Join Ship Visa

You will need to apply for a Join Ship visa if you are a seafarer and the following scenarios apply to you:

• A seafarer traveling to join a ship that is departing from Ireland within 24 hours of your entry date
• A holder of a seafarers identity documents- the documents must have been issued in a country that has not ratified the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Conventions on Seafarers’ Identity Documents
• You intend to travel to Ireland using a passport or other travel document from a country that is listed as a visa-required country

To gain an Irish visa, you must adhere to the strict documents required. It is paramount that the applicant provides all of the documents specified within 30 days of registering their application. The application will not be processed for consideration until the documents are submitted and a visa application fee is paid.

The documents required are as follows:

• Application summary sheet
• Application Letter
• Letter from your employer (shipping company)
• Accommodation plan
• Proof of travel or medical insurance
• Proof of payment of fees (if applicable)
• A valid passport- you are also required to provide evidence of previous passports
• Seafarer Identity document
• Passport photographs
• Finance plan
• Visa refusals (if you have ever been refused a visa for any reason)

Only hard copies of documents will be accepted. These must be original documents with no photocopies.

If they aren’t already, the documents will need to be translated into either English or Irish before they are submitted to the embassy for inspection. You must provide both the original documents.

You can find more specific information on the specific documents required below.

To accompany the visa application, the applicant must obtain a letter from their employer- in this instance, the shipping company. The letter should include these details:

• Your job onboard the ship- your job title and main duties
• Details of the length of employment by the company in question
• The name of the ship to be joined in Ireland
• Planned arrival date to Ireland
• The name of the harbour in which the ship will be joined
• A planned schedule of the ship (inclusive of the planned route and docking periods)
• Contact details of the employer/shipping organisation

You must be able to detail your full accommodation plan to the Irish embassy before any decision can be made on your Irish visa status. This should include a full description of every place you will stay whilst in Ireland, including the dates you intend to stay at each place. For example, you may be planning to stay in a hotel during your time there.

If the plan is to go directly to the ship you will join and stay there, you must note this on your application letter clearly.

Evidence of accommodation plans can include printed booking confirmations from a hotel, hostel, B&B, or Air BnB. These confirmations must show the intended date of arrival and departure.

For those who may be hosted by a person in their own home, the host will need to provide a letter containing the following information:

• Full name of the host
• The home address in Ireland
• Written confirmation from the host saying that you were invited to stay inside their property
• The intended dates of stay and departure from the hosts’ property

You must be able to show authorities that you have enough money to enter Ireland and support yourself fully, without the use of Irish public funding.

There is no minimum or maximum amount of funds for the applicants applying, but you must ensure you have enough money to live off. A decision on your visa will be made based on your personal circumstances.

Proof of finances can come from a recent bank statement, however, it is essential that it shows the following details:

• It must be a certified bank statement from your back officially or printed online.
• Your full name and address are fully visible
• Bank account number
• Bank account type- current account or savings account, for example
• Shows incoming and outgoing funds from the last 6 months

Bank statements must be submitted as original documents- no photocopies or screenshots will be accepted.

If there appears to be evidence of large sums of money entering and leaving your account, a full written explanation of each transaction must be provided.

As part of the visa application, it is the duty of the main applicant to disclose if they have been refused entry on a visa to any other country, including Ireland.

You must include the details of each visa you have been refused, with a written explanation as to why this occurred. The original decision letter stating the refusal must also be submitted in conjunction with the visa application.

Failure to disclose any past refused visas will mean that your Irish visa application will be refused.

Below are the specified fees required to apply for a short-stay ‘C’ visa:

• Single entry (Short-stay ‘C’ visa) €60
• Multiple entry visas (Short-stay ‘C’ visa) €100

If your application is withdrawn or refused, your application fee will not be refunded to you. The fee covers the cost of application processing and administration fees.

The visa application process can seem lengthy and daunting, but it is essential to get it right to give your request for an Irish visa the best possible chance of acceptance.

You can fill out an online application to register your interest in a visa. You will be prompted to pay the specified visa application fee at this point also. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all of the requested documents are sent to the Irish embassy promptly, with the correct payment for package size. Your application will not be processed until you have met the requirements for supporting documentation.

During processing, your application will be checked for summary sheets, dates, signatures, and, proof of payment.

It is not unusual to be contacted by officials for authentication or verification during the application process, so it is essential that up-to-date contact information is provided on the visa application.

In some instances, the applicant may be invited to attend a visa application centre to provide some biometric information- which consists of photographs and fingerprints.

Irish visa processing times depend on when your application was submitted. All applications are processed in the order they are received. Visa processing may vary between visa office locations- it can also be useful to note any public holiday periods at the time of your application.

Typically, short-stay ‘C’ visa applicants can expect a decision within 8 weeks of the date your documents are received.

Your application can be delayed if some documents are missing or if something needs verifying.

After processing and a final decision is made, your original documents will be returned to you by post or via arranged collection from the Irish embassy or Irish visa office.

If for any reason your Irish visa application is refused, you will receive confirmation in writing with a full explanation for the refusal.

You can appeal the refusal with no cost to yourself, however, an appeal must be made within two months from the date you got the letter of refusal.

To appeal your refusal from authorities, the following protocol must be adhered to:

• You must write a letter of appeal with a detailed explanation of why you would like to contest the refusal and why you should be granted entry on an Irish visa. The letter must include your visa application transaction number, full name, address and email address
• Pull together any supporting documents that you believe could help in conjunction with your appeal application (these must be original documents and not photocopies)
• Your passport, but only if your refusal letter states you should in the occasion of an appeal
• Put all your documents and letter of refusal in a suitable envelope and mail them to the address stated on the original refusal letter

When you are granted your Irish visa, it will permit you to travel to Ireland, but it does not give you permission to enter Ireland with no authorisation. Border control can refuse somebody entry even if they have access to a valid visa.

You must be able to demonstrate a genuine reason to be entering Ireland to the immigration officer present at border control on your date of travel. You should bring the following documents with you:

• A valid passport
• Your Irish visa
• Copies of the documents used in your original application

If you are granted entry by the immigration officer, you will be issued with a landing stamp which will show that you are in Ireland on a Join Ship visa. Usually, the landing stamp will specify the time you are permitted in the country- on most occasions on a Join Ship visa, you must board the specified ship within 24 hours of entry.