Non-EEA Family Reunification Ireland: Eligibility, Requirements & How to Apply (2026 Policy)
The process of Non-EEA Family Reunification allows non-EEA family members of Irish citizens, as well as EEA citizens residing in Ireland, to join their relatives in Ireland.
Call Total Law on (+353) 061 518 025 for professional legal advice and assistance with submitting your application.
Page Contents
What is Non-EEA Family Reunification in Ireland?
Non-EEA family reunification in Ireland is the process by which non-EEA nationals can apply for the right to live in Ireland with an Irish citizen or EU/EEA national family member. The process is governed by the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, published and administered by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) under the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
For EU/EEA nationals living in Ireland to be able to bring their families to Ireland, they have to be exercising their free movement rights there. That means that they have to intend to live in Ireland long-term, be working there, and be getting enough money to support themselves.
Unfortunately, non-EEA family members of non-EEA citizens residing in Ireland are not eligible for family reunification.
Those who are eligible for Non-EEA Family Reunification have to apply for a Long Stay ‘D’ Join Family Visa to be able to travel to Ireland.
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Who is Eligible for Non-EEA Family Reunification in Ireland?
Not all family members qualify for Non-EEA Family Reunification. If one of the following applies to your situation, you can apply for Non-EEA Family Reunification as a qualifying family member:
- Spouses or civil partners of Irish citizens
- Children of Irish citizens
- Grandchildren of Irish citizens
- Parents of Irish citizens
- Grandparents of Irish citizens.
However, you might also be eligible for Non-EEA Family Reunification as a permitted family member if one of the following describes your relationship with the relative in Ireland:
- De facto partners of Irish citizens or EU/EEA residents in Ireland
- Dependent family members of EU/EEA residents in Ireland
- Spouses or civil partners of EU/EEA residents in Ireland
- Relatives of EU/EEA citizens living in Ireland who are dependent on them for medical reasons.
If you are not sure whether you have the right to join your family members in Ireland through Non-EEA Family Reunification, talk to our lawyers. They can assess your circumstances and determine whether your relationship with the person living in Ireland qualifies you for Family Reunification.
Non-EEA Family Reunification vs EU Treaty Rights: Understanding the Two Routes
Non-EEA family reunification in Ireland and EU Treaty Rights applications are often confused, but they are governed by different legal frameworks and have distinct eligibility requirements.
Route 1: Family Members of Irish Citizens
If you are joining an Irish citizen, your application is generally assessed under Ireland’s Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy. Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for a long-stay D visa before travelling to Ireland and then register your permission after arrival. Financial requirements, relationship evidence, and sponsorship criteria are assessed according to Irish national immigration policy.
Route 2: Family Members of EU/EEA Nationals
If you are joining an EU or EEA citizen who is exercising their free movement rights in Ireland (for example, by working, studying, or being self-sufficient), your application falls under the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015, commonly known as the EU Treaty Rights route. This pathway is based on EU law rather than Irish domestic immigration policy.
The two routes differ significantly in terms of eligibility rules, financial thresholds, application procedures, and residence permissions granted. Importantly, forms such as EUTR1 and EU1A are used only for EU Treaty Rights applications. They do not apply to family members of Irish citizens, who must follow the separate family reunification process.
How to Apply for Non-EEA Family Reunification in Ireland: Step by Step
Non-EEA citizens who are eligible for Non-EEA Family Reunification have to apply for a Long Stay ‘D’ Join Family Visa. Applications for it can be submitted online. After you complete the online form you will see a web page with your application summary sheet. Make sure to print it and include it in your portfolio of evidence.
Once your application for the visa is approved, you can travel to Ireland and apply for residence after arriving in the country. To do that those who are applying as qualifying family members need to complete the EUTR1 form and those applying as permitted family members have to complete the EU1A form.
You can enter the country with a temporary Stamp 4 residence permission while waiting for the approval of your residence application. Then, if your application for residence is accepted, you will receive Stamp 4EUFAM allowing you to reside in Ireland for up to 5 years.
Keep in mind that once you arrive in Ireland you have to register at an immigration office to receive permission to stay in the country for more than 90 days.
What Are the Financial Requirements for Non-EEA Family Reunification in Ireland?
For non-EEA family reunification in Ireland, the sponsor must demonstrate that they can financially support their family members without relying on public funds. Financial requirements vary depending on the sponsor’s immigration status and the family members they wish to bring to Ireland.
Irish citizens sponsoring a spouse, civil partner, de facto partner, or minor child generally need to show a cumulative gross income of at least €75,000 over the previous three years, with evidence that this income level is likely to continue. Critical Skills Employment Permit holders and certain other highly skilled migrants are assessed under separate rules and are generally considered to meet the financial requirement through their immigration category. General Employment Permit holders must typically show a gross annual income exceeding €30,000, although higher thresholds apply when sponsoring children.
Sponsors must not have been primarily dependent on Irish social welfare payments for two continuous years immediately before applying. Importantly, only the sponsor’s income is considered; income from a spouse, partner, or other family members cannot be combined to meet the threshold.
