Currently Domestic Residence and Permissions Division is receiving very high volumes of applications for permission based on marriage/civil partnership with an Irish National. As a consequence there is currently a delay in processing post/applications. When applications are received and uploaded on our systems applicants will receive an acknowledgement. We are doing all we can to acknowledge applications as soon as possible.
In This Section
Introduction
If you are married to, or in a civil partnership with, an Irish national you may be given permission to live in Ireland with your spouse/partner. If you are given permission on this basis you will be allowed to live and work in Ireland without the requirement for an employment permit.
Please note there is no automatic right to live in the State following your marriage/civil partnership to an Irish national. If permission is granted, it is on the basis of sufficient evidence of a valid and genuine marriage/civil partnership and cohabitation.
Any untrue or misleading information during the application process will result in a refusal or a later amendment/revocation of the permission. For more information please read below.
If you currently hold a valid permission
Where a person who does not require a visa enters the State for the purpose of registering as spouse of an Irish national (SOIN) they must inform the immigration officer at their port of entry to the State.
Where a person is already resident in the state and has an alternative permission (Stamp 1, 2 or 3) and they get married, they may seek permission to remain in the State as the spouse of an Irish national. This is also the case for persons who require a visa.
EU nationals
Please note the information on this page does not apply to EU nationals or to nationals of Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. If you are a national of any of these countries you are not required to apply to this department for permission to remain in Ireland.
Civil partnerships
Persons who entered into civil partnership before 16 May 2016 in another jurisdiction will be recognised as civil partners in Ireland. This recognition is as provided for under Section 5 of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010.
Persons who entered into civil partnerships after 16 May 2016 outside the jurisdiction will no longer be recognised in Ireland. This is as provided for under the Marriages Act 2015.
Same-sex marriages which were entered into prior to the introduction of the Marriage Bill 2015 are now recognised in Ireland with effect from 16 November 2015). You can find more information on our Department of Justice website.
Eligibility
There are two ways you can apply for permission to reside in the State on the basis of marriage or civil partnership with an Irish national.
Where you have permission to be in the State
If you do not require a visa to travel to Ireland and you currently hold permission to remain in the State, you and your spouse/civil partner may attend at your local immigration office for permission to remain as the Spouse of an Irish National.
If you do require a visa to travel to Ireland and you have entered the State on a “D-Join” visa, you and your spouse/civil partner may attend at your local immigration office for permission to remain as the Spouse of an Irish National.
The following documents must be brought with you to the Immigration Office:
Your original marriage/civil partnership certificate
Your Irish spouse’s/civil partner’s original passport
Evidence of your joint address
Evidence of financial means.
Where you do not have permission to be in the State
You may be eligible to apply to Spouse of Irish National Unit, Immigration Service Delivery (address below) directly if you:
Have no current permission to be in the State, or
Have entered on the incorrect visa (‘C’ visa), or
Have been refused registration at your local Immigration Office
To qualify for this consideration:
You must be at least 18 years of age at the time of making an application, and
You are married to, or in a civil partnership with, an Irish national, and
Your marriage/civil partnership was freely entered into by both parties, conducted in a lawful manner and recognised under Irish law, and
You are residing in the same household as the Irish national as a family unit, and
The Irish national and you intend to continuously reside together in the State, and
The Irish national earned €40,000 in the last 3 years over and above any State benefits, and
You are of good character and have not come to the adverse attention of An Garda Siochana (Irish Police), or have not become an undue burden on the State.
You must meet all of the above criteria in order to be granted permission to remain as the spouse/civil partner of an Irish national.
