Is it VFS Global or VisaMetric for a German visa in Ireland?

VisaMetric. The German Embassy in Dublin works with VisaMetric only; its centre is at the Ormond Building, 31–36 Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin 7. The Embassy decides every application.

Can I change my German visa appointment date with VisaMetric?

No. VisaMetric says an assigned date and time cannot be changed. You can cancel, and the service fee is refunded only if you cancel at least 72 hours before the appointment.

How long must my IRP be valid for a German visa?

At least one month beyond your intended departure from the Schengen Area, according to the German Embassy in Dublin, which also needs the physical IRP card.

What is the refusal rate for Germany Schengen visas in Ireland?

In 2025, the consulates of Germany in Ireland refused 4.1% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 3.1% across all Schengen countries in Ireland, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 5,184 applications, the 3rd most of any Schengen country.

How to Apply for a Germany Schengen Visa from Ireland

On this page

Where you apply
Step by step
Documents
Fees and processing time
Applications and refusals
What applicants reported
Getting the appointment
Questions
Sources

Residents of Ireland apply for a German short-stay Schengen visa through VisaMetric, not VFS Global: it is the only service provider the German Embassy in Dublin uses, and it takes the applications at its centre on Ormond Quay. The Embassy alone decides. Since 20 May 2026 you join a waiting list and VisaMetric gives you a date.

Visa Catcher does not track Germany appointments in Ireland, so there is no free channel or paid alert for it. This guide covers the waiting list, the VIDEX form, the documents on the Embassy's checklist for Ireland, and the fees. For the general rules, see how to apply for a Schengen visa from Ireland.

Where you apply

Apply to Germany if it is your main destination by length or purpose of stay or, with equal stays, the country you enter first; the Embassy warns that ignoring this rule can lead to a refusal. VisaMetric accepts the application, sends it to the Embassy's visa office and returns your passport:

VisaMetric Dublin: Regus Ormond, Ormond Building, 31–36 Ormond Quay Upper, third floor, office 305, Dublin D07 EE37. Submissions Monday to Friday 08:30 to 15:00; collection 15:00 to 16:00.

Appointments come from a waiting list. You register once, pay VisaMetric's fee, and wait for an email with your date. In November 2026 the Embassy put the wait at about three months for Tourism, Family & Friend Visit and Transit, and about one month for the other Schengen categories. Book the category that matches your documents: an application in the wrong category is not accepted, and the fee is not refunded.

Family members of an EU citizen with a Stamp 4 card still need a visa, but pay no visa fee and bring fewer documents when they travel with that family member. With an IRP marked “Stamp 4EU FAM” you need no visa at all, according to VisaMetric and the Embassy.

Step by step

1
Fill in the VIDEX form
Germany's short-stay form is VIDEX. Complete it in full, including the declaration under Section 54(2) No. 8 of the Residence Act, then print and sign it.
2
Register on the VisaMetric waiting list
On VisaMetric's Schengen page, once only, with every applicant in the group and details exactly as in the passport. The confirmation email has your reservation number (PNR) and a cancellation link; the service fee is then charged to your card.
3
Wait for your date
VisaMetric emails the date and time. It cannot be changed; you can cancel, with a refund only at least 72 hours before the appointment.
4
Attend VisaMetric
Five minutes early, with the documents in the checklist's order. Everyone aged 12 or over gives fingerprints; at least one parent comes with a minor.
5
Wait for the decision
The visa office usually decides within 15 calendar days of receiving the file, not of your appointment, and transport adds a few days. The passport comes back only through VisaMetric. A refusal can be contested in writing within four weeks.

