Irish Family Visa & Join Family Long Stay Visa Guide 2026
If you are a foreign national with a relative who is an Irish citizen, you may be eligible to enter Ireland to stay with them on an Irish Family Visa. This type of visa will allow you to stay in Ireland for longer than 90 days to join your Irish family members.
If you would like further advice on obtaining an Irish Family Visa, contact Total Law for assistance. Speak to one of our expert immigration advisers today. Call (+353) 061 518 025 or use the online contact form to get in touch.
Page Contents
- What Is An Irish Family Visa?
- Eligibility for Family Visa Sponsors
- Eligibility For Irish Family Visa Applicants
- Which Join Family Long Stay Visa Route Applies to You
- Required Documents For an Irish Family Visa
- EU/EEA Family Members vs Non-EEA Family Reunification
- How To Apply For An Irish Family Visa
- Processing Times
- Costs and Fees
- Financial Thresholds for the Join Family Visa in 2026
- After You Arrive: Registration, Stamp 4 and Your Right to Work
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is An Irish Family Visa?
According to Ireland’s Immigration Service Delivery, the family reunification visa — officially the long stay (join family) visa — lets a non-EEA national travel to Ireland to live with an Irish citizen or lawfully resident family member for more than three months. Since June 2026, all applications are assessed under the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, which sets out who can sponsor, who can be sponsored, and the income thresholds that apply.
To support family reunification, the family visa will allow holders to stay in Ireland for more than three months to join family, including children, parents, or a spouse or civil partner.
There are several types of Irish Family Visas that you can choose from depending on your circumstances. These are:
- Child Dependent Visa
- Spouse/ Civil Partner Visa
- De Facto Partner Visa
- Dependent of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder Visa
When applying for a family reunification visa, you will have to specify which category you are applying under and meet the eligibility requirements for that category.
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Who Can Sponsor a Ireland Family Visa? Eligibility
The first requirement in the family visa application process is to obtain a sponsor. Visa applicants are not able to apply for the family visa without a sponsoring family member or another qualifying individual.
Persons eligible to become a sponsor include:
- Citizens of Ireland
- Citizens of EU/ EEA countries who are living in Ireland
- Citizens of non- EU/ EEA countries who are in Ireland on an employment permit
- Foreign citizens living in Ireland on Stamp 4 or Stamp 5
- Researchers who are in Ireland under a hosting agreement
- PhD students who are enrolled in an accredited PhD course of study in Ireland
The sponsor must meet several eligibility requirements, the main one being that they must be able to prove they are able to financially support the visa holder during their stay in Ireland, and that the visa holder will not need to rely on public funds.
Under the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification (12 June 2026), sponsors fall into three categories. Category A sponsors — Irish citizens — must show cumulative gross earnings of at least €75,000 over the three years before applying (roughly €25,000/year) to sponsor a spouse, civil partner, de facto partner or minor children. Category C sponsors (e.g. General Employment Permit holders) need gross income above €30,000 in the previous year.
Eligibility For Irish Family Visa Applicants
There are a number of eligibility requirements applicants must meet for the Irish Family Visa. These include:
- You must hold a current and valid passport
- You must have a relative who is an Irish citizen
- You must be able to provide proof that your relative has a valid Irish address
- Your relative in Ireland must agree to sponsor you and petition for your visa
- Your relative must meet all the eligibility requirements for sponsorship, including financial stability
- You must be able to prove your connection to your relative
Other eligibility requirements will depend on the circumstances you are applying under. For example, if you are an Irish citizen sponsoring your non-EEA country dependent children, you must prove that you have active and continuous involvement in their lives.
Join Family Long Stay Visa Routes: Which One Applies to You
We often receive queries from our clients confused about which family visa route could be applicable in their circumstances: an ‘Irish family visa’ or a ‘join family long-stay visa’?
In reality, an Irish family visa, a family reunification visa in Ireland, or a join family visa Ireland all refer to the same Long Stay ‘D’ visa category applicable for non-EEA family reunification in the State.
The ‘Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification’ specifies that individuals belonging to the following categories are eligible for the join family visa Ireland:
- Spouse or civil partner
- De facto partners (a cohabiting relationship similar to marriage and which is duly confirmed for a period of more than two years)
- Children (of the sponsor/spouse/civil partner/de facto partner) under 18
- Parents of the sponsor/spouse/civil partner/de facto partner
- Other dependent family members of the sponsor/spouse/civil partner/de facto partner
Children over 18 with any serious medical or psychological problems may also be permitted to apply, if they are dependent on the care of their sponsoring parent and where independent life in the home country is impossible for them due to the aforementioned illnesses.
