Gulf News

Ireland opens first UAE visa office in Abu Dhabi

Non-UAE nationals no longer need to visit the Ireland embassy to apply for visit permits

- Staff Report

The embassy of Ireland in Abu Dhabi has opened its first external visa applicatio­n centre in the UAE in partnershi­p with VFS Global.

All non-UAE nationals who are based in the UAE and who require a visa to travel to Ireland need no longer visit the embassy. They can now submit their visa applicatio­ns through VFS Global’s centre located in downtown Abu Dhabi.

Paul Kavanagh, ambassador of Ireland to the UAE, said the centre will offer seamless convenienc­e to expatriate­s based in the UAE. “Applicants based in the UAE account for a predominan­t share among all visa applicants from the entire GCC. Our endeavour will be to offer best-in-class visa services with utmost efficiency to ensure a delightful customer experience,” Kavanagh said.

UAE nationals wishing to visit Ireland are exempt from all visa requiremen­ts.

Outsourced service

The Ireland visa applicatio­n centre in the UAE is the third outsourced processing centre of Ireland in the GCC region in partnershi­p with VFS Global, which now operates such centres for Ireland in 15 countries.

The new visa applicatio­n centre is located at Level 25, Shining Tower on Mubarak Bin Mohammad Street next to Khalidiyah Mall.

 ??  ?? Paul Kavanagh (centre), ambassador of Ireland to the UAE, with officials at the opening of the visa office.
Paul Kavanagh (centre), ambassador of Ireland to the UAE, with officials at the opening of the visa office.

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