Written answers
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Department of Justice and Equality
Visa Applications
Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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1156. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the visa requirements for missionaries visiting Ireland to proselytise; and to provide a breakdown of the number of visas issued, by organisation, from 2014 to date. [11715/25]
Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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1188. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide a list of the religious bodies and faith communities eligible for the minister of religion visa; and to outline the process and eligibility requirements for a religious body or faith community to qualify. [12230/25]
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1156 and 1188 together.
I can advise the Deputy that my Department does not operate a system for the issuing of visas to missionaries who wish to come to Ireland to proselytise.
However, my Department does operate a Minister of Religion (MOR) scheme which allows MORs to travel to Ireland and remain here under certain conditions. A MOR may be granted permission under this Scheme where their purpose for entering and residing in the State is one or more of the following:
- conducting religious ceremonies, providing pastoral care or spiritual leadership, or conducting classes based on a religious ethos to an established congregation in Ireland.
- providing senior administration support of a substantially full-time nature to a religious institution, order, church, or congregation established in Ireland where the work would not qualify for an employment permit issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
- being a member of a religious community established in Ireland that takes public vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
- Engaging in an established course of religious studies of one years' duration administered by an established religious institution in Ireland.
www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-work-in-ireland/what-are-my-options-for-working-in-ireland/coming-to-work-for-more-than-90-days/minister-of-religion/#information
To be of assistance to the Deputy, I have set out figures for both MOR visa applications and MOR-Preclearance applications in the tables below.
Table 1. MOR visa applications from 2014 to 13 March 2025.
| - | Minister of Religion (Visa Required Nationals) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Applications Received | Number of Decisions Made | Granted | Refused |
| 2014 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 1 |
| 2015 | 144 | 138 | 129 | 9 |
| 2016 | 158 | 151 | 145 | 6 |
| 2017 | 226 | 219 | 195 | 24 |
| 2018 | 137 | 131 | 118 | 13 |
| 2019 | 95 | 89 | 80 | 9 |
| 2020 | 48 | 29 | 25 | 4 |
| 2021 | 52 | 45 | 24 | 21 |
| 2022 | 120 | 132 | 96 | 36 |
| 2023 | 86 | 74 | 50 | 24 |
| 2024 | 103 | 104 | 88 | 16 |
| 2025 (13/03/2025) | 17 | 11 | 10 | 1 |
| Totals | 1201 | 1138 | 974 | 164 |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.* An MOR granted in a particular year may relate to an application made in a previous year.
Table 2. MOR Preclearance visa applications from 2021* to 13 March 2025
| - | Minister of Religion – Preclearance (Non-Visa Required Nationals) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Applications Received | Number of Decisions Made | Granted | Refused |
| 2021 | 22 | 15 | 6 | 9 |
| 2022 | 22 | 22 | 13 | 9 |
| 2023 | 37 | 26 | 14 | 12 |
| 2024 | 32 | 30 | 22 | 8 |
| 2025 (13/03/2025) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Totals | 117 | 97 | 59 | 38 |
* Please note: The Preclearance scheme was introduced during 2021 so no data for this category exists prior to this date.
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
* An MOR granted in a particular year may relate to an application made in a previous year.
I can advise the Deputy that information on the organisations sponsoring the MOR applicants, including lists of religious bodies and faith communities eligible for the MOR visa, is not collated by my Department. The process and eligibility requirements for a religious body or faith community to qualify is detailed in the Minister of Religion Preclearance Scheme Policy Document which is available at the following link:
www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Minister-of-Religion-Policy-Document-June-2023.pdf
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