Join family visa

If you wish to come to Ireland to reside for longer than 3 months with your Irish family member then you must, if you are a visa-required national, be granted a long stay (join family) visa in order to travel to Ireland.

A non-visa-required national does not need a visa or preclearance in order to travel to Ireland with their Irish spouse.

A comprehensive statement of national immigration policy on the area of family reunification is contained in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification.

The policies outlined in the document apply to all decision making in relation to family reunification cases where ministerial discretion applies including long stay (join family) visa applications.

You must apply online for a visa.

When you have completed the online application process, you must follow the instructions on the Application Form that is created by the online system. The Application Form will contain information on where you are to submit your supporting documentation.

You must print, sign and date the Application Form and submit it with your supporting documentation.

You may be required to provide your biometrics information as part of the application process.

A guide to supporting documentation is set out below.

Please refer to the table of fees for information on the fees that you are required to pay. Some applicants are exempt from the requirement to pay the visa fee. You may be required to pay additional charges, for example relating to the submission of your documents. You may be able to pay the fee in local currency. The website of the visa office, embassy or consulate will have details about additional charges and local payment options.

Applications are processed in date order. You are advised not to purchase travel tickets before you know the outcome of your visa application. If your application is being processed by the visa office in Dublin you can check the date of the applications currently being processed on the visa decisions page. Otherwise, you can check the processing times for the Visa Office, Embassy or consulate that is handling your application on their website.

Please note that these processing times reflect the detailed assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification, and other visa categories. It in no way constitutes a legal obligation or convey any indication that an application not decided within the timeframe will, in default of a decision, be resolved in your favour.

The documents below are important because they provide information about your personal circumstances. It is your responsibility to satisfy the Visa Officer that a visa should be granted for the purpose sought.

The submission of any or all of these documents does not guarantee that your application will be successful.

Original documents must be provided.

If you submit a document that is not in English or Irish, it must be accompanied by a full translation. Each translated document must contain:

All letters submitted from a business, company or other organisation must be on official headed paper so they can be verified, and show the organisation’s:

The visa officer considers each application on its merits and may request additional information or documentation.

If you do not submit the required documentation your application may be refused on the basis of insufficient documentation.

Any State issued official documents, such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Divorce Certificates that were issued by a State outside of the EEA or Switzerland, must be attested/apostilled as genuine by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the State that issued the document, in order that it can be accepted as evidence for Irish visa purposes. Such documents are required to be translated into English or Irish, if necessary. Translations done outside the EEA or Switzerland must also be attested/apostilled as genuine, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country in which the translation occurs. Send us both the original documents and the certified translations. Translations done in the EEA or Switzerland do not need to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Any State issued official documents, such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Divorce Certificates that were issued by a State within the EEA or Switzerland do not require to be attested as genuine from Member States. A translation of these documents is not required where a multilingual standard form (MSF) is also provided. Such MSF forms are available from Member States on request. If an MSF is not provided by you then those documents are required to be translated into English or Irish, if necessary in order that it can be accepted as evidence for Irish visa purposes. Translations done outside the EEA or Switzerland must also be attested/apostilled as genuine, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country in which the translation occurs. Translations done in the EEA or Switzerland do not need to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We will also accept the Extract of a European marriage certificate, issued in accordance with the “Convention on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records“, as proof of a marriage within the EEA or Switzerland. Send us both the original documents and the certified translations.

1 . Signed and dated Application Form and the appropriate fee (where applicable) must be accompanied by the supporting documentation set out below.

2. Two colour passport sized photographs not more than 6 months old. Your name and visa application reference number must be printed clearly on the back. More information on photograph requirements.

3. Your current passport and a full copy of all previous passports. Your current passport must be valid for at least 12 months.

4. A signed letter of application:

• Including your full contact details
• Outlining your reason for coming to Ireland
• Providing details of the family member in Ireland who is sponsoring your application
• Giving details of any other members of your family who are currently in Ireland, the United Kingdom, or any EU Member State.

5. Sponsor’s status or eligibility to sponsor

• For a sponsor who is an Irish citizen and residing in Ireland, please provide a clear and legible copy of their passport or other documentary evidence attesting to their Irish citizenship
• For a sponsor who is an Irish citizen and residing in a country other than Ireland, please provide a clear and legible copy of their passport showing evidence of their residency in the country in which they are residing.

6. Evidence of claimed relationship
You must provide evidence of the claimed relationship.

The responsibility to show proof as to the genuineness of the relationship rests on you and your sponsor. The nature of the evidence required will depend on the relationship claimed, for example see below – spouse, civil partner, child.

