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Please be advised that the Consulate General of Ireland, Shanghai website has moved and this page is no longer being updated. The Consulate website is now available at Ireland.ie/shanghai.

Application Requirements for a Family Member of Irish Citizen Visa

* Please read our new Immigration Policy Guidelines on Family Reunification published on 31 December 2013.

Family Member of Irish Citizen.

If you are a visa-required national travelling to Ireland to join your spouse, you should present the following with your visa application:

PERSONAL DOCUMENTS AND FEE

• Passport, valid for 12 months after your intended date of departure from the State. Please include 2 photocopies of the passport bio page. If you have held a previous passport, you must submit your previous passport with your application.
• Signed summary of your on-line application form. Please refer to our How to Apply Page for details.
• 2 passport sized colour photos taken in the past six months that meet our specifications.
• A signed letter of application:

1. Outlining your reason for coming to Ireland, giving an account of how the Irish citizen met the applicant, and a brief relationship history.
2. Giving details of any members of your family who are currently in Ireland, or any other state.
3. Providing your full contact details.

• Photocopy and official English translation of applicant's hukou

Please follow these links for information on Visa Fees & VFS service charge and payment methods.

Please follow the link to find the application centre most convenient to you – information on Visa Application Centers

OTHER DOCUMENTS

• Clear copy of spouse’s passport, or other documentary evidence attesting to spouse’s Irish citizenship, showing evidence of residency in country you are moving from.

• Original marriage certificate/civil partnership certificate & photocopy of marriage certificate/civil partnership certificate with official English translation (where appropriate).

• Evidence that the Irish citizen has sufficient funds to maintain his / her spouse in Ireland. Evidence of declared income for the previous 3 years should be provided (e.g. 3 x P60s if in PAYE Employment).

• Letter from Irish citizens current employer on official company headed paper and giving full contact details for verification purposes.

• Details of the Irish citizen’s accommodation in the State

You are required to provide a copy of all original documents

Please note that any document submitted in Chinese, must be accompanied by an official English translation.
You must not be under 18 years of age.

If intending to reside in Ireland, you must both plan to live together.

Please note the above list is not exhaustive and applications should be supported by all information considered relevant.

NOTE: If your Irish spouse is residing in Ireland, and you have not resided together since your marriage, whether your visa application is to visit or join your spouse, in addition to the documentation listed above you MUST also submit the following:

• A full account of relationship history – when and where you met, evidence of this such as visas, entry/exit stamps on the passport of your Irish spouse

• Please note that for Immigration purposes it is not sufficient for a relationship to have developed solely over the internet or by telephone/sms. A relationship must include a number of face to face meetings (excluding webcam) between the parties. You must satisfy the visa officer that the relationship is bona-fide

• Evidence of your spouse’s finances – P60, payslips, bank statement for 6 months prior to application.

Children

If you have children (under 18 years) who do not hold Irish passports, and therefore require a visa, a separate application must be submitted, along with a birth certificate, for each child.

If you wish for a child (under 18 years) from a previous marriage or relationship to travel with you, evidence that you have been given full custody and access rights to this child must be shown (Court Order).

Where the other parent of this child has some custody or access rights, a sworn affidavit by this parent consenting to the child being removed from their home country is required.

NOTES

All letters submitted should be on official company headed paper and give full contact details for verification purposes. These must include a full postal address, name of contact, position in company, telephone number (landline) and email address where relevant. (Email addresses such as Yahoo or Hotmail are not accepted). Website address should also be included, if available.

All of the above documents must be submitted with your application.

The provision of all the documentation listed in no way guarantees that a visa will be granted.

The granting of a join family visa does not allow you to automatically apply for residency in Ireland.

Please contact the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform [link to http://www.inis.gov.ie/] for information on applying for residency based on marriage to an Irish or and EEA citizen.

Please contact the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform for information on applying for citizenship based on marriage to an Irish citizen.

For processing times and further information, please see Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification.

Before you complete your visa application please thoroughly read the information contained in General Information for all Visa types.

Immigration Policy Guidelines on Family Reunification