Irish Visas: Five African Countries Exempted from Application Fees of 60 to 100 Euros

Nationals of sixteen countries, including five African nations, are exempt from Irish visa application fees. The information, reported on September 26 and 27, 2026, by the Tunisian daily La Presse and the Ugandan website Pulse, concerns Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia.

What an application normally costs

The fees usually required are 60 euros for a single-entry visa and 100 euros for a multiple-entry visa, both sources specify. The full list of exempted nationalities—Bosnia and Herzegovina, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Peru, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia—also appears on the information sheet published by VFS Global, the provider of Irish visa services, which refers to the Irish Immigration Service.

None of the sources consulted mention an effective date or an official statement from the Irish government: this is an existing exemption that was highlighted by the African press at the end of September 2026.

A fee waiver, not a visa waiver

The measure does not remove the visa requirement or the need to compile an application file. Applicants must still submit a complete application, provide supporting documents, and obtain approval from immigration services; other fees may apply depending on the method of submission. Pulse also reminds readers that an Irish visa does not grant access to the Schengen Area, as Ireland is not a member.

The hidden cost of African mobility

Sixty euros may seem like a small amount from Dublin. When compared to the median income in Abidjan, Kampala, or Lusaka, and multiplied for an entire family, it becomes a real barrier—especially since these fees are due upon submission and are not refunded in the event of a refusal. Thousands of Africans pay for rejected applications every year: a de facto tax on the simple right to apply for travel.

This is why a fee exemption, however modest, is worth noting. It does not resolve the broader imbalance: a European passport opens up most of the African continent without prior formalities, while the reverse remains a costly and uncertain journey. For the Ivorian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Ugandan, and Zambian diasporas living in Ireland, the measure does, however, concretely reduce the cost of family visits—weddings, funerals, reunions—that many give up on organizing due to a lack of funds.

Applicants are invited to check the up-to-date conditions with the Irish Immigration Service, as the list of exempted nationalities is subject to change.