Ireland's visa waiver for UK visa holders is due to end on 31 October: what travel sellers should check now

Ireland's Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme lets some visa-required travellers visit Ireland on their UK visa instead of an Irish one. Under current Irish law, the programme ends on 31 October 2026.

As of 21 October 2026, no order extending it has been published on the Irish Statute Book. The government can still extend it, and it has renewed the programme before. Until it does, anyone planning to enter Ireland after 31 October on a UK visa may need a separate Irish visa.

What the programme does

A traveller can visit Ireland without an Irish visa if all of these apply:

They hold a passport from one of the eligible countries (list below).

They hold an eligible UK short-stay visa. UK transit visas and visas to marry or enter a civil partnership do not count.

They first landed in the UK and were admitted on that visa. Each new period of UK leave needs a fresh entry to the UK first.

Their visit to Ireland ends before their UK permission ends. The maximum stay in Ireland is 90 days, or the time left on the UK permission if shorter.

A UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA) does not count. Gulf nationals who now travel to the UK on an ETA need an Irish visa, unless they still hold a valid UK visa issued before their country joined the ETA scheme.

Who is affected

The Irish Immigration Service lists these nationalities:

Region Countries

Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine (Ukrainians do not need an Irish visa anyway)

Middle East Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

Asia China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

South America Colombia, Peru

The British-Irish Visa Scheme lets some Chinese and Indian nationals use one short-stay visa for both countries. It is a separate scheme, and this article does not cover it.

The legal position

The end date comes from the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2014, as amended by S.I. No. 538 of 2021. That order reinstated the programme from 31 October 2021 and extended it "until 31 October 2026".

Ireland has amended its visa order four times since the start of 2025 (S.I. 68/2025, 164/2025, 17/2026 and 242/2026). None of them changed the end date. The Irish Immigration Service's programme guide says the scheme "is to continue until 31 October 2026 and may be amended at any time". Its web page does not mention the date.

In 2021 the reinstating order was signed on 21 October and published in Iris Oifigiúil on 26 October, a few days before it took effect. A late extension is possible this year too. We will update this article if one is published.

What travel sellers should do now

OTAs

Find UK-plus-Ireland bookings by travellers from the countries above where the Ireland leg starts after 31 October. Tell those customers the waiver may not apply on their dates.

Do not promise "no Irish visa needed" for travel after 31 October in confirmations or FAQs until an extension is published.

Travellers who cannot wait should apply for an Irish short-stay visa now. Irish visa processing takes time, and a late application puts the Ireland leg at risk.

TMCs

Check November trips where staff planned to add Dublin to a UK trip: nationals of India, China, Türkiye and the other listed countries, plus Gulf staff who still hold a pre-ETA UK visa. Build the Irish visa into the approval flow.

Gulf travellers who now use a UK ETA were already outside the programme. Say so in your policy notes.

Airlines and ground handlers

On flights from the UK to Ireland, document-check staff should know the waiver may lapse after 31 October. For these nationalities, a UK visa alone may no longer be enough.

What to do before 31 October

Until an extension order is published, plan for 31 October as the last day the waiver applies. For trips to Ireland that start on or after 1 November, check whether the traveller's nationality needs an Irish visa before you confirm the booking. Keep an eye on the Irish Statute Book this week.

FAQ

When does Ireland's Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme end? Under current Irish law, on 31 October 2026. As of 21 October 2026, no order extending it has been published on the Irish Statute Book.

Can the end date still change? Yes. The government can still extend the programme, and it has renewed it before. In 2021 the reinstating order was published on 26 October, a few days before it took effect.

Who uses the waiver? Nationals of the countries in the table above who hold an eligible UK short-stay visa and were first admitted to the UK on it.

Does a UK ETA count? No. Gulf nationals who travel to the UK on an ETA need an Irish visa, unless they still hold a valid UK visa issued before their country joined the ETA scheme.

How long can a traveller stay in Ireland under the waiver? Up to 90 days, or the time left on the UK permission if shorter. The visit must end before the UK permission ends.

Is the British-Irish Visa Scheme affected? It is a separate scheme, and this article does not cover it.

What should travellers do for trips after 31 October? Travellers who cannot wait for an extension should apply for an Irish short-stay visa now.

Operational guidance for travel sellers, not legal advice. Entry decisions rest with Irish immigration officers. Updated 21 October 2026.

Sources

Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 538/2021, Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2021 verified 21 Oct 2026 · Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 242/2026 (latest visa orders, end date unchanged) verified 21 Oct 2026 · Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 17/2026 (latest visa orders, end date unchanged) verified 21 Oct 2026 · Irish Immigration Service, Short stay visa waiver programme verified 21 Oct 2026 · Irish Immigration Service, The Short-stay Visa Waiver Programme (PDF) verified 21 Oct 2026

Loris Mazloum

Founder, SimpleVisa

Loris Mazloum founded SimpleVisa and writes the coverage notes on this blog for airlines, OTAs, and other travel companies. Each note is checked against the government source named at the bottom before it publishes. SimpleVisa keeps requirement data for 190+ destinations and files applications where a government channel exists.