Spouse or civil partner

• Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate – marriages/civil partnerships must be capable of recognition under Irish law for other purposes outside of the immigration system
• If your sponsor (spouse/civil partner) is residing in Ireland and you have not resided together since your marriage/civil partnership, you must also provide a full account of your relationship history (where and when you met evidenced by for example: visas, entry/exit stamps on the passport of your spouse, photographs, correspondence by e-mail, telephone)
• A relationship must include a number of face to face meetings (excluding webcam) between the parties. It is not sufficient for a relationship to have developed solely over the internet or by telephone/sms for immigration purposes.

Child (under 18 years and unmarried)

• Birth certificate, adoption order
• In the case of a child from a previous marriage or relationship, evidence that you have been given full custody and access rights to the child, for example, a court order
• In the case of a child from a previous marriage or relationship, where the other parent has some custody or access rights, a sworn affidavit by that parent consenting to the child being removed from their home country.

7. Finances
You must provide evidence of your finances and those of your sponsor including evidence to show that your sponsor meets the minimum level of earnings required (please refer to Chapters 17 and 18 of the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification):

• A detailed statement of your bank accounts covering a six month period immediately prior to your application
• A detailed statement of your sponsor’s bank accounts covering a six month period immediately prior to your application.

Sponsor who is resident in Ireland:
Evidence that they meet the minimum level of earnings required:

• Employment Detail Summary from Revenue for the 3 years immediately prior to the date of your application and 3 recent consecutive payslips
• If self-employed you must submit Notices of Assessment of income from self-employment for the three most recent years, and evidence of earnings in the period since the most recent tax return was filed.

Person who is eligible to sponsor applications for immediate family reunification:
(Please refer to list of such sponsors at para. 16.4 of the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification):

• Evidence of projected earnings, for example a copy of contract of employment.

Person who is eligible to sponsor applications for family reunification after 12 months
(Please refer to list of such sponsors at para. 16.4 of the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification):

• Evidence that they meet the minimum level of earning required – P60s for the previous 2 years (or previous 1 year in the case of an employment permit holder who has been in Ireland for 1 year only), or if self-employed you must submit Notices of Assessment of income from self-employment, as appropriate
• 3 recent consecutive payslips.

An employment permit holder:
A copy of their contract of employment of at least 1 year from your proposed date of entry giving their annual salary is also required.

8. Evidence of dependency
If you are making your application on the basis of financial and social dependency on your sponsor you must provide documentary evidence to establish that you are actually dependent on your sponsor.

Documentary evidence may vary from case to case, however evidence of the following will normally be relevant:

• Amount, frequency and duration of the financial support provided by your sponsor (for example, copies of your sponsor’s bank statements showing transfers to your account, copies of your bank statements showing receipt of those amounts)
• Any other sources of income that you may have
• If you have no other source of income, evidence of why you are unable to work, why you are not eligible for state benefits
• Your living costs (evidence of mortgage or rent, utility, food, medical, education payments)
• Details of any other family members in your country of residence
• Your medical condition (where relevant), relationship with the sponsor including evidence of active and continuous involvement in your life, for example evidence of visits or correspondence.

9. Medical or travel insurance
Evidence of medical or travel insurance does not need to be provided with your application. However, the Visa Officer may request it before they make a decision on your application.

If your visa is approved, you must have evidence of medical or travel insurance when you arrive at the port of entry (airport or seaport) and must present it to the Immigration Officer on request.

10. Previous Visa Refusals
If you have been refused a visa in the past for any country, you must provide the details. The original letter issued to you by the authorities of that country must be provided with your application.

If a child under the age of 18 is travelling, their birth certificate must be submitted with their application.

If they are travelling either alone or with a person other than their parent or legal guardian (for example, an adult relative, nurse), a written letter of consent from both parents or legal guardians is required.

These signed consents must be accompanied by copies of the consenting parent or legal guardians’ passports or national identity cards, which clearly show their signature.

If the child is travelling with one parent or legal guardian, the consent of the other parent or legal guardian is required. This signed consent must be accompanied by a copy of the consenting parent or legal guardian’s passport or national identity card which clearly shows their signature.

Where one parent has sole custody, a Court Order bestowing sole custody of the child on the parent concerned must be submitted.

All documents accompanying your application must be originals.

You should keep copies of all the documents that you provide.

Original documents such as marriage, birth or death certificates will be returned to you. However, other documents such as bank statements or letters of invitation will not be returned.

If there are particular documents that you wish to have returned, please provide a list of these documents with the application.

The activities that will be permitted (for example the right to work without an employment permit, establish or manage/operate a business) will depend on the immigration permission granted to you by the Irish immigration authorities following your entry to the State.

If you are an immediate family member of an Irish citizen you will receive a Stamp 4 immigration permission which will allow you to work without an employment permit or to establish or manage/operate a business.

If you are an immediate family member of a non-EEA sponsor or are a non-immediate family member of an Irish citizen you will have dependent status only, and will continue to be subject to the employment permits requirements as operated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE). However, you will be entitled to apply for immigration status in your own right under the various channels available (for example student, work permit or business permission).