Chinese, Indians can use UK visa for Ireland
October 7, 2014, 5:19 am

Although the number of tourists travelling to Ireland from China and India is small, the market is growing, with more than 10,000 visitors expected to use the scheme [AP]

Britain and Ireland on Monday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on visa cooperation to allow Chinese and Indian visitors to travel to the two island nations on a single visa. With China recording 97.3 million outward-bound journeys from the country last year, making the second largest economy in the world the top global tourism source as well.

The landmark visa deal will help Britain and Ireland share data and exchange information to inform, determine immigration decisions and set up a common travel area across Ireland and Britain for tourists from outside the EU.

“Today’s MOU will allow the UK and Ireland to share data and exchange information which will be used to inform and determine immigration decisions and allow visitors from India and China to travel more easily between the two countries, while maintaining the security of the borders,’ said a statement by the UK Home Office.

The British-Irish Visa scheme will start in China by the end of October and in India soon afterwards, the Home Office noted. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the People’s Republic of China.

BRICS member, Brazil will also be covered, at a later stage, by the reciprocal arrangements.

Although the number of tourists travelling to Ireland from China and India is small, the market is growing, with more than 10,000 visitors expected to use the scheme.

“The scheme will benefit the Northern Irish economy in particular, by allowing Chinese and Indian visitors to the Republic of Ireland the opportunity to visit Northern Ireland without having to obtain a separate UK visa,” said Frances Fitzgerald, Ireland’s Minister for Justice and Equality.

The government of Ireland has set the 2014 economic growth forecast at 4.5 per cent.

Chinese tourists have displaced German and US tourists as the world’s biggest-spending travelers in 2012, spending $102 billion overseas, a 40-percent increase from 2011.

China’s growing economy is allowing its burgeoning middle class to extend new-found affluence to travelling abroad.

TBP and Agencies