I can advise the Deputy that my Department currently operates seven overseas visa offices, in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. These offices are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. In addition, officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs process certain visa applications at Irish embassies abroad under delegated authority from my Department.
While processing times vary across visa offices and Irish embassies, the majority of visa applications are processed within the relevant business targets. The business target of 12 months reflects the detailed and often complex assessment required in relation to family reunification applications. My Department aims to process the majority of Join Family visa applications within this target.
While every effort is made to process visa applications within the relevant business targets, local operational conditions, including ongoing conflict, embassy closures and shelter-in-place alerts, have had a particular impact on processing in Abu Dhabi.
Current processing times and visa decisions for applications handled by the Visa Office in Dublin and overseas offices can be viewed at: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions.
An applicant may apply for a Type C Short Stay (Visit Family/Friend) visa while awaiting the outcome of a Join Family visa application. In considering such an application, the decision-maker will be aware of the pending Join Family application and will take into account the fact that the applicant's longer-term intention is to reside permanently in Ireland. As the Deputy will be aware, a visit visa permits the holder to travel to Ireland, subject to visitor conditions, for a period of up to 90 days. All visitors must leave the State and return to their normal country of residence on or before the expiry of their immigration permission.
In December 2025, the Immigration Service of my Department introduced online payment functionality to its online visa application system. This allows applicants to pay visa fees as part of the online application process. The initiative is being rolled out on a phased basis and is currently available in 40 countries, with South Africa added in January 2026. This enhancement reduces the administrative burden on Irish missions abroad.
