Almost 63,000 people were denied visas to travel to Ireland over the last two years, with nationals from certain countries experiencing refusal rates of more than 90 percent.
In contrast, over 321,000 visa applications were approved across 2024 and 2025, based on statistics published by the Department of Justice, reports RTE.
During 2025, authorities issued decisions for 72,137 applicants from India, with 92.4 percent receiving approval.
At the opposite end of the scale, applicants from Burundi had less than a one-in-twelve likelihood of securing permission to travel to Ireland, reports RTE.
Out of 136 determinations relating to the small East African nation, only 8.1 percent – just 11 individuals – were granted visas.
In total, more than 205,000 applications were submitted to the State last year for business, employment, or tourism purposes, with decisions reached in approximately 195,000 cases, reports RTE.
Visas were approved in 161,084 instances, while 34,089 were refused – representing an overall approval rate of 82.5 percent.
Internal records also outline “tips for processing visas”
Initially, the Department of Justice declined to release the material, arguing that publication could negatively impact immigration controls, reports RTE.
The information, offering a country-by-country analysis of visa outcomes, was eventually disclosed following an appeal to the Information Commissioner under Freedom of Information legislation.
Internal documentation also details “tips for processing visas” and highlights issues officials should be mindful of when examining applications, reports RTE.
It advised staff to remain vigilant for tampered passports and situations where an applicant may previously have overstayed a visa.
Officials were also cautioned about replacement passports that might be used to obscure a person’s travel background, reports RTE.
“[They] are often obtained to hide previous visa refusals,” said the guidance document.
Staff were further encouraged to “trust your instincts” and “don’t be afraid to make a decision, reports RTE.
Another alert focused on substantial cash deposits made into bank accounts shortly before intended travel.
Instead, visa officers were instructed to seek six months’ worth of bank statements along with payslips from applicants, reports RTE.
The guidance added that visas could still be approved in “exceptional circumstances [or] compassionate grounds” even if other requirements were not fulfilled.
One recommendation emphasised that officials should remain measured and neutral in their written language, reports RTE.
“Anything you write on an application can be seen by the applicant or their legal representative under Freedom of Information or through the legal process of judicial review,” it said.
Internal manuals also set out how to assess the risk of an individual overstaying, breaching the Common Travel Area with the UK, or placing a burden on the State, reports RTE.
Travel patterns, financial security, and prior compliance with immigration rules are all identified as major considerations when determining whether a visa should be granted.
Highest failure rates for visas tend to be African countries
A review of the Department of Justice figures indicates that the highest refusal rates were generally recorded among African nations, reports RTE.
Burundi had the lowest approval rate at 8.1 percent, while Cameroon recorded a similarly low figure of 9 percent.
Applicants from Togo had just a 16.9 percent success rate, and those from Gambia were approved in 28.6 percent of cases, reports RTE.
Among the ten lowest approval rates, all related to African countries, including Guinea, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria, Djibouti, and Malawi.
Some nations recorded a 100 percent approval rate, although this was based on small numbers of applications from Bhutan, Montenegro, and Papua New Guinea, reports RTE.
The data further showed that 94.5 percent of applications from Russia were successful, compared with 74 percent from the Palestinian National Authority.
Of the 16,511 applications from China that were finalised last year, nearly 95 percent received approval, reports RTE.
Other countries with significant volumes of visa applicants included South Africa, where 12,500 cases were processed and 93.1 percent were approved.
There were also 13,662 visa applications from Pakistani nationals, though the approval rate there stood at below 53 percent, reports RTE.
The Department of Justice additionally confirmed that 245 visa decisions involved individuals classified as ‘stateless’, with 86.9 percent of those applications granted, reports RTE.
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