IRISH TO APPLY FOR VISA REFUND FOR UK VISA ADVISORY SERVICES (APRIL 2019) UK passport holders in Ireland will be able to request a refund for travel advice provided by their travel advisory service providers, the Irish Government said on Wednesday.
The decision was announced by Tourism Ireland, the Government of Ireland’s agency that provides passport services to the UK, and is part of the Government’s ongoing work to promote tourism in Ireland and its neighbours.
The new scheme, announced on Wednesday, means UK passport holder can request a 100% refund for the cost of the advice provided to them by their passport service provider, Tourism Ireland said.
The agency said its aim was to ensure that UK passport applicants received the best possible advice for their travel needs.
Irish passport holders travelling in the UK will also be able request a 50% refund from their passport services provider.
The UK Government has said it will continue to use the UK passport system.
Travellers in Ireland, who are eligible for the British Isles travel advisory system, are currently able to use their UK passports for the same passport services they use for their Irish passport.
Irish travel advisory specialist, Ian Campbell, said the Government has been working with Tourism Ireland and others to ensure the best advice is provided for the UK.
“We have been working closely with Tourism in recent months to develop a framework to ensure a high level of confidence is maintained in UK travel advice services,” he said.
“This framework has been developed with the Irish community in mind, so we hope to be able implement this in the next phase of the scheme.”
Tourism Ireland says it has received requests from UK passport service providers to issue refunds for their advice.
The British Government says it is providing a 90-day grace period to any UK passport applicant who requests a refund.
Travel advisory services in Ireland The Government has also said it is also working with the Government and other agencies to ensure Irish passport service applicants receive the best available advice.
This includes using a review panel to review the advice and making changes if required.
The Government also said its travel advisory process is the same as the UK system, but will require that any Irish passport applicants requesting a refund must provide the same level of evidence as their British counterparts.
This is to help ensure that Irish passport holder is not unfairly penalised for not seeking the same type of advice they would receive in the United Kingdom.
It said the review panel will be made up of representatives from Tourism Ireland; the Department of Health; the European Commission; the Irish Embassy in the U.K. and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The review panel has already been made up and has received submissions from UK and Irish passport services.
Tourism Ireland also said the current system is working as planned.
It has been notified that there are no further requests for a refund from the UK Department of Homeland Security and Border Force.
