Individuals who want to immigrate to Ireland from Russia must observe the immigration regulations that are currently in force in this country. Please mind that the immigration procedures may vary based on the residency/nationality of the applicant (our immigration lawyer in Ireland can present these rules).
Thus, it must be noted that the law distinguishes between Russian passport holders and individuals who are residents of Russia and citizens of other states (their nationality will dictate the immigration rules applicable when arriving in Ireland, in accordance with the Irish legislation).
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What are the visa requirements for Russian passport holders?
It must be noted that persons who want to immigrate to Ireland from Russia must apply for suitable visas, regardless of the purpose or the duration of the arrival. Russian passport holders must initiate in due time the visa formalities in order to have the right to enter the Irish territory and the visa must be obtained prior to the intended arrival date.
Please know that the law on immigration in Ireland prescribes 3 main categories of visas, namely:
- transit visa;
- short-term stay visa;
- long-term stay visa (which also includes the obligations to apply for residency in Ireland).
While Russians must apply for both short and long-term stays visas, we mention that they are exempt from any immigration obligations when they are in transit in Ireland (transit is defined as any stay on the territory of Ireland, even of several hours, which takes place because an individual has a connecting flight to another destination).
At the moment, according to the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, there are only 26 countries whose nationals are required to apply for this visa type.
What types of visas can Russians obtain in Ireland?
Individuals who immigrate to Ireland from Russia can apply for any of the visas prescribed by the Irish immigration law, provided that they qualify for them. It is possible to move to Ireland from Russia under visas such as:
- business visa;
- tourism visa;
- study/training visa;
- visa issued for visiting family and friends living in Ireland;
- employment visa;
- family reunification visa (it is a different visa program than the one allowing visiting family members, as it grants the right to a residence permit in Ireland – it is a document that allows long-stays).
In order to move to Ireland, all foreigners, Russians included, must adhere to the visa requirements imposed for each visa type. For instance, those who will opt to immigrate to Ireland for employment must abide by the requirements of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, which will be involved in the visa application process.
The institution has the responsibility of overseeing the issuance of an employment permit, which, in this case, can be granted if the foreigner has obtained a job at an employer in Ireland.
Statistics on Russians in Ireland
The Russian community is well represented in Ireland, therefore those who will immigrate to Ireland from Russia will find here a sense of familiarity. In the list below, our immigration lawyer in Ireland has gathered some of the most relevant data on the Russian community living here:
- in the Irish Census of 2026, there were less than 10,000 Russians living in Ireland (who had residency in Ireland);
- by 2021, there were around 20,000 Russian speaking individuals living here, out of which 1/5 were born in Ireland;
- out of the total of 20,000, around 9% had Russian citizenship (around 1,800 individuals);
- by 2023, the number of those living in Ireland who held Russian citizenship increased to more than 3,600.
We invite you to contact our immigration lawyer in Ireland for more details on the immigration rules applicable to Russians. You can also contact our team if you need information on other immigration topics, such as the conditions for applying for citizenship in Ireland.
