Visa & Registration Checklist for Marrying a Non-EU Citizen in Ireland

If you are a foreign national intending to marry an Irish resident, it’s vital to confirm whether you need a visa to enter the country. This largely hinges on your nationality and existing residency status.

If you are not a citizen of the EU or Switzerland, you must apply for the Ireland Marriage Visa. This visa is a Short Stay ‘C’ visa that allows foreign nationals in a relationship with an Irish resident or citizen to enter Ireland for a short period to get married to their fiance/fiancee.

Page Contents

• Step 1: Determine if You Require a Visa to Enter Ireland
• Step 2: Get the Marriage Registration Form or Licence
• Step 3: Gather Your Visa Application Documents
• Step 4: Submit the Marriage Visa Application
• Step 5: Receive a Decision
• Step 6: Preparing for Border Control
• Step 7: Getting Married in Ireland
• Appeal Process if Your Visa is Denied
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Before you begin the visa application process, you and your fiance/fiancee must notify the Registrar of Civil Marriages in Ireland about your intention to marry. This involves obtaining confirmation from the Registrar, indicating the date you formally communicated your plan to marry in Ireland.

Be aware that you must submit your application to the Registrar at least three months before your intended wedding date in Ireland.

To begin the marriage registration process, you must book an appointment with the HSE civil registration service. As long as one of you is a foreign national, you must attend an interview with the marriage registrar.

You must pay a non-refundable notification fee at the appointment. Be sure to come with relevant documents, including a valid passport, the original and photocopy of your birth certificate, proof of address dated within the last 3 months, and your PPS number.

You might need to answer questions regarding your relationship, marriage ceremony details, and witnesses. If you meet the requirements, the registrar will provide you with a marriage registration form valid for a duration of 6 months, starting from the date of your intended wedding.

It’s important to gather the required documents before submitting an application for a Marriage Visa. Here are the documents a visa applicant must provide:

• A passport valid for at least six months after your intended date of departure from Ireland
• Printed, signed, and dated application summary sheets
• Two coloured passport-sized photographs with your name and visa application reference number printed on the back
• An application letter explaining the reason for your trip to Ireland, how long you intend to stay, where you intend to stay, details of any family members in Ireland, and an undertaking that you will accept the conditions of your visa.
• Details of your accommodation
• Bank statements for the previous six months
• Evidence of your intention to marry with any of the following:
  • Acknowledgement from the Registrar confirming the date of receipt of notification of intention to marry or
  • Marriage Registration Form (MRF)
• Sufficient evidence of your relationship history with the following:
  • Proof of your prospective spouse having travelled to your country of residence on some occasions to visit you and
  • Proof of correspondence.
  • Divorce certificate if either party were married
  • Civil partnership certificate, final decree of dissolution, civil annulment, or civil death certificate if either party previously had a civil partner
• Proof of your intention to return home with any of the following social or economic ties:
  • If employed, proof of 3 months’ payslip and a letter from your employer
  • If you are a student, a letter from your school affirming that you study there and will return following your visit.
  • The title deed of any property you own or rent
  • Proof that you have dependent children or family members that you’ll be returning home to.
• Evidence of private medical insurance for the non-EEA national
• Proof of previous visa refusals, if applicable

All documents submitted with your application must be in English or Irish and be original copies. Documents such as birth and marriage certificates will be returned to you afterwards, but others, like bank statements, will not be returned.

You will need to submit an application online via AVATS. After completing the online application process, you will see a summary application form with details on what to do next, including how to submit your supporting documents.

Here is a guide on how the online application process proceeds after login into the AVATS portal:

• Provide information about your nationality
• State the reason for your travel
• Pick the type of visa or preclearance you need. In this case, a Short Stay ‘C’ visa
• Select your journey type, either a single or multiple-entry visa
• Input passport details
• Pick proposed travel dates for entrance and exit
• Provide personal details, including birth date, family status, country of birth, current location, and telephone number
• Input your unique application number
• Provide biometric information
• Provide immigration history and criminal record
• Provide details of family members residing in Ireland
• Provide details of your relationship with the Irish National and their current activity in the country
• Input details of current employment or study status
• Sign the statutory declaration form
• Confirm your documents and information provided
• View and print the application form

Additionally, you’ll need to pay the marriage visa application fee. If applying for a single-entry visa, you will pay €60, but if you’re getting a multiple-entry visa, pay €100. However, if you’re from the following countries, you’re exempt from paying the visa application fee:

• Bosnia
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Ecuador
• Indonesia
• Jamaica
• Kosovo
• Kyrgyzstan
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• North Macedonia
• Peru
• Serbia
• Sri Lanka
• Tunisia
• Uganda
• Zambia

Afterwards, you must submit the application. It’s important to adhere to the instructions outlined in the application summary sheet and submit your supporting documentation together with the form.

The Irish marriage visa application typically takes around eight weeks from submission to the application office to process. Applications are processed in the order they’re received, which can differ by country; as such, the processing times may vary.

It can take longer time due to any of the following reasons:

• During periods of high demand
• If you submit incorrect documents,
• Failure to provide the right information or evidence,
• If your documents need to be verified because of a personal circumstance, such as a criminal conviction.

The Ireland Marriage Visa only allows you to travel to Ireland and does not grant entry or stay privileges. As such, when you arrive in Ireland, present yourself at the Irish border control. You’ll be required to display your passport, visa, and acknowledgement from the Registrar of Civil Marriages to an immigration officer at the border.

There’s a possibility that you’ll be asked for other essential supporting documents. To prepare for this, carry photocopies of the crucial documents in your marriage visa application. Border control officials will assess your documentation and details.

You’ll be granted official permission to enter Ireland if they find everything satisfactory. However, in unfortunate cases with concerns regarding your application or the information provided, you can be denied entry into Ireland, even if you possess a valid visa.

There are two ways you can get married in Ireland: through a civil ceremony or a religious or secular ceremony.

For the civil marriage process, you’ll require two witnesses aged 18 or above. The registrar who officiates the ceremony will subsequently sign the marriage registration form and register your marriage.

On the other hand, for a church, religious, or secular ceremony, you must bring the marriage registration form to your marriage ceremony. The respective religious or secular authority coordinating the ceremony will sign the form.

You must then use the form to register your marriage not more than one month after the ceremony.

If your Marriage Visa application was denied, you will receive a letter from the immigration authorities stating the reason for the denial and if you are allowed to appeal the decision.

You must appeal within 2 months of receiving the refusal letter. Otherwise, the visa decision cannot be changed. In such cases, you will need to submit a new application.

The appeal process is free. To begin, write a letter stating that you want to appeal the decision. The letter must contain your personal information and visa application number.

In the letter, explain why you believe the decision should be changed and provide any new information that is important to your case. Afterwards, submit the appeal at the Visa Appeals Office address specified in the refusal letter.

Note that if your appeal is denied, you cannot appeal again for the same visa application. As such, it’s important to prepare your documents carefully before submitting them.