Medical Treatment Visa Application

Citizens of countries in the EEA, Switzerland and a select group of other countries will not need to apply for a visa to visit Ireland for less than 90 days.

However, you will need to apply for a visa to travel to Ireland if you are a citizen of a country which doesn’t have a visa arrangement with Ireland.

The conditions of the Medical Treatment Visa are as follows:

• The medical procedure cannot be performed in your home country
• You have an appointment confirmed with a private hospital in Ireland to carry out the procedure in the State
• You can pay for the treatment in full

When you are in Ireland you cannot undertake any work, whether paid or unpaid, and you cannot rely on Irish public services.

An extensive number of documents need to be submitted to the Irish National Immigration Service (INIS) as part of the application.

The application process for the Medical Treatment Visa is identical to all Short Stay ‘C’ Visas.

1. Complete an online application for a Short Stay ‘C’ Medical Treatment Visa through the AVATS system
2. Pay visa application fee
3. Collect required documents together and submit your full application to the application office. If successful, a visa will be stamped in your passport
4. Travel to Ireland and report to immigration officials when you arrive, who will decide whether to permit entry into Ireland

It is vitally important that you print out the application summary sheets (along with your Visa Application Transaction Number) when you have completed your online application.

Your summary sheets will need to be included in your bundle of documents. The summary sheets will also tell you which application office to send your full Medical Treatment Visa application to.

The documents which you need to include in your application are as follows:

• Your passport (which must be valid for at least six months after the date you plan to leave Ireland). You also need to provide a photocopy of each page of any previous passports you still have
• Two passport-sized colour photographs of the applicant with your signature and Visa Application Tracking Number on the back of each
• Proof of visa fee payment
• Signed and dated application summary sheets from your online application
• Application letter explaining why you want to travel to Ireland. You also need to provide an estimate of the total cost of your visit to Ireland (including medical treatment) and a commitment to obey the conditions of the visa
• A letter from your referring hospital with full details of the diagnosis and prognosis and the medical procedure
• Official Letter from the hospital which will carry out the treatment with the confirmed appointment details
• Full details of your accommodation plan whilst you are in Ireland
• Proof of your travel and medical insurance
• Information which proves you can support yourself financially during your time in Ireland
• Information showing your obligation to return home. For example, this could be a letter from your employer showing the date you are due to return to work

You must gather your documents together and submit them to your designated application office within 30 days of completing your online application.

Bear in mind that depending on your circumstances, you may need to provide certain other documentation in addition to the documents listed.

It is imperative that you prepare your documents carefully. INIS will assess your documents to determine whether to grant you with the Medical Treatment Visa.

All documents must be in their original form. Unless specifically stated, photocopies will not be accepted.

Also, any documents which are not in English or Irish must be fully translated by a certified translator. Both the original and translated documents must be included in the application.

If you fail to provide documents in their proper form, it is highly likely that your application will be automatically rejected.

It can be confusing to establish which documents you need to provide in Irish visa applications. Here at the Immigration Advice Service we can assess your Medical Treatment Visa application to ensure that it meets the full requirements and adheres to the administrative standards.

Through enlisting our services, you will maximise your chances of receiving a successful outcome on your application.

The cost of a Medical Treatment Visa application is € 60 for a single entry and € 100 for a multiple-entry visa.

Bear in mind that there could be extra charges for the application depending on the consulate which the application is processed through.

Also, you will need to take translation fees into account if any of your documents have been translated.

Once you have sent your application, INIS will assess your full application.

Immigration officials might get contact you if they require more information or documents. The Irish police, other government departments and international agencies like Interpol could be contacted if immigration officials deem it to be necessary.

Also, bear in mind that you may need to provide biometric information as part of your application.

There is no definitive processing time for visa applications. Generally, you can expect to receive a decision within eight weeks of the date your application was received.

However, it is important to keep in mind that processing times differ among different application offices and during certain times, such as holiday periods, it is highly likely that it will take longer for your application to be processed.

If immigration officials are satisfied with your application your passport will be stamped with an Irish visa. However, as explained below, this does not guarantee that you can enter into Ireland.

If your application is refused, a letter of refusal will be sent to you outlining why your application was rejected.

You can appeal against a rejection within 2 months after the date on your letter of refusal.

When you arrive in Ireland, you need to report to border control. You need to present your passport, visa and other important documents to the immigration official. Photocopies of your important documents will be accepted.

Immigration officials will decide whether you can enter into Ireland based on the information you provide. You could be refused entry into Ireland if immigration officials have any concerns about your application.

If the immigration official is satisfied, you will be given official permission to enter and a landing stamp will be placed in your passport.

As a general rule you will not be able to extend a Medical Treatment Visa (or any Short Stay ‘C’ Visa). If you want to extend you time in Ireland, you will need to leave the country and apply for a Long Stay ‘D’ Visa.

If the circumstances of your visit change considerably, in an unforeseen way, you might be given the opportunity to extend your visa. You will not be able to extend your visa for any foreseeable reason or non-emergency event.

If you are in a position where you would like to extend your Medical Treatment visa, you must submit your extension application in Ireland and before your current visa expires.