Entry Visas
Under the Common Travel Area (CTA), UK citizens do not require passports or visas to travel within Ireland. Citizens of the UK, Switzerland, the European Economic Area, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, and several others also do not require a pre-arranged visa for short-term stays.
Ireland operates a Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme that allows nationals of 22 specific countries who hold a valid short-term UK visa to enter Ireland without a separate Irish visa.
If you live in an area that is not eligible for a visa waiver/exemption or are unsure of whether or not you need to apply for a short-term visa to enter Ireland in order to attend The 15th European Conference on Arts & Humanities, please click here or contact the Irish Embassy in your home country to receive guidance on the application process and necessary documents.
A short stay conference/event visa allows you to travel to Ireland for up to 90 days to attend a conference, symposium or other event, subject to conditions.
- Further Information
As part of the visa application process, you may be required to submit a Letter of Invitation from the ECAH Conference Programme Committee.
Letters of Invitation
A Letter of Invitation is an official document that confirms payment of registration fees and extends an official invitation to the paid registrant to attend and participate in the upcoming conference. In other words, it provides the holder with an official reason to come to Ireland. It may be required by your university for administrative purposes, and will likely form one of the documents required for visa application if you are from a country that does not have a visa exemption agreement with Ireland.
In order to qualify for a Letter of Invitation, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be registered as an author of an accepted abstract and/or paper
- Have paid the conference registration fee in full
- A verifiable email address from an institution (.edu, .org, .ac) is required. We are unable to accept a personal address (gmail, yahoo, hotmail, etc.).
IAFOR will not, under any circumstances, provide a Letter of Invitation or visa application paperwork to any interested party who does not meet the three criteria listed above.
If your application for a Letter of Invitation is successful, your Letter of Invitation will be sent to you by email as a PDF attachment. In addition, a hard copy will be mailed to your residence or place of work.
Please ensure you allow sufficient time for your application to be processed.
Letters of Guarantee
Please note that a Letter of Guarantee is different from a Letter of Invitation. Depending on your professional situation, background and nationality, you may be required to submit a Letter of Invitation and/or Letter of Guarantee.
A Letter of Guarantee is a letter in which an individual or body agrees to be legally and financially responsible for you during your stay in Ireland. You may know an individual or institution in Ireland willing to act as a guarantor, or, if you have no connection with the country, British immigration authorities may find that it is acceptable to have your university act as the guarantor. IAFOR cannot provide Letters of Guarantee.
Further Visa Assistance
All questions/concerns regarding the status of your visa should be directed to the British immigration authorities or British Embassy in your home country.
If your visa application is denied, please note that IAFOR will not be able to change the decision of the British immigration authorities, nor will IAFOR engage in discussion or correspondence with the British immigration authorities or the British Embassy on behalf of the applicant.
IAFOR is not authorised to assist with the visa process beyond providing a Letter of Invitation.
Letter of Invitation Application Process
After confirmation of conference registration we will send you instructions on how to apply for a Letter of Invitation. Provided that all the information we receive is correct, the Letter of Invitation process will usually take between 7 and 21 days. Please allow ample time for the Letter of Invitation application process.
Letters of Invitation are sent as PDF attachments. A regular airmail option (free) and a trackable registered mail option (additional cost) are available.