Submit an application
Your application must be submitted in writing to Immigration Service Delivery. You must complete the Spouse/Civil Partner of an Irish National application form and submit it by registered post, with all the required original documentation to the following address:
Spouse of Irish National Section
Unit C – Domestic Residence and Permissions Division
Immigration Service Delivery
Department of Justice
13-14 Burgh Quay
Dublin 2, DO2 XK70
All of the following documents must accompany your application form:
Completed Application Form, signed and dated (by you and Irish National)
Your original marriage/civil partnership certificate
Your original passport(s) and birth certificate
Certified copies of the Applicant and spouse’s passports must be submitted
Divorce papers from the applicant and/or spouse (if applicable)
Bank Statements for the previous 12 months for the Irish National
Bank Statements for the previous 12 months for the non-EEA national
Evidence of Private Medical Insurance in respect of non EEA national
Evidence showing that Irish spouse/civil partner has earned €40,000 in the previous 3 years. Examples of evidence are P60s/Employment Detail Summary for last 3 years or, P21 Revenue Commissioner Statements or, Financial Statement for last 3 years or Payslips
Evidence of joint accommodation such as rent book, joint tenancy/lease agreement, mortgage payments, proof of home ownership
Evidence of address in your name and your spouse – recent utility bills (for example – gas, electricity, water, television license, letters from children’s schools (if applicable).
For processing purposes, enclose a photocopy along with the originals of all documents submitted. All original documents will be returned following examination, and copies will be retained on file. Incomplete application forms will not be processed and will be returned to you. All documentation provided with incomplete applications will be returned.
What happens if my application is approved?
In order to complete the process, once you have received a letter approving your application you and your Irish national spouse/partner will be required to attend at your local immigration registration office to register your permission. You must make an appointment with your local immigration office in order to register.
If your local immigration office is Dublin, Kildare, Meath or Wicklow and you previously held a GNIB/IRP card then you should seek to renew your permission by submitting an online application via https: //inisonline.jahs.ie/. Your permission letter should be uploaded as part of your application.
What happens if my application is refused?
We will advise you in writing of the decision to refuse your application. The reasons your application was refused will be outlined in your letter.
Appeal process
You may appeal the Minister’s decision within two calendar months from the date of refusal. If doing so, you should pay careful attention to the reasons your application was refused and address those reasons in your appeal. Your appeal will be considered by a more senior officer where possible.
Applications for appeal should be addressed to the following address:
Spouse of Irish National Appeal Section
Unit C – Domestic Residence and Permissions Division
Immigration Service Delivery
Department of Justice
13-14 Burgh Quay
Dublin 2, DO2 XK70
Frequently asked questions
The following conditions will apply to your temporary permission to remain in the State:
- You are living in the same household as your Irish spouse, as part of a family unit
- You will obey the laws of the State
- You will not become involved in criminal activity
- You and your spouse/civil partner will reside continuously in Ireland
- You will make every effort to gain employment. If you fail to take up employment and become a burden on the State, without reasonable explanation, your permission may not be renewed
- You accept that the granting of your temporary permission to remain does not give any entitlement to another person to enter or remain in the State.
Note: ‘Reside continuously in the State’ means that you have lived in the State full time for the period you were granted permission (shown by the stamps in your passport).
You may only be out of the State for short periods including holidays, family emergencies, or work commitments arising from business or employment carried out within the State (which for Spouse/Civil Partner of an Irish National, does not exceed more than 3 months in a year).
Please note that long absences from the State may have a negative impact on requests to renew permission and on any citizenship application that you may make.
If you are no longer residing together, you must notify your local Immigration office within 7 days. You do not require a legal separation. Within two calendar months after your separation, you will need to inform in writing Immigration Service Delivery.
Please include a copy of your national passport containing your registration stamp and Certificate of Registration. Details should be provided to the address below.
Once you are no longer residing together, your marriage/civil partnership is considered to have dissolved (marriage/civil partnership is no longer subsisting), for the purpose of this permission. The Immigration Service Delivery will consider your application and make a decision if you qualify for a permission in your own right.