Adopted children will enjoy the same rights as the biological children provided that:
- The adoption process was either carried in Ireland or, in case of foreign adoption, is recognised under the concerned Irish law
- A genuine and complete transfer of parental responsibility took place during the adoption process
EU/EEA Family Members vs Non-EEA Family Reunification
ISD’s Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy is applicable ONLY to non-UK and non-EU/EEA/Swiss family members of Irish citizens and non-EEA nationals who are lawfully residents in Ireland.
If you are a UK citizen, you do not need any visa, work permit or prior immigration permission to live, work or study in Ireland, owing to the Common Travel Area (CTA) agreement signed between the two governments (i.e., the UK and Republic of Ireland).
If you are a UK citizen in Ireland seeking to sponsor your eligible non-EEA family members, how you do so depends on when you started living in the country. If you have come to live in Ireland after 31 December 2020, your non-EEA family member must apply, depending on their nationality, for a preclearance or visa scheme.
On the other hand, if the UK citizen was living in Ireland on or before 31 December 2020, they and their eligible non-EEA family members will be beneficiaries under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Likewise, if you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, you do not need any visa, work permit or prior immigration permission to live, work or study in Ireland under the EU freedom of movement (Directive 2004/38/EC).
If you are a non-EEA family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen and do not hold a ‘Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen’, you may be required to apply for a single journey short-stay C visa unless exempt (and register yourself within 90 days of arrival).
If you hold a ‘Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen’, you can come to Ireland without a visa but must apply for a residence card issued by the Irish authorities within 90 days of your arrival.
However, if you are a non-UK and non-EU/EEA/Swiss national family member of an Irish citizen or lawful resident, you must apply for an Irish long-stay ‘D’ visa to move to Ireland if you are from a visa-required country for Ireland. If you are visa-exempt you can come to Ireland without a visa, but in either case you must register with the authorities within 90 days of your arrival to obtain your permission.
Required Documents For an Irish Family Visa
When you apply for an Irish family visa, you will be required to provide sufficient evidence that you meet the eligibility criteria as a part of your visa application package.
Required supporting documents can vary slightly depending on which category of family visa you are applying under. However, most required documents will be the same across all categories. These are:
- A current and valid passport
- Two standard passport size photographs
- Previous passports, visas, and details of any previous visa refusals
- Your application summary sheet that is printed, dated and signed
- Your signed application letter detailing your reason for travel and including your and your sponsoring family member’s contact details
- The receipt of the visa application fee
- Documents supporting your family relationship and relationship history with your sponsoring family member, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, civil partnership certificates, etc.
- Documents proving that your sponsor has enough money to support you financially for the duration of your visa, such as bank statements
- Details of your accommodations in Ireland
All the documents which are not originally in the English language must have certified translated copies made and submitted as part of your documentation package. The particular documents for the category of family visa you are applying under will be detailed in your online application.
How To Apply For An Irish Family Visa
The first step in the Irish Family Visa application process is to identify your sponsoring family member. You must have an Irish family member who agrees to be your sponsor for the visa, or you will not be eligible to apply.
The second stage of the process is for the visa applicant. You will need to complete the online application form and submit your supporting documents as well as pay the visa application fee. The online application will ask you to provide personal details including the reason for your desire to travel to Ireland. It is important to complete the application thoroughly and truthfully to avoid your application being delayed or rejected.
At the end of the application, you will be given an application summary page. This page will give you the information needed to submit your supporting documentation package. It will also give you a number so that you can track your application while it is being processed.
You will need to submit your supporting documentation to Irish immigration authorities and wait for your application package to be processed. Once a visa decision is reached, your original documents will be mailed back to you or arrangements will be made for you to retrieve them from a local embassy or consulate.
Irish Family Visa Processing Times: How Long Does It Take?
As of June 2026, Immigration Service Delivery processes join family visa applications strictly in date order rather than against a fixed deadline.
In practice, applicants sponsored by an Irish citizen typically receive a decision within around 6 months, while those sponsored by a lawfully resident non-EEA national can wait up to 12 months — though ISD states these timeframes are not a legal guarantee, and current waits should be checked on the Visa Decisions page
Irish Family Visa Costs and Fees 2026
Once you fill out your visa application, you will need to pay the fee before your visa can be submitted and processed. If you are applying for a single-entry visa, the fee is €60. For a multiple-entry visa, the fee is €100.
You may incur other costs or fees during the visa application process, such as for services like the translation of required documents.
Financial Thresholds for the Join Family Visa in 2026
Ireland rolled out important changes to the family visa rules on 12 June 2026 with regard to non-EEA family reunification. In particular, the financial threshold for Category A sponsors (i.e., Irish citizens) to sponsor their non-EEA national spouse/civil partner/de facto partner and children has been revised from erstwhile €40,000 to a gross cumulative income of €40,000 earned over the past three years.
People like investors under IIP, entrepreneurs under STEP, Critical Skills Employment Permit holders, intra-company transferees, or researchers qualify as Category B sponsors for family reunification route. In their case, the immigration status granted to them in Ireland indicates certain levels of assured income (either immediately or in future).
