Volunteer in Ireland

You should apply for immigration preclearance to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service in order to enter Ireland as a Volunteerbefore you travel to Ireland.

Please note that an applicant must be resident outside of Ireland when making an application for permission to come to work as a Volunteer for a period longer than 90 days. Proof of residence outside of Ireland may be requested, and the applicant must remain outside the State while their application is being processed. You will not be permitted entry to the State by an Immigration Officer at the Border, for the purpose of working as a long stay Volunteer, unless you can produce a Preclearance Approval Letter.

Permission to be a volunteer in Ireland allows you to:

• Work in a volunteering role with an eligible organisation
  • Your role must match the criteria for volunteering described below
  • The organisation must match the criteria for eligibility described below
• Stay in Ireland for 1 year initially, up to of 2 years (with an option to apply for an extension for a third year)
• Apply to change the organisation you volunteer for once in any 12 month period
• Travel abroad for short periods (e.g. holidays and attending conferences) and return to Ireland.

You are eligible for permission to be a Volunteer if you:

• Are aged 18 or older
• Are a non EU/EEA and non-Swiss citizen
• Have been offered volunteering work by an eligible organisation
• Can be fully supported financially for the entire duration of your stay by the organisation that is inviting you to Ireland
• Are qualified and able to do the activities expected of you
• Are of good character and good standing, e.g. you can provide a police clearance certificate or equivalent not more than 3 months old
• Are cleared to work with children and vulnerable adults (if necessary for your role), e.g. you can provide a child clearance certificate from An Garda Síochána (this can be obtained by your sponsor prior to your arrival in Ireland)
• Have medical insurance from a company authorised by the Health Insurance Authority of Ireland to cover you for the duration of your stay

If your application is successful, you will be granted permission based on immigration stamp 3.

A non-refundable fee of €100 applies to this application and must be paid in full at the time of the Preclearance application. The fee must be paid by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT).

Your Preclearance application will not be processed if you do not attach ALL the supporting documentation required:

• Copy of current passport (all pages) and full copy of all previous passports.
• Letter of sponsorship on headed paper from your sponsor detailing your intended role in the State and how they intend to support you in the State. You must be financially supported by the sponsoring organisation within Ireland, financial support from sources outside the state will not be accepted as part of this scheme
• Full six months bank statement from the sponsor
• Full six months bank statement from yourself (the applicant)
• Evidence of qualifications/experience
• Audited accounts of the sponsor should be available if required by the immigration authorities
• Police Clearance Certificate (not more than three months old) from your home country of residence. This must be issued by the police force of that country and must include a full check of that country’s national and local records. Criminal record checks conducted by private companies will not be accepted
• Confirmation from your sponsor they have obtained Garda Síochána vetting for you if you will be working in a role involving children and/or vulnerable adults. If Garda Vetting is not submitted by you then there must be a clear written undertaking from the sponsoring organisation, in the sponsorship letter accompanying the application, that you will have no involvement with children or vulnerable adults during the course of your work in Ireland
• You must be in a position to show evidence of medical/travel insurance for you, which covers the required amounts, when arriving in the state. See the published policy document for full details

If you submit a document that is not in Irish or English, it must be accompanied by a full translation into one of these languages. Each translated document must contain:

• Confirmation from the translator that it is accurate translation of the original document
• Date of the translation
• The translator’s full name and signature
• The translator’s contact details

The work you do as a volunteer must be a structured activity that is undertaken in an approved sector, including (but not limited to):

• Arts, heritage, culture
• Out of school education and youth services
• Religious and faith-based support activities
• Health support services
• Sport and physical recreation
• Welfare and work for the community good
• For no financial gain by you and for the benefit of society, while also bringing benefits to you as a volunteer

You must be invited to Ireland by an eligible organisation. An eligible organisation may be either:

• A non-governmental, not-for-profit, voluntary or charitable body that is already established and active in the State and listed on the Charities Regulator’s Public Register of Charities or
• A sports organisation that is already established and active in the State and whose national governing body is recognised by Sport Ireland

You can request an appeal of a decision by responding to the refusal reasons with extra supporting documents if required. This appeal must be received within six weeks of the date of the refusal letter. The appeal process is free of charge.

If your appeal is approved, you will receive a preclearance letter. If your appeal is refused, you will receive a letter outlining the reasons. You cannot request another appeal.

You also cannot

• Apply to change your immigration status while in Ireland
• Change sponsors more than once in any 12-month permission period while in the State under this Scheme
• Rely on public services or claim any state benefits e.g. health services, education
• Spend more than two years on aggregate volunteering in Ireland