Long Processing Times for Irish Visas Cause Anxiety Among Travel Agencies & Their Clients

Travel agents and travellers are encountering Irish visa issues, as some visa applications submitted months in advance are being approved only days before the trip. This situation is causing stress and anxiety for travel agency customers.

Travel agencies reveal that due to these delays, they are also making a poor impression on their clients, which impacts their business, Schengen.News reports.

This is affecting our service levels – clients cannot believe that the visa can take two or even three months to be issued. It is a busy time now with Christmas coming up, and Irish visas are taking longer and longer to come out. Do they not have enough staff to process applications? 

According to Ireland’s official website for statistics, over 306,000 visa applications were filed in 2024, with some of the most popular nationality groups to apply for Irish visas being Indians, Chinese and Pakistanis.

Waiting Times for Application Processing Increases Due to High Travel Demand

A representative at VFS Global told Travel News that the company cannot track the status of the application. However, it has been pointed out that it depends on the type of visa that clients require.

Visa processing timelines vary depending on the visa category type, business, tourist visit, or educational. 

The representative advised applicants to file their visa applications as soon as possible since the increased demand for travel is impacting waiting times. It would be ideal to submit the application 90 days before the travel date, which is the earliest period allowed to file an application for an Irish visa.

The representative also noted that VFS Global is an intermediary company and does not play a role in the decision-making process of visas, including the processing time for applications and the documents required for an application to be processed.

Irish Embassy in South Africa Has Received Over 5,000 Visa Applications in 5 Months

Evan Cunningham, the Second Secretary at the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa, pointed out that the Department of Justice in Dublin has received over 5,400 visa applications since July.

Cunningham noted that the Department has created a Digital Contact Centre (DCC) for visa customers.

The DCC allows individuals to log in and check the status of their visa application or submit a query in relation to their application through the dedicated Customer Service Portal. 

In May, foreigners in Ireland initiated a petition, asking authorities to increase the number of available visa appointments, as many non-EU citizens are struggling to book an appointment for a Schengen visa.