Documents

The country's own checklist is the one that counts. The core of it:

Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages.
Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card, valid beyond your return.
The signed application form and a photo to the ICAO passport standard.
Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip.
Recent bank statements, and a letter from your employer or proof of studies or self-employment.
A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, the Embassy's tourism checklist for Ireland asks for:

An Irish re-entry visa or IRP valid at least one month beyond your departure from the Schengen Area, original and copy; the Embassy needs the physical IRP card.
A passport signed by you, valid at least 90 days beyond your return, with one copy of every page that has entries or visas.
Bank statements for the last three months and payslips for the last three months, or a sponsor's letter, passport copy, recent bank statement and payslip.
An employer letter no older than 30 days, or a work permit; the self-employed bring the company's registration certificate.
Hotel or other bookings for the whole stay, with every applicant's name on them.
Travel insurance in your own name; insurance that comes with a bank account is not accepted.
Proof of address, such as a utility bill or bank statement no older than two weeks.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults: €90
Children aged 6 to 11: €45
VisaMetric service fee: €30 per Schengen application, prepaid by card when you register (VisaMetric, November 2026)
Courier return of the passport: Optional, €30 (VisaMetric, November 2026)
Processing: Usually 15 calendar days from receipt at the Embassy; apply at least three weeks ahead

VisaMetric's €30 service fee is prepaid by card when you book, and its centre takes no cash. The visa fee and service fee are not refunded once the application has gone to the Embassy, or if the visa is refused.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Germany in Ireland received 5,184 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 16.9% of all those lodged in Ireland, and the 3rd most of any Schengen country. They refused 4.1% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in Ireland the rate was 3.1%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025: 5,184
Rank in Ireland: 3rd of 21 Schengen countries
Refused: 4.1%
All Schengen countries in Ireland: 3.1% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so these are residents of Ireland of many nationalities. A refusal rate is an average over every applicant and says little about any one file; and the country you apply to is set by your main destination, not by its refusal rate.

What applicants reported

5 applicants in Ireland have reported their Germany visa to Visa Catcher's statistics. The median time from appointment to passport back was 15 days.

Reports: 5
Appointment to passport back (median): 15 days; typically 11–24 days
Approved: 100% of 5 with a known outcome
Validity granted (median): 6 months
Multiple entry: 100%

See every Germany report from Ireland · how the statistics work

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date with VisaMetric: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear.

These are the ways to get a date:

Check the VisaMetric portal yourself

Free

Who books: You

Log in, choose the centre and category, and look at the calendar. New dates appear when the centre releases them or someone cancels, so this means checking again and again.

Visa CatcherOur service

Not tracked

Who books: —

We do not track Germany appointments in Ireland, so there is no free channel, alert or auto-booking for it. Our free channel covers Finland, Hungary, Iceland and the Netherlands.

Every route we do track is on the Ireland appointment board page. For how the booking systems work, see how to book a Schengen visa appointment in Ireland.

Questions

Is it VFS Global or VisaMetric for a German visa in Ireland?: VisaMetric. The German Embassy in Dublin works with VisaMetric only; its centre is at the Ormond Building, 31–36 Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin 7. The Embassy decides every application.
How does the VisaMetric waiting list for Germany work?: Since 20 May 2026 you register once on VisaMetric’s appointment system, pay the service fee, and VisaMetric emails you a date. In November 2026 the Embassy put the wait at about three months for tourism, family and friend visits and transit, and about one month for other Schengen categories.
Can I change my German visa appointment date with VisaMetric?: No. VisaMetric says an assigned date and time cannot be changed. You can cancel, and the service fee is refunded only if you cancel at least 72 hours before the appointment.
How long must my IRP be valid for a German visa?: At least one month beyond your intended departure from the Schengen Area, according to the German Embassy in Dublin, which also needs the physical IRP card.
What is the refusal rate for Germany Schengen visas in Ireland?: In 2025, the consulates of Germany in Ireland refused 4.1% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 3.1% across all Schengen countries in Ireland, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 5,184 applications, the 3rd most of any Schengen country.

Sources

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and their visa centres and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Our coverage, prices and release statistics on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with any visa centre, embassy, consulate or government.

How to apply for a Germany Schengen visa from Ireland