mother here to stay with us for a couple of year if we could to help look after the kids while we worked a bit more and we would avoid childcare costs and think its a better option for the children to be with family.

[Negita43]

Re Ryan Air Schengen check. At Stansted we actually asked where the visa check office was and were told at check in. The fact that different airports seem to have different systems does not suprise me. I remember the first Schengen she had (for Spain). We arrived in Alicante and there was no one on Passport control (which was very common in those days (I also lived in Spain for some years)) As it was her first Schengen the Spain Embassy in Bangkok told her she had to report back to them on her return. She did so and got a bollocking because there was no Spanish entry stamp in her passport! Nowadays when she returns to Thailand she always avoids biometric scanning and gets an entry stamp in her passport just so she could, if necessary, prove her return to Thailand

Edited December 20, 2018 by Negita43
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