# Visa Information: travelling to Malaysia, China (Hong Kong), and Bali: Irish Passport



## Bootdog (6 May 2005)

Sorry if this has been covered before, I couldn't access any of the FAQs for this thread.

Does anyone know of a site where one can find out VISA information for travelling abroad on an Irish passport?

We are travelling to Malaysia, China (Hong Kong), and Bali in a couple of months, and I can't get much info from the travel agent (they keep saying they will get back to me with information).

Bootdog


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## soy (6 May 2005)

*Re: Visa Information*

you could try the dept of foreign affairs to ask whether or not you need a visa. Alternatively try the embassys for the countries in question. Or easiest buy the Lonely Planet for South East Asia and that will have a section on visa requirements to enter these countries.


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## sinead76 (6 May 2005)

*Re: Visa Information*

Some information in books may be out of date, I am going to Bali this year and I know the indonesian regulations changed on 1st of Feb 2004.

The following is from an email I received from the embassy in London (none in Ireland)

Irish passport holder must apply visa in advance before travelling to Indonesia.

If you would like to apply a visa from Indonesian Embassy in London from Ireland, please submit the following :

1. Passport

2. Completed application form with one photo each - please download the form from www.indonesianembassy.org.uk (click Visa)

3. Copy of flight detail (itinerary)

4. Copy of last bank statement

5. Letter from employer or from school (if student)

6. Visa Fee £35.- 

7. UK Intl registered postage £5.- for an envelope upto 500 gram (e.g. 3 passports max)

8. All payment in Bankers draft payable to Indonesian Embassy

Visa Section 02074997661


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## Unregistered (6 May 2005)

Hey

I have just returned from the places you mention:
1. bali - you need a visa - takes about 2 wks to get and you need to send your passport to the UK (the trailfinders UK office will look after it for an additional fee)
2. Hong Kong - no visa necessary HOWEVER if you cross into China you WILL need a visa. With an Iriash passport you can buy one on the day you try to cross the border for about euro 20. Note if you are travelling with someone on a UK passport they will not be allowed to do this and will have to apply in advance.
3. Malaysia - you do not need a visa


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## sinead76 (9 May 2005)

We have been told that for the Bali visa we need the bank statement to show a balance of €1500 for at least a month.  Can this be true?  I haven't got a statement that shows this (except SSIA) but if I put that money in my current account (and leave it there for a month!), by the time I get the statement I'll be cutting it fine for getting the visa


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## Bootdog (9 May 2005)

*Re: Visa Information: travelling to Malaysia, China (Hong Kong), and Bali: Irish Pass*

Hi Sinead, 

Thanks for that information, its very helpful.

I eventually got through to the travel agent, and they are sending out instructions, I'll let you know how I get on.

What is wrong with sending them an SSIA statement? I think they are just looking to verify that you have the funds to support yourself and to return home if you needed to. SSIA would prove this (i.e. you could cash it in if it came to it). I think you need a certain amount in a bank account to get a visa for Australia or New Zealand.

Bootdog


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## sinead76 (9 May 2005)

yes I will be using the SSIA statement, my partners savings are all in the credit union so he thinks he might be better off transferring €1500 to his bank account for a while.  One of the people travelling with us is bringing their 17 year old niece so she might have a problem as she won't be travelling with her parents


Trailfinders.co.uk have the info, they do it for £22 (£18 if more than 3 people) for British residents, and contact them if from outside UK.  It's probably just as easy to do it yourself.  Anyone know how to get the £5 registered intl. postage they require?  I presume its some form of stamp but I asked my local post office and they don't do them.


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## sinead76 (12 May 2005)

Please excuse my ignorance but is a visa an actual printed document or just a stamp on a passport?

I went to Eqypt years ago via Cyprus and they stamped the passports but we didn't have to fill in any forms.

I also discovered the Bali visas expire 3 months after issue so don't apply too early!


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## Bootdog (12 May 2005)

*Re: Visa Information: travelling to Malaysia, China (Hong Kong), and Bali: Irish Pass*

Sinead,

Same thing. I went to Egypt myself, both times via Holland. When we arrived at the airport, we had to purchase two stamps (one for entry and one for exit), which were then applied to a page of our passports, and ink-stamped at the passport control place.

The stamp or sticker etc. is the visa, they won't let you in without it! In the case of america, they insert a big sticker which takes up the whole area of the page in your passport, but I don't remember any printed documents.


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## sinead76 (18 May 2005)

with regard to Bali, www.visafirst.ie do a visa service for €110 which seems steep but there's a lot of info. on their website anyhow


Did you have any luck yet? When are you off?


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## Bootdog (31 May 2005)

*Re: Visa Information: travelling to Malaysia, China (Hong Kong), and Bali: Irish Pass*

Hey Sinead76,

We off in mid-July (18th I think, via London), so I am looking to get the visa sorted this week hopefully, that will cover the 3 months period without any trouble.

I was checking the embassy website earlier, and there is a note about printing the forms out in double sided form, as they only accept them that way - did you spot this? I can't see them having a problem with it, but then again ...

I reckoned that the passports wouldn't weigh more than 100g each, so 200g for 2 passports, £2.03 for airmail, and another £4 for "airsure" delivery seemed to be the right postage. I'm getting someone in the UK to send me the stamps/special envelope, but could go up North just as easily. If you're stuck for this, get back to me, I could get 2 just as easily as one, and send it on. The Special Delivery that they mentioned didn't seem to cover outside the UK, and I reckoned Airsure was the closest alternative. You can check it on [broken link removed]

When are you going yourself?


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## sinead76 (1 Jun 2005)

We took the lazy way out.  We're not going to Bali any more, we changed our flights and are staying in Australia longer.  I wasn't too happy with the decision to give Bali the slip but it was a majority decision and I'll find plenty to do in Oz in that time anyway!


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## Vazelothir (9 Jun 2005)

You don't need a visa to visit Hong Kong - I got issued a tourist visa in HK when I arrived from Singapore.... Think you only need one if you plan to stay more than 30(?) days?


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## jhegarty (9 Jun 2005)

*Re: Visa Information: travelling to Malaysia, China (Hong Kong), and Bali: Irish Pass*



			
				sinead76 said:
			
		

> Please excuse my ignorance but is a visa an actual printed document or just a stamp on a passport?
> 
> I went to Eqypt years ago via Cyprus and they stamped the passports but we didn't have to fill in any forms.
> 
> I also discovered the Bali visas expire 3 months after issue so don't apply too early!



for india is a sticker they put over a page in your passpost , it covers the whole page... don't know about the countrys above...


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