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Family visas for Europe · Ireland

Ireland family visa from the UK

To move to Ireland to live with your husband, wife or civil partner, you apply online for a join family visa, then hand in your documents at VFS Global. It is free for the spouse of an Irish or EEA citizen. Joining an Irish citizen, they need €75,000 income over three years and the queue is long; joining an EU citizen is much quicker.

We prepare it with you from a £399 service fee, confirmed before you pay. Any official fee is paid by you to the embassy.

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Your route depends on your partner

You apply online on AVATS, then hand in your documents at VFS Global in England, Scotland or Wales, or post them to the Irish visa office in London from Northern Ireland. Ireland is in the EU but not in Schengen. Every line below comes from an official page, linked beside it, read on 2 November 2026.

Joining an Irish citizen

A long-stay join family visa. Free for a husband, wife or civil partner, but the Irish citizen must show income, and Dublin's queue is long.

Visa
A long stay D join family visa, for visa-required nationals moving to live in Ireland for more than 3 months. Source
How to apply from the UK
Online on AVATS, then the signed form and documents at a VFS Global appointment in England, Scotland or Wales, or by post to the London visa office from Northern Ireland. Source
Income
The Irish citizen must have earned at least €75,000 gross over the three years before you apply (for example €25,000 a year). Savings may be taken into account where income falls short. Source
Fee
No visa fee for the husband, wife or civil partner of an Irish citizen. An unmarried (de facto) partner pays €60, or €100 for multiple entry. Source
Processing time
The target is about 6 months with every document in. On 27 October 2026, Dublin was deciding these applications received on 4 July 2024. Source
Translation and apostille
Civil documents issued outside the EEA must be apostilled or attested by the issuing country's foreign ministry; anything not in English or Irish needs a full translation. Source
Unmarried partners
A separate scheme: you must have lived together for at least two years before you apply. Source

Joining an EEA or Swiss citizen who lives in Ireland

EU free-movement rules: a free visa to enter, decided on an accelerated basis, then a residence card you apply for in Ireland.

Visa
A single-entry short-stay C visa to enter and live in Ireland for up to 3 months. Say on the form that you are joining an EU, EEA or Swiss family member. Source
Fee
No fee for a husband or wife. Other family members, such as an unmarried partner, pay €60, refunded if the visa is approved. Source
Processing time
Processed on an accelerated basis. On 27 October 2026, Dublin was deciding applications received on 15 May 2026. Source
Residence card
Applied for in Ireland once you both live there (form EUTR 1). A decision can take up to six months. Source
Documents
Both passports, your marriage certificate, and proof the EU citizen lives, or will live, in Ireland working, studying or with enough resources. Source

Joining a non-EU national who lives in Ireland

Your partner must already hold the right Irish permission, and some must have worked there for a year first.

Your partner starts this one in Ireland. We tell you exactly what is theirs and prepare your side from the UK.

Who can be joined
Critical Skills Employment Permit holders and others in Category B straight away; General Employment Permit holders (Category C) after a year working in Ireland. Source
Income and housing
A Category C sponsor needs gross income over €30,000 in the previous year, and rented housing registered with the Residential Tenancies Board. Source
Fee
€60 single entry or €100 multiple entry. Source
Processing time
The target is within 12 months, or 6 months for Category B. The London visa office lists 45 days when joining an eligible employment permit holder. Source

Documents most applicants need

The full list depends on your route. We send you yours, item by item, once you order.

  • Passport valid for at least 12 months
  • Two colour passport photos, no more than 6 months old
  • Marriage or civil partnership certificate, apostilled where it was issued outside the EEA
  • Six months of bank statements, yours and your partner's
  • Your UK share code, as proof you live in the UK legally
  • A full translation of anything not in English or Irish

What we do

  • Check your case and tell you which visa applies, and whether we can help, before you pay
  • Build your document list from the embassy's own requirements for your country
  • Check every document, translation and apostille before it goes in
  • Fill in the application form with you, in your own account where the embassy uses an online portal
  • Prepare you for the appointment and stay with you until the decision

What you do

  • Get the certificates, apostilles, translations and any language test your country asks for
  • Sign and submit the application yourself, and attend the appointment in person
  • Pay any official fee directly to the embassy or consulate

We are a private company, not an embassy, consulate or visa centre. We do not give legal advice, and we do not handle visas into the UK.

Questions about the Ireland family visa

Can I apply for an Irish join family visa from the UK?
Yes, if you live in the UK legally. You apply online on AVATS, then hand in your documents at VFS Global, or post them to the London visa office from Northern Ireland. People in the UK as visitors cannot apply through London.
How long does an Irish spouse visa take?
The target is about 6 months with every document in, but on 27 October 2026 Dublin was deciding Irish citizens' family applications received on 4 July 2024. Joining an EU or EEA citizen is much quicker: those were at 15 May 2026.
What income does my Irish husband or wife need?
At least €75,000 gross over the three years before you apply, about €25,000 a year. Savings may be taken into account if income falls short.
How much does it cost?
There is no visa fee for the husband, wife or civil partner of an Irish or EEA citizen. Otherwise it is €60, or €100 for multiple entry. Our service fee starts at £399.
Does an Irish visa let me travel in the Schengen area?
No. Ireland is in the EU but not in Schengen, so an Irish visa does not cover a trip to France or Spain.
Tell us your Ireland case on WhatsAppReplies within the hour, day or night.

What you are protected by

WayaNerd Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 16269713. 48 Margery Park Road, London, E7 9JY. Contact us

Official sources

Read on 2 November 2026. Rules change: we check your embassy's page again for your case.

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