Permission to land in Ireland

Introduction

Irish citizens are entitled to land in Ireland.  If you are a national of the European Union (EU), of one of the other EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or of Switzerland you may be prevented from landing in Ireland only in very restricted circumstances.  Nationals of other countries need permission to land.  The rules about permission to land are the same whether or not you are required to have a visa in order to come to Ireland.

Rules

EU/EEA and Swiss nationals

If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss national, you may be refused permission to land in Ireland only if:

• You are suffering from a specified disease or disability or
• Your conduct has been such that it would be contrary to public policy or would endanger public security

You do not have to register with the immigration authorities as EEA and Swiss nationals have specific rights to live and work in Ireland.

Nationals of other countries

If you are a national of any other country, you must get permission to land when you arrive in Ireland.  The immigration officer may refuse for any one of a number of reasons.  For example, permission may be refused if the immigration officer has reason to believe that:

• You are not in a position to support yourself and any dependants arriving with you
• You intend to take up employment and you do not have a permit
• You suffer from certain specified conditions  These include TB, other infectious diseases, drug addiction and profound mental disturbance (this is defined as “manifest conditions of psychotic disturbance with agitation, delirium, hallucinations or confusion”)
• You have been convicted of an offence which carries a penalty of a year’s imprisonment or more
• You are obliged to have a visa and you do not have one
• You are the subject of a deportation order, an exclusion order or similar order
• You do not have a valid passport
• You intend to travel to Great Britain or Northern Ireland and you do not have a right to enter there
• Your entry or presence in Ireland could pose a threat to national security or be contrary to public policy.

If you are refused permission to land you must be given the reasons in writing.  You may be given permission to land but with conditions attached.  For example, you may be allowed stay for a stated period only.  If you wish to stay in Ireland for longer than this you must get permission to remain by registering with your local immigration office. In Dublin this is in the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), and outside Dublin it is the local garda district headquarters.

Where to apply

Contact your local garda district headquarters if you live outside of Dublin. Contact the Garda National Immigration Bureau if you live in Dublin.