Ireland De Facto Partner Visa: Expert Guide for UK Applicants
If you are in a De Facto relationship with an Irish citizen, you can apply to stay in Ireland with your partner through a Long Stay ‘D’ Join Family Member Visa.
If you have any questions regarding a de facto partner visa or a general visa application, you can contact our professional immigration lawyers to discuss. Give us a call at 0333 305 9375 or contact us seven days a week via our live chat.
Page Contents
- What is a De Facto Partnership Visa?
- Do British Citizens require UK unmarried partner visa applications?
- What are de facto partners’ rights in Ireland?
- What is the application process for the de facto partnership visa?
- What is involved with pre-clearance?
- What is the application fee for this visa?
- What documentary evidence is required for the de facto partner visa?
- What is the financial requirement that needs to be submitted?
- What happens upon arrival to Ireland?
- What is Irish residency?
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Ireland De Facto Partner Visa and Who Qualifies from UK?
On a visa application, a ‘de facto partner’ refers to someone in a genuine, long-term committed relationship that resembles marriage or civil partnership but is not legally formalised through marriage or civil registration.
Under Irish immigration rules, as defined by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), a de facto partnership must satisfy four criteria:
- the relationship must be akin to marriage or civil partnership;
- both partners must share a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of others;
- the couple must have cohabited continuously for a minimum of two years; and the applicant must not be a proposed civil partner.
This definition reflects the framework established by the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (legislation.ie).
Did you say ‘yes’ to all three conditions? If so, you could be eligible for the Join Family Member Visa as the de facto partner of an Irish citizen/resident.
The key is being able to adequately prove to Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) that you have been living with your Irish de facto partner for at least two years to be eligible for preclearance and apply for the Join Family Member Visa.
Can British Citizens Live in Ireland — and What About Their Non-EEA Partners?
Per UK immigration rules, British citizens hold the privilege to freely move, work and travel to Ireland without completing any type of visa application. This great privilege is all thanks to the agreement between Ireland and the United Kingdom called the Common Travel Area (CTA) which was agreed upon many decades ago. Despite the “Brexit” withdrawal agreement of the UK exiting the European Union, the Common Travel Area agreement remains in place.
Due to this Common Travel Area, UK nationals and Irish citizens can live, travel and work freely between the two counties. So, this means that if your de facto partner or de facto civil partner is a British citizen, there is no need to worry about a visa for them to enter Ireland!
This visa benefit extends to citizens of Switzerland and the European Economic Area, as it will not be necessary to apply for a de facto partnership visa. Yet thousands of people live in the UK due to different immigration pathways or permission but are not UK nationals, Irish nationals, Switzerland or non -EEA family members. As such, if your partner is a non-EEA family member, they will require a de facto visa in order to be with you in Ireland.
What Rights Do De Facto Partner Visa Holders Get in Ireland?
According to Irish immigration law, unmarried partner visa holders visa permits holders to work in Ireland without requiring an employment permit or employment visa. Holders can establish and operate a business in Ireland and have access to social welfare benefits and public funds.
All time and years spent in Ireland living under this visa can be used as reckonable evidence towards naturalization and citizenship in Ireland.
How to Apply for the De Facto Partner Visa from the UK: Step-by-Step
Applicants must complete the following application process:
- Apply for preclearance
- Complete an online application for the join family member visa after preclearance has been granted
- Pay application fee
- Gather all required documents to include with your visa application
- Send visa application to the immigration officer
Once the online application is done, an application summary sheet will be displayed, which needs to be printed and kept safe as this summary sheet will form part of your joint family member visa application, along with your other supporting documents.
This type of “join family members” visa is generally expected to be processed within six months.
There is no priority visa service for the unmarried partner visa application. However, this will vary depending on the time of year you submit and such circumstances.
What Is Preclearance and How Does It Work for the De Facto Partner Visa?
Preclearance is the process you need to go through with visas and prior to travelling to Ireland. De facto partnership applications require preclearance, regardless of their country of citizenship.
The immigration preclearance application costs €100. Should your application for immigration preclearance be successful, an immigration preclearance letter will be sent to you. This is a key ingredient to the whole process, and it must not be lost, as you will need to present the document to immigration officials. Please note that this letter is only valid for 6 months.
How Much Does the Ireland De Facto Partner Visa Cost? Full Fee Breakdown
The cost of an application is €60 for a single-entry visa and €100 for a multi-entry visa.
De Facto Partner Visa Documents Checklist: What You Need to Submit
Along with the summary sheet, you will need to provide evidence as follows:
- Your current passport
- Two-colour passport-size photographs
- A signed letter of application that outlines your reasons for travelling to Ireland. You will also need to include full details of your de facto partner in your application including suitable accommodation to live in
- Evidence that demonstrates the relationship between you and your partner. This might include a civil partnership certificate or evidence of common ownership of property
- A full account of your relationship history. This includes information of when and where you met as evidenced by, for example, correspondence by telephone or email, visas, entry/exit stamps on the passport of your partner, photographs
- The financial requirement discusses how the sponsor is willing to bear complete financial responsibility for the de facto partner
- The specific required documentation will be somewhat dependent on your particular circumstances, and you may need to provide additional information.
