Planning a Prison Visit

It is important for families to maintain contact during a period of imprisonment but this can be very difficult when someone is imprisoned overseas. 

If you are planning to visit a loved one in prison overseas we recommend that you begin organising your trip in plenty of time and that you don’t book flights or accommodation until you have received confirmation of the visit from the prison.

If you are resident in the Republic of Ireland, and are on State benefits, you can apply for a discretionary Exceptional Needs Payment to assist with the cost of a prison visit. You must apply to your local Community Welfare Officer for this payment. Please contact us if you would like further information about this or if you would like a letter of support to bring to your CWO. You can also download an our factsheet on the Importance of Family Prison Visits to take to your CWO.

If you are resident in Northern Ireland, England, Wales or Scotland, and are in receipt of certain benefits, you may be eligible for assistance with your travel costs under the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme. Please read our factsheet on this scheme for further information. 

The ICPO can provide limited financial assistance to help with the cost of a prison visit overseas. Due to the large number of requests we receive, we can only provide one payment per prisoner every six months.

Please contact us on 01-5053156 for further information on organising a prison visit.