Irish Residency for those in Canada

There are several paths to residency in Ireland, mainly: Employment, Investment, and Retirement. Each path has its own requirements for eligibility. You may also claim residency in Ireland based on:

• A civil partnership with an Irish citizen
• A marriage to an Irish citizen
• A relationship with an EEA/ Swiss citizen who is a resident in Ireland
• Other qualifying familial ties to Irish citizens, such as immediate family members

Some circumstances will not qualify you for residency in Ireland. These include:

• Residing in Ireland on a study visa
• Residing in Ireland as an employee of a foreign embassy
• Residing in Ireland as an intra-company transferee

In the case that you have been residing in Ireland as a Canadian citizen under non-qualifying circumstances, contact Total Law to review your options.

Each path to Irish residency has its own unique requirements. Some paths only require you to prove your tie to an Irish citizen/resident, but some may require you to have certification and prove other requirements.

For example, on the basis of employment, you will need to first obtain an employment permit to receive immigration permission. After living in Ireland under specific work authorization guidelines for a term of five years, then you will be eligible to apply for permanent residence.

Canadian citizens and residents who wish to invest in Ireland may be eligible to move to Ireland under the Immigrant Investor Program (IIP).

The IIP enables successful applicants and their immediate family to move to Ireland for up to five years with a minimum investment of €1 million. In order to access the benefits of the IIP, you must apply to the Department of Justice and obtain approval. The IIP application has a fee of €1,500. You must also:

• Be determined to be of good moral character
• Have a minimum net worth of €2 million
• Have not been convicted of any criminal offense

For more information on the requirements and application process for the IIP from Canada, visit our Ireland Immigrant Investor Program page.

Canadian citizens who wish to retire in Ireland may apply to do so if they meet certain eligibility requirements, including:

• Applicants must be financially independent and not require financial support
• Must have financial documentation verified by an Irish accounting firm

There are other requirements as well which you can find on our Irish Retirement visa page. Note that if you are a Canadian citizen or a citizen of any of the non-visa-required countries for Ireland, you don’t need to apply for the Retirement visa. However, you must obtain a Conditional Letter of Offer and an Agreement Form to retire to Ireland for the long-term.

If you have a long stay ‘D’ employment visa or permit, you will be able to reside in Ireland for the long haul as long as your permit remains valid.

To obtain this visa or permit type, you must already be employed by a company in Ireland that is willing to sponsor your application. Also, you must be able to prove you are of good moral character.

Note that Ireland has several employment permits and each has its specific eligibility requirement, documents, and process. You can find out more about this route on our employment permit page.

You can obtain residency in Ireland on the basis of your relationship with an Irish citizen or resident. With this route, you can also obtain permanent residency, depending on if you are qualified for it.

Most foreign nationals who are able to use the family route to reside in Ireland are the spouse or dependent family member (mostly children but some adults may qualify) of the Irish citizen or legal resident.

Note that not all Irish residents can sponsor their family members to come to the country to live. In most cases, if they are not citizens, they must have lived in the country for a specific period unless they are applying for a visa that allows them to bring dependents.

You can find out more about this route on our family visas page.

If you intend to leave Canada to establish permanent residency in Ireland, you may be able to become an Irish permanent resident if you qualify.

Unlike in Canada, where you can obtain permanent resident status without having lived in the country before (Express Entry and other routes), in Ireland, you must have lived in the country or be coming through the Join Family route. Only a few routes/permits give access to what is called a Stamp 4 which is similar to permanent residency.

Having lived in Ireland for a bit, you may qualify for Long Residence.

After a few more years on Long Residence, you may be able to apply Without condition as to time in Ireland which is more like permanent residence as you can stay for as long as your passport on which the stamp was placed is valid without needing a visa. You may also be able to get this without having to get Long Residency first.

For more information, advice, or support with any of the routes to Irish residency as a Canadian citizen or resident, reach out to us today at +1 844 290 6312.

When you submit your application for your Ireland Residence Permit to the INIS, you will also be required to submit certain documents as evidence to support your claim. The exact documents requested can vary slightly depending on the path to residency you are taking.

Take note that missing information can cause your residency application to be delayed or rejected. You may be asked to submit the following documents:

• Completed application forms
• Your trip itinerary, including your destination address
• A valid passport
• Original birth certificate
• Original marriage or civil partnership certificate
• Original passport and birth certificate of the applicant’s Irish spouse/civil partner
• Proof you will not require financial support or rely on government services. These may include pay stubs or bank account statements showing individual income.
• Proof of refugee status if applicable
• Documents supporting reckonable residence including a valid address
• Employment permit, proof of a job offer, or forms for skilled workers if applicable
• Proof of private health insurance
• International students may need documents from a post-secondary institution or school stating tuition fees and living expenses have been paid.
• When applying for residency on the basis of a qualifying family member, you will need to supply documents to prove your relationship.

Include a photocopy of all documents. Original documents such as birth certificates will be returned to you by mail. All required documents that are not originally in the English or Irish language must have certified translated copies made and submitted along with your application package. Letters from companies, universities, colleges, or professional courses must be on official stationery.

Canadian citizens who plan to claim residency in Ireland will need to apply for pre-clearance prior to traveling. Certain programs, such as the Immigrant Investor Program, have their own online process you will need to follow prior to your residency application.

Fill out the online forms carefully as inaccurate or incomplete forms are the most common cause of refusal.

Applicants can access the residency application at the Irish Immigration Service Delivery Website. Submit your application to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, or INIS by filling out the written physical application forms and submitting them along with your required documentation. If you have entered the country legally within the last 90 days, you may be able to apply from within Ireland.

The cost to obtain residency can vary depending on the path you are taking.

• The fee for an Irish Residence Permit is €300 (paid by bank draft or money order.)
• The fee for a work permit can range from free up to €1,500.
• You may incur additional fees for services such as translation or certification of documents.

You may be exempt from paying the residency fee if you meet several requirements including being under the age of 18, having refugee status due to a natural disaster, or if you are applying for residency on a certain basis.

The processing time for a Canadian citizen to achieve Irish residency can vary based on pre-clearance requirements and other factors. Generally, Irish residency applications are processed between 6 and 8 months from when you submit your application.

Be sure to fill out all forms correctly and completely and submit all requested documents promptly. Inaccurate or missing information is the most common cause of delayed processing or refusal of applications.

When you are approved for Irish permanent residency, you will receive a Stamp 4 on your passport. The Stamp 4 is valid for 5 years. After 5 years you may be eligible to renew.

After 8 years total of reckonable residence in Ireland, you may apply for a “Without Condition As To Time” endorsement which will allow you to stay in the country indefinitely. You may also become eligible to apply for Irish citizenship.