No. You are not allowed to enter employment during the application process. You may seek a Work Permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Yes. You are only granted permission as the spouse/civil partner of an Irish national, if you met the qualifying criteria. If we find out that you do not meet the qualifying criteria, or that you have given us false information, after we have granted you permission, the Minister may revoke your permission. The Minister may seek to issue you with an intention to deport.
The following list, which is not a complete list, are some of the types of information, which may result in the Minister revoking your permission:
- Information that shows that you have broken the conditions of your permission
- Information about your character or conduct (whether before or after you were granted permission), including criminal convictions
- Information which shows that you have failed to register your permission with your local immigration office as required by law
- Information that shows that you have provided misleading or inaccurate information to the Minister or to other authorities of the State.
A same-sex couple who enter a registered partnership before or on 15 May 2016 in another jurisdiction will be recognised as civil partners in Ireland. A civil partnership registered in another jurisdiction from 16 May 2016 onwards will not be recognised as a civil partnership in Ireland.
If your spouse/civil partner dies, you should notify your Immigration Office within 3 months. You should provide a Death Certificate.
You will need to request a change of immigration status by writing to this office. You must provide a Death Certificate. You must apply for this change in permission within 3 months of the death of your spouse/civil partner.
Please write to:
Spouse of Irish National Section
Unit C – Domestic Residence and Permissions Division
Immigration Service Delivery
Department of Justice
13-14 Burgh Quay
Dublin 2, DO2 XK70
Please include copies of your national passport containing your registration stamp and your Certificate of Registration.
No, applications are only accepted from persons who are residing in the State. If you are a visa required national, you may apply for a visa to reside in the State prior to entering the State. If you wish to reside over 3 months with a spouse/civil partner who is an Irish citizen you should apply for a long stay (join family) visa.
You may renew your permission at your local Immigration Office provided you have satisfied the conditions relating to this permission. If the Immigration Officer is not satisfied that you are meeting the conditions of your permission, you may be referred to the Spouse of Irish National Unit. It is your responsibility to renew your permission. No reminders will issue from the Immigration Service Delivery.
‘Reside continuously in the State’ means that you have lived in the State full time for the period you were granted permission (shown by the stamps in your passport). You may only be out of the State for short periods including holidays, family emergencies, or work commitments outside the State arising from business or employment carried out within the State (For Spouse/Civil Partner of an Irish National, this should not exceed more than 3 months in a year). Please note that long absences from the State may have a negative impact on any citizenship application, you may make.
A stamp 4 permission means that you are allowed to live and work in the State without the need for an Employment Permit. You may also become self-employed or set up a business in the State. It does not give you a right to any particular public service or funding (the relevant government department or State agency make this decision).
No. Permission granted as the spouse/civil partner of an Irish national relates to you only. It does not entitle any other family member to receive a permission to reside in the State. Each person must qualify for permission in their own right.
No. However, if you decide to use a solicitor or a non-Governmental Agency for your application, you must write to Immigration Service Delivery and give consent for them to act on your behalf.
No. Permission is only granted when the Minister is satisfied that you are of good character. If you have been convicted of a criminal offence, you will not be granted Spouse/Civil Partner of an Irish National permission.
No. Permission is only granted when the Minister is satisfied that you are of good character. If you have been convicted of a criminal offence, your Spouse/Civil Partner of an Irish National permission will not be renewed.
Permission is only granted when the Minister is satisfied that you are of good character. If you have been charged and are awaiting trial, your application will be placed on hold until the outcome of the trial. It is up to you to hold permission to remain in the State at all times.
No. There is no application fee.
No. A spouse, widow or widower of an Irish citizen is exempt from paying this fee.
No. You are required by law to register any permission granted to you at your local Immigration Office.
If you or your spouse are in receipt of social welfare payments, you are a person who is ‘an undue burden on the State’. Your application will be considered. However, any payments received from social welfare will be taken into account when making a decision. If you are in receipt of social welfare payment due to Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, this will not affect your application.
Contact us
You may address questions to [email protected]. Please ensure that your email include your name, reference number and contact details.