Do i need a holiday visa to go to america for 8 days and if so where will i get it i am from ireland?

i will be flying out from shannon

You do NOT need a visa if you have a machine readable passport.

From the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Office website:

US Entry Requirements
The Passport Office would like to remind Irish passport holders intending to visit the United States that with effect from 16 June 2005 they must present a machine readable passport to avail of the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme. Otherwise they must obtain a visa, in advance, from their nearest U.S. Diplomatic or Consular Mission.

Children, including infants, who are endorsed on a parent's passport must have an individual machine readable passport or else obtain a visa in the parent's passport.

Under the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme, passport holders from 27 countries, including Ireland , may enter the U.S. without a visa for travel or business purposes for a maximum period of 90 days.

A Machine readable passport is a passport in which the holder's details have been printed on the datapage which also contains the holder's photograph. A passport where the holder's details have been handwritten is not a machine readable passport.

No you dont need one... I flew to Chicago last year for 8 days, dont need a visa.

in UK you dont need visa for the states any more but not sure about ireland.

Check with the US Embassy but most people do not need a visa because of the visa waiver program, there are exceptions though, if you have been arrested or other stuff

I think that being from Ireland you are subject to the same rules as the UK and you fill in the green form on the plane and that's it.

I also think (and I might be wrong on this) that there is a US Immigration post in Shannon, so once you're on the plane you are essentially on a domestic US flight and you are straight through at the other end - but I might have dreamt that!

Your travel agent should be able to help...


[Edit] You don't need a visa from Ireland, so long as you have a machine readable (chip) passports.

Here's the link for some more info....(thanks to Curious Steve for the US embassy website)

dont think you need one - i flew out to los angeles last november and was fine., but went in from u.k., however, i went to munich first - dont see any difference really but check with immigration - sure its fine though..

no not if your only going for a holiday

When I went to the states last year,flights arriving from Shannon went straight through at New York airport,no immigration so Mark you weren't dreaming.

No, you dont need a visa unless you are staying more than 6 months.

I have just flown back from New York, and I go there often as my Daughter lives there. You dont need visas now like you once did, So off you go and enjoy it, as I always do.

You dont need to get a visa now. You have 90 days from the time you land in America. But you must leave before your 90 days are up, in order to return again without any problems. When you pass through customs they will attach a green slip to your passport. Enjoy!!

Visa's are normally issued on arrival for 90 days - at least it was in my case!

No not if you have an Irish passport. However, make sure your passport is suitable for the U.S. with all its regulations post 9/11. You can Check it out with the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, or perhaps you can check it out by phone from U.S. customs at Shannon Airport.