- A police clearance certificate
What Are the Financial Requirements for the De Facto Partner Visa?
The financial information which you will need to include in your application includes:
- Statements of your bank accounts that cover a six-month period immediately prior to your application to show you have enough money to support yourself
- Statements of your de facto partner’s bank accounts which cover the six-month period prior to your application
- If your partner is a resident in Ireland, you will need to provide their P60s for the 3 years immediately prior to the date of your application and their 3 most recent consecutive payslips. (rules vary for people in self-employment)
- Cash savings alone are not accepted as sufficient evidence of ongoing financial support.
What Happens When You Arrive in Ireland on a De Facto Partner Visa?
Even if you receive preclearance (and a visa, if applicable), you are not automatically permitted entry clearance into Ireland per immigration rules. When you land in Ireland you need to report to immigration officials, and they will decide whether or not to grant you valid permission to enter Ireland, based on the information you provide.
You will need to inform the immigration officer that you intend to apply for residency in Ireland based on the grounds of your relationship with your Irish resident partner.
The following documents will need to be provided to immigration officials:
- A valid passport
- Your immigration preclearance letter
- Your visa (if required)
- If you need to apply for a visa to travel to Ireland, you ought to bring photocopies of important documents which were included in your application forms, such as evidence of your relationship and financial information.
- Information about your de facto partner
Irish Residency Permission for De Facto Partners: Stamp 4 Explained
All de facto partners that are permitted into Ireland are given Residency permission, or permission to remain. This is a status held by legally entitled people who can live and work in Ireland for more than 90 days.
If you wish to stay in Ireland for more than 90 days, you must apply for residency permission through an immigration authority, upon entry into Ireland. The registration involves formally requesting permission to live and work in Ireland.
For this registration, you will need to provide the following information at the immigration office:
- Your original passport
- Your partner’s original passport
- Your preclearance certificate
- Evidence of your joint Irish address with your de facto partner
- You will also need to pay a registration fee of €300 when you apply for residency permission.
- You must plan to live with your partner for the foreseeable future in Ireland
- Be able to evidence through a bank statement that both civil partners can financially support themselves financially, without any help from public funds.
- Show that you are of good character and will live in compliance with Irish law.
If the application is successful, you will be granted Stamp 4 permission, which allows you to live and work in Ireland without a separate employment permit. Stamp 4 is initially granted for one year and must be renewed annually, and should not be confused with the UK concepts of indefinite leave to remain or settled status.
How Can Immigration Solicitors Help?
The Total Law team offers professional legal advice that can help couples and partners successfully obtain the correct visas. The Total Law team can support you with the entire application, provide advice on the best possible route, and even work with you on how to complete your application as best as possible.
Our team does our best to support you and keep the process stress-free. We are open to support you seven days a week, either by phone call or online chat. Contact us today to get started.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is good news here. Living in Ireland as a de facto partner on the joint family visa category will count as reckonable evidence towards obtaining your Irish citizenship. To become eligible for Irish citizenship, you must have lived in Ireland for a period of 365 days immediately prior to your Irish citizenship application and you must have lived in Ireland for four years out of the previous eight before that.
It is your responsibility to renew your Irish Residence Permit before it expires. Any time you have spent in Ireland unlawfully will not count towards the citizenship time requirements.
If the relationship ends, your permission to remain in Ireland may no longer be valid. You should contact Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) at irishimmigration.ie to seek guidance on your individual situation, as you may need to apply for permission on alternative grounds or may be required to leave Ireland.
Yes. If you are a non-EEA national currently residing in the UK on a UK visa or with settled/pre-settled status, and your partner is an Irish citizen or resident, you can begin the de facto partner visa process from the UK. You apply for preclearance online via irishimmigration.ie, and once granted (fee: €100), you submit your Long Stay ‘D’ visa application. Your UK immigration permission does not automatically confer the right to reside in Ireland — Irish immigration permission is separate and must be obtained through this process.
British citizens living in Northern Ireland can freely enter and reside in the Republic of Ireland under the Common Travel Area (CTA) and do not need a visa. However, if you are a non-EEA national living in Northern Ireland — including those with UK settled status or a BRP — your UK immigration permission does not extend to Ireland. You must still apply for the de facto partner visa through Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) at irishimmigration.ie, and your Irish partner must act as your sponsor. UK immigration permission and Irish immigration permission are entirely separate.
Your right to re-enter Ireland after travelling abroad depends on your visa type. A multiple-entry Long Stay ‘D’ visa (€100) allows you to travel outside Ireland and re-enter, whereas a single-entry visa (€60) does not. Once you have registered in Ireland and received your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card with Stamp 4 permission, your IRP card in combination with a valid passport will generally serve as your travel document for re-entry.
