Ireland extends UK visa-linked travel waiver

Ireland has extended its Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme until December 31, 2026, allowing eligible nationals, incuding Indians, to visit the country without obtaining a separate Irish visa if they hold and have used a qualifying US short stay visa.The programme was earlier due to end on October 31. The extension applied to nationals of countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America, including India.Who can use the programme?Travellers must first enter the UK using an eligible UK short stay visa before travelling to Ireland. Those who only transit though a UK airport without passing through immigration are not eligible to use the waiver.The programme covers UK short- stay visitor visas and visit or business entry clearances valid for up to 180 days. Transit visas and visas issued for marriage or civil partnerships are excluded.Eligible travellers can travel directly from UK to Ireland. They can also visit another country after entering the UK and then travel to Ireland, provided their UK permission remains valid.India among covered countriesThe programme covers nationals of India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. It also includes nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Colombia and Peru.The maximum stay in Ireland is 90 days or the remaining period of the traveller’s UK permission, whichever is shorter. Entry is not automatic, as an Irish immigration officer will decide whether to grant permission at the port of entry.The waiver does not apply to people living in the UK on long-term permission of more than 180 days. They must apply for an Irish visa, although the visa application fee is waived under the programme.A UK visa or electronic travel authorisation alone does not guarantee entry into Ireland. The traveller must meet all the programme’s conditions.