Irish Family Visas From Canada

Visa applicants will need to submit a portfolio of supporting documents as proof to verify their claim for the family visa.

Requirements may include the following documents:

• A certified and notarized statement of your reasons for moving to Ireland
• Contact details of your Irish citizen sponsor/ family member
• Your passport and prior passports
• Proof of private medical insurance
• A copy of your sponsor/Irish partner or family member’s Irish citizenship, passport, and residency
• A marriage certificate or certificate of civil partnership if applicable
• Proof of your genuine relationship with your family member
• Copies of the 6 most recent months of bank statements from both the applicant and the sponsor.
• Proof of income for the applicant and sponsor. Acceptable financial evidence includes paystubs from a job or bank statements and tax forms if you are self-employed.
• Proof that you have paid the visa application fee

Original documents will be returned to you by mail to the address you provide. Photocopies will be kept by the Irish visa office.

Certified translated copies are for all the required documents for all documents that are not originally in English or Irish. In order to obtain a certified copy, you will have to locate a qualified third party such as a solicitor or barrister.

It is important that you submit all required supporting documentation along with your visa application. This is what the Irish immigration officer will use to make a decision on your family visa application. The most common reason for visa applications to be rejected is inaccurate or incomplete documentation or applications. During the application process, you may be asked to submit additional evidence. You must submit all requested documents by the date given.

Most non-EEA nationals require a visa to enter Ireland. As a Canadian citizen, you may enter Ireland without a visa for up to 90 days. At border control, an immigration officer will issue you a landing stamp after reviewing your documents and reason for entering the country.

Keep in mind that you are not automatically guaranteed entry to Ireland. If you are not issued a landing stamp when you arrive, you must leave Ireland immediately. If you intend to stay longer than 90 days, you can apply for the Long Stay Join Family Visa with the Irish Immigration Service Delivery. The visa application process is as follows:

• Fill out the visa application online at the government website
• Pay the visa application fee
• Submit all required documents
• Wait for your evidence to be reviewed by the visa office. Family visa decisions are made by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in the chronological order they are received
• Once you enter Ireland, you will need to apply for permission to remain from a local immigration office when staying beyond 90 days

Registering Your Residence Permission (IRP) After Arrival

If your visa application is approved, you must register your details with the local immigration office before your landing stamp expires. Visit the registration office in Dublin (or at a local Garda station if you are living outside of Dublin) within 90 days of your arrival to register. You must pay a registration fee of €300 to get your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card, unless exempt.

If your application is denied, you will receive a letter stating the reason for the decision. In many cases, you will be able to apply again, or you may be able to appeal the decision.

Approximate application fees for the long stay ‘D’ visa in Canadian dollars are:

• Single entry visa fee is €60 or approximately 102 CAD.
• Multiple entry visa fee:€100 or approximately 171 CAD.
• Transit visa fee is €25 or approximately 42 CAD.

The Irish Residence Permit is €300 or about 413 Canadian dollars.

A small additional fee may be charged for the return of your original documents by mail. You may also incur additional fees for other services, such as translating documents.

Per the ISD estimate on 31 May 2026, processing a join family visa application may take anywhere from six to 12 months from the date of application receipt in an Irish embassy or consulate.

However, note that it is rather an official target for Irish consular posts than a guaranteed timeline for your application. Your family visa application may take longer to process depending on various factors, such as your specific immigration circumstances, the volume of applications at the respective Canadian consulate, etc.

Moreover, if your visa application is transferred to the Dublin head office, a different timeframe will apply. You can check the Dublin visa office Visa Decisions page for a better estimate.

Spouses/partners coming to Ireland via the join family route receive a Stamp 4 immigration permission. It allows them to work in Ireland without an employment permit, establish or manage their own business, or study.

They may also access public funds and public services including healthcare benefits in Ireland. Any time spent in Ireland on a Stamp 4 permission will also be counted towards ‘reckonable residence’ for naturalization purposes.

However, they will not have access to rights strictly reserved for Irish citizens, such as the right to vote, serve in the Irish defence forces, and so on. They must also keep on renewing their IRP card until they become eligible for Irish citizenship by naturalization.

After legally residing in Ireland for at least five years out of the previous nine years, you may be eligible to apply for Irish citizenship through naturalization, provided you meet the other relevant conditions. You must also be living lawfully and continuously for 12 months immediately before you apply.

If you are a spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen, the residency requirement comes down to three years. You can also count any legal residence period in Northern Ireland for this purpose in that case.

Note that any time you spent in Ireland on stamps 1, 1G, 3, 4, and 5 can be counted as reckonable residency for the purpose of citizenship by naturalization. Time spent as an international student (generally with a Stamp 2 or Stamp 2A) will not be considered.