Ireland Family Reunification Visa Application Process

The Irish family reunification visa (long-term residence visa) is a type of visa issued to individuals who will be joining a family member who is an Irish citizen or legally resident in Ireland for a period of more than 3 months in Ireland. The purpose of the Irish family reunification visa is to enable the long-term reunification of family members on Irish soil.

Applications for the Irish family reunification visa are made online. Individuals who fill out the online application form will next make an appointment with VFS Global, the intermediary institution designated by the Irish Consulate for visa applications. Individuals must submit the requested documents for the visa application on the date and time they make the appointment.

If the person who will be reunited with a family in Ireland is an Irish citizen, the visa application usually takes 6 months to be finalized. If the person who will be reunited with a family in Ireland is an EU citizen, this period varies between 6 and 12 months.

What are the Application Requirements for an Ireland Family Reunification Visa?

To apply for an Irish family reunification visa, eligible individuals must meet certain conditions. The Irish family reunification visa application requirements are listed below:

Children who will apply for family reunification in Ireland must be under the age of 18. (Applications can also be made for adopted children under the age of 18)
Children under 18 must be financially dependent on the family.
For spouse applications, you must have been in a relationship with an Irish citizen for at least 2 years.
Both spouses must be over 18 years of age.
The Irish citizen must be financially able to meet all living expenses of other family members.

Only immediate family members can apply for an Irish family reunification visa. Below is a list of who can apply for an Irish family reunification visa:

Children under 18 of Irish citizens or individuals with the right of residence in Ireland
Spouses or partners of Irish citizens or persons with Irish residence permits
Elderly parents of Irish citizens or residence permit holders

What are the documents required for the Ireland Family Reunification Visa?

The documents required for an Ireland family reunification visa are listed below:

Family reunification application form: Ireland family reunification visa online application form
Photo: 2 Irish visa photographs: 35mm x 45mm in size and must have a white background. The head must be 30mm. Photographs must have been taken within the last 6 months. A valid passport: A passport valid for at least 12 months after the planned return date. At least 2 pages must be blank.
If available, all old passports: Photocopies of all pages of old passports with visas and stamps must be available. Visa request letter: A letter containing information about the family member residing in Ireland must be written. The letter must state the purpose of going to Ireland. Financial capacity documents: In family reunifications, the individual residing in Ireland is considered the sponsor of the other family members. The family members must have sufficient financial capacity to cover their living expenses.
Citizenship documents: Documents proving the Irish citizenship of the sponsor residing in Ireland
Proof of income: Documents proving the amount of income earned by a family member living in Ireland from their employment in the last 3 years, based on their P60 document.
Proof of relationship for married people: Marriage certificate, photographs and correspondence with dates, etc.
Birth certificate, adoption papers, custody documents for children under 18
Financial evidence from both the applicant and the sponsor residing in Ireland: last 6 months bank statements, pay slips, employment contract etc.
Ireland travel health insurance
Past visa application rejections, if any

How to Get a Criminal Record and Full Civil Registry Copy for an Irish Family Reunification Visa?

For the Irish family reunification visa, the criminal record can be obtained in a signed and sealed form from the Criminal Records Offices located in the courthouses, from the District Governorships; and for individuals residing abroad, from the Embassies of the Republic of Turkey.

In addition, citizens of the Republic of Turkey can make criminal record inquiries via the E-Government system. People can access barcoded criminal record documents at https://www.turkiye.gov.tr .

For the Irish D type family reunification visa, a fully certified copy of the population registration can be obtained from the Population Registration Offices located in cities in Turkey, signed and stamped. Likewise, citizens of the Republic of Turkey can access the fully certified copy of the population registration documents via the E-Government system. People who will apply for an Irish family reunification visa can access the barcoded fully certified copy of the population registration documents from https://www.turkiye.gov.tr .

The Irish Consulate requires all visa applications to have documents translated into English or from Turkish to English.

For an Irish family reunification visa obtained in English, the criminal record and full civil registration certificate documents can be added directly to the Irish family reunification visa application file. For an Irish family reunification visa obtained in Turkish, the criminal record and full civil registration certificate documents must be translated into English by a sworn translator.

How to Apply for an Ireland Family Reunification Visa?

The first step for the Ireland family reunification visa application is to fill out the online Ireland family reunification visa application. Applicants must first fill out the online visa application form located at https://www.visas.inis.gov.ie/. The Ireland family reunification visa online application form is filled out in English characters only and consists of 13 sections in total.

In the image below, you can see the first section encountered to make an appointment for an Irish family reunification visa application on the INIS website.

People who have completely filled out the Irish family reunification visa application form are directed to submit their documents to the VFS Global visa application centers, which are the intermediary institutions determined by the Irish Embassy. People should make an appointment at the most suitable visa application center for them via the VFS Global page they are directed to.
Applicants who make an appointment at the visa center must gather the documents requested from them in the next stage. A valid passport, a full-fledged population record copy, and a birth certificate for child applicants must be obtained from the population directorates. A criminal record record must be obtained from the criminal records directorates. Employed individuals must obtain their employment contracts and pay slips from their workplaces. Those who will apply for an Irish family reunification visa must also obtain their current bank statements from the banks. All documents must be submitted with certified English translations.
The requested and gathered Ireland family reunification visa application documents must be submitted to the visa application centre on the appointment date and time.

After the necessary documents are submitted to the Irish Consulate, Irish family reunification documents are generally processed after a waiting period of 6 months.

What are the points to consider when applying for an Ireland Family Reunification Visa?

The points to consider when applying for an Ireland family reunification visa are listed below.

The suitability of an individual resident in Ireland to sponsor must be confirmed.
It must be confirmed whether the individual resident in Ireland has completed the required period of residence to be eligible for sponsorship.
An applicant for an Irish family reunification visa should consider which actions they are and are not allowed to take in Ireland.
When applying for an Irish family reunification visa, it must be clearly stated whether or not the applicant is financially dependent on the sponsor.
Ireland family reunification visa application documents must be prepared in English, documents prepared in Turkish must be translated into English by sworn translators.

How Long Does It Take to Complete an Ireland Family Reunification Visa Application?

The Ireland family reunification visa application is evaluated within 6 months and is concluded within 6-12 months. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the completion time of the Ireland family reunification visa application may vary.

Individuals can learn the results of their Irish family reunification visa application in person at the visa application centre when collecting their passports. For Irish visa applications that result in a rejection decision, the Irish Consulate sends applicants a document explaining the reasons for the rejection.

Persons whose Irish family reunification visa application is rejected have the right to appeal the decision within 2 months, taking into account the rejection decisions in the document, or to re-apply for an Irish family reunification visa.

What are the rights of an Irish family reunification visa?

The rights that can be obtained with an Irish family reunification visa are listed below.

The right to legally reside in Ireland
The right to use public services provided by the Irish State (e.g. State hospitals, social welfare benefits)
The right to study in Irish educational institutions
The right to gainful employment in Ireland

What Other Types of Irish Visas Are Similar to the Family Reunion Visa?

Other types of Irish visas similar to the Irish family reunification visa include the family visit visa and the marriage visa.

Irish family visit visa: This
visa is issued for family members of Irish citizens or those who have the right to reside in Ireland for visits of less than 90 days. However, the Irish family visit visa does not grant individuals the right to work, study or use public services in Ireland. Under the Irish family visit visa, individuals can only visit family members in Ireland and have the right to travel within the borders of Ireland.
Ireland Marriage Visa:
The Irish marriage visa allows individuals to visit their spouses in Ireland or to meet their partners in Ireland permanently. Irish marriage visas are also included in the family reunification visa.

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