Applicants should also provide evidence of accommodation, employment, and financial stability. Because family reunification rules were revised in late 2025, sponsors should ensure they meet the latest income thresholds and documentary requirements before submitting an application.
What Documents Do I Need to Apply for Non-EEA Family Reunification?
As part of the application for the Long Stay ‘D’ Join Family Visa you have to submit a number of documents that prove your eligibility for it. These include:
- Valid passport
- Two passport-sized photographs in colour
- Signed and dated application summary sheet
- Signed letter of application in which you explain the reason for you wanting to come to Ireland
- Proof of your relationship with the family member in Ireland
- Details of your family member’s immigration status in Ireland
- Proof of you and your family member’s finances
- Confirmation showing that you have medical insurance
- Details of any previous visas to Ireland.
The exact documents you have to submit depend on your individual circumstances. For example, if you are applying for Non-EEA Family Reunification as a spouse of an Irish citizen, you have to provide a marriage certificate. If, however, you are applying as a dependent of a family member in Ireland, you need to include proof of dependency.
If you hire one of our lawyers, they can help you put together a complete portfolio of evidence. Thanks to their help you can avoid your visa being refused because of you failing to provide sufficient evidence.
Can family members of refugees apply for Non-EEA Family Reunification?
As of 12 June 2026, the Irish Government has introduced major changes to family reunification for people granted international protection.
Under the revised policy, sponsors must now wait two years from the date their protection was granted before becoming eligible to apply for family reunification.
Additionally, refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection are no longer eligible under the general Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy for family members where the relationship was formed before they entered Ireland — they must instead apply under the International Protection Act 2015.
Sponsors must also demonstrate sufficient financial resources and must not be in receipt of certain social protection payments or housing supports. Certain exceptions apply where the sponsor is a minor. The full amended policy is published by the Immigration Service Delivery
What is the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification?
The Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification is the official Irish government policy that governs all decisions on family-based immigration where ministerial discretion applies, including long stay (join family) visa applications. It is published and administered by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) under the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
How Our Irish Immigration Lawyers Can Help With Your Reunification Application
The process of applying for Non-EEA Family Reunification can be complex but, at Total Law, our consultants have a thorough knowledge of Irish immigration law. They have helped many clients successfully apply for Family Reunification and they can guide you through each step of the application process.
Thanks to their help you can be sure that you correctly completed all the forms and that you provided all the required documents. This way, you can maximise the chances of your application being accepted.
Our experts can also write a Letter of Representation for you to further strengthen your case. They have the same experience as an immigration lawyer.
Even if your application for the Non-EEA Family Reunification is unsuccessful, our consultants can help you find a solution. They will either offer you assistance with appealing the decision or will help you find another visa to Ireland, making sure you can be reunited with your family.
Call Total Law today on (+353) 061 518 025 to find out more about how our immigration experts can help.
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Frequently Asked Questions
If your situation, normally qualifying you for Family Reunification, changes, you might still be able to live in Ireland. The Retained Right of Residence protects your status in Ireland in certain circumstances, which are:
- Your family member in Ireland passed away
- You and your family member in Ireland got divorced
- You became a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of your family member in Ireland
- Your family member in Ireland decided to leave the country.
Keep in mind that you have to inform INIS immediately after your circumstances change and explain to them what happened.
The waiting time for the Non-EEA Family Reunification varies depending on how complex your case is. First, you have to wait for approval of your eligibility for Non-EEA Family Reunification, and then you need to wait for your Join Family Visa application to be processed.
On average, the whole process takes between 12-14 months.
If you fail to include some of the required documents, the processing of your application might take longer. That is why it is advisable that you hire an immigration lawyer who can review and correct your application before you submit it.
If you are an EU/EEA citizen and you are residing in Ireland, you might be able to bring your non-EEA family members to join you. Nevertheless, not all family members are eligible to come to Ireland using this route. Unfortunately, siblings do not qualify for Non-EEA Family Reunification.
Our experts can help you find another Irish Visa that your sister can apply for so that you can be reunited in Ireland.
Stamp 4 in Ireland means that you have the right to reside in the state for 5 years. After this period you can renew your status. If you are in Ireland with Stamp 4 you can work without having to obtain a work permit, you can start your own business, and you can access state services.
The time you spend in Ireland with Stamp 4 counts towards reckonable residence, which means that you might be eligible for naturalisation in Ireland in the future.
A non-EEA national is a citizen of any country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. The EEA covers the 27 EU member states plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Countries such as India, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Philippines, the United States, and the United Kingdom are all non-EEA countries. In Irish immigration law, non-EEA nationals are subject to visa and permission requirements that EU/EEA citizens are not. According to Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), non-EEA nationals wishing to join family in Ireland must apply under the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy or through an appropriate visa route.
If your Long Stay ‘D’ Join Family Visa is refused, you have the right to appeal the decision. Under the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, you may also have other immigration routes available depending on your circumstances. Our immigration lawyers can review the refusal letter, advise on grounds for appeal, and either represent you through the appeals process or identify an alternative visa route that allows you to be reunited with your family in Ireland.
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