While no minimum figure is mentioned for Category B sponsors, it is generally assumed that they can cover for their dependent spouses/partners and minor children (if any).
General Employment Permit holders, Reactivation Employment Permit holders, and Stamp 4 holders (who can sponsor family but are not eligible for a Category B status) qualify as Category C sponsors.
They must prove a gross income of more than €30,000 in the previous year (with the expectation that this level of income will be maintained in future) to sponsor their spouse, civil partner, or de facto partner. They must earn more than that if they want to sponsor children.
All sponsors, irrespective of their categories, must earn more than their respective financial thresholds if they wish to sponsor their dependent parents, dependent adult children (when eligible) or other dependent eligible relatives.
The following table provides the financial thresholds as set out by ISD:
| Category | Sponsored applicant type | Minimum annual gross salary |
| A | Spouse/civil partner/de facto partner Minor children | > €40,000 over past three years |
| B | Spouse/civil partner/de facto partner Minor children | No minimum figure but their immigration permission assumes a certain level of income |
| C | Spouse/civil partner/de facto partner | > €30,000 in the previous year |
| A, B & C | 1 dependent adult relative | > €96,929 |
| A, B & C | 2 dependent adult relatives | > €130,985 |
| A, B & C | 3 dependent adult relatives | > €165,042 |
| C | 1 minor child | > €39,780 (annual net income) |
| C | 2 minor children | > €45,032 (annual net income) |
| C | 3 minor children | > €50,284 (annual net income) |
| C | 4 minor children | > €55,016 (annual net income) |
| C | 5 minor children | > €61,568 (annual net income) |
| C | 6 minor children | > €67,600 (annual net income) |
| C | 7 minor children | > €74,672 (annual net income) |
| C | 8+ minor children | > €79,664 (annual net income) |
After You Arrive: Registration, Stamp 4 and Your Right to Work
Once your join family visa application is approved and you have arrived in Ireland, 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 your details.
Non-EEA/non-Swiss foreign nationals will have to pay a registration fee of €300, first time as well as renewals, to get their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card unless exempt.
Spouses/civil partners/de facto partners will receive a Stamp 4 immigration permission in Ireland, allowing 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.
Other dependent adult relatives will receive a Stamp 0 permission. They cannot work in Ireland, nor receive any benefits or use publicly funded services (e.g., healthcare).
How Can Total Law Help with Irish Family Visas?
With Total Law, your Irish family visa application will be completed by one of our professional immigration lawyers, ensuring you have the best chances of a successful visa decision.
Your Total Law advisor will provide you with all the necessary advice to proceed with your Irish family visa application. Contact us today at (+353) 061 518 025 or use our online contact form to get in touch with our team of qualified immigration lawyers.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once your application package is submitted, you are unable to further edit it. For this reason, you should ensure that your application is filled out as thoroughly and completely as possible and that you have gathered all required documentation ahead of time.
If your application package is missing required supporting documents, you may receive a notification from an immigration official requesting additional information or documents.
If additional evidence is requested by the visa office, your application processing will be put on hold. However, in some cases missing documentation will cause your application to be automatically rejected. In this case, you would have to re-apply for the visa. A qualified immigration lawyer can review your application prior to submission to ensure you have the best chances of your visa being approved.
In the event that your application is rejected, you will receive a notification detailing the reasons for the negative decision. You may be able to appeal this decision through Immigration Service Delivery, part of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. However, in some cases, it may be faster and more cost-efficient to simply file for a new visa. If your application for a family visa in Ireland was recently denied and you are unsure of the next step you should take, contact Total Law today.
Processing times for the Irish Family Visa can vary, but it typically takes 6-12 months to receive a visa decision.
While you do not need a lawyer to apply for a Join Family Visa, many applicants choose to use one. A qualified immigration lawyer can help you to assess your personal circumstances and give you additional information on what documentary evidence you should prepare to have the best chances of your Irish visa being approved.
Yes — under the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification (12 June 2026), a sponsor can apply to bring a dependent parent to Ireland as a ‘Dependent Adult Relative.’ This route carries a higher income bar than spouse or child applications.
They’re the same visa. “Irish Family Visa” and “family reunification visa” are informal names for what Immigration Service Delivery officially calls the long stay (join family) visa — a D-visa letting a non-EEA national live in Ireland with an Irish citizen or lawfully resident family member for more than three months, covering spouse, civil partner, de facto partner, dependent child, dependent adult relative, and CSEP-dependent routes.
Not under this visa. EU/EEA citizens exercising free movement rights in Ireland sponsor family members under a separate EU Treaty Rights scheme (Directive 2004/38/EC). The Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification explicitly excludes EU/EEA nationals exercising free movement from this route — they should apply via the “joining an EEA or Swiss national” scheme instead.
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