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Ireland · Dependent visa

Ireland visa guide

Ireland Dependent & Family Visa

Ireland ties family reunification tightly to the sponsor's permission type: Critical Skills permit holders enjoy immediate family reunification, while students generally cannot bring dependants at all.

Dependent / Spouse Visa

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Visa refused? Our consultancy fee is refunded under the Refund Policy. Embassy and VFS fees are never ours to refund. How the refund works

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What’s included

  • Full relationship-proof file
  • Sponsor documentation
  • Complete application filing
  • Tracking until decision

Government and VFS fees are paid to them at cost.

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Processing
Join-family visa decisions take longer than most Irish visa categories
Support
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Ireland Dependent & Family Visa — overview

Start here

Ireland is an EU member but is not part of the Schengen Area. A Ireland visa does not let you travel on to Schengen countries, and time spent here is counted separately from your Schengen 90/180 days.

The fact that decides whether Ireland works for your family

Irish student permission does not generally allow you to bring dependants. This is the most expensive misunderstanding we correct, because families discover it after committing to a course, a deposit and a plan.

If being together matters more than the specific route, then the way into Ireland is employment, not study, and specifically the Critical Skills Employment Permit.

Why the permit type is everything

Ireland's family rules are tied to the sponsor's permission, and the gap between categories is wide:

Critical Skills Employment Permit holders may bring immediate family from the outset, among the strongest positions in Europe. General Employment Permit holders face a waiting period and an income requirement first. Students generally cannot at all.

So the family question should shape the route choice from day one, rather than being addressed after arrival. That sequencing is most of the advice worth paying for here.

Income, accommodation, and time

For qualifying categories, expect an income threshold over a qualifying period, evidence of suitable accommodation, and the requirement that family members do not become a burden on public funds. Join-family decisions also run longer than other Irish visa categories, plan in months.

After arrival: the Stamp decides

What your family may actually do in Ireland, particularly whether a spouse can work, is determined by the Stamp granted at registration, not by the visa that got them in. We brief every family on which Stamp to expect and what it permits.

Official sources

Fees and rules change; the official page always prevails. The guide above was written from our filing experience for Indian applicants; check the current requirements on the authority’s site before you book.

Documents you need

5 items

  • Sponsor with a qualifying permission

    Critical Skills permit, certain employment permits, or other eligible status. Student permission generally does not qualify.

  • Proof of relationship

    Marriage certificate or birth certificates, with the documentary standards Irish immigration expects.

  • Income evidence meeting the threshold

    For the relevant category, over the qualifying period, without recourse to public funds.

  • Accommodation evidence

    Suitable accommodation for the family in Ireland.

  • Private medical insurance

    For each family member as required by their permission.

How the process works

5 steps

Typical processing: Join-family visa decisions take longer than most Irish visa categories, plan months, not weeks.

  1. Step 1

    Establish whether the sponsor can bring family at all

    For students, the usual answer is no, know this before making plans.

  2. Step 2

    Meet the waiting period and income test if applicable

    General Employment Permit holders face both.

  3. Step 3

    Apply online and submit documents

    Through the visa application system, with supporting evidence.

  4. Step 4

    Await decision

    Join-family decisions run longer than other categories.

  5. Step 5

    Register on arrival for the appropriate Stamp

    The Stamp determines whether family members may work.

Frequently asked questions

3 answers

  • Generally no. Most Irish student permissions do not carry family reunification rights (PhD students and ISD-approved scholarship students are the exceptions, subject to conditions), and this is the most common and most costly misunderstanding we correct. If bringing family matters, the route into Ireland that works is employment, particularly a Critical Skills Employment Permit, not study.

  • Because it carries immediate family reunification, without the waiting period that applies to General Employment Permit holders. For families, the difference between the two permits is not a technicality. It decides whether you are together this year or in two years.

  • Spouses of Critical Skills permit holders can access the labour market on favourable terms; other categories vary by the Stamp granted on registration. Confirm the specific Stamp before anyone plans on that income.

Going it alone vs filing with us

Why it matters

On your own

  • Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
  • Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
  • No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
  • Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
  • A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.

With Lifeset Overseas

  • An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
  • A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
  • Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
  • Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
  • Every case handled by one consultant, end to end.

A refusal isn't the end

Refused before?

A refusal is not a permanent bar — but it only improves if the actual reason is found and answered, and nobody can tell you a second application will succeed. If a Ireland visa has been refused, we:

  • Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
  • Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
  • Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
  • Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.

Visa refused? Our consultancy fee is refunded under the Refund Policy. Embassy and VFS fees are never ours to refund. Read the refund policy

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Your next step

Start small. Go as far as you need.

Every price is all-in with GST included. Embassy and VFS fees are paid to them, at cost.

  1. / 01Free

    Free readiness check

    A few questions, a plain score. See where your Ireland file is weak before you spend anything.

    Open
  2. / 02₹499

    Visa File Readiness Report

    A consultant reads your actual papers and writes down what is missing and what an officer will doubt.

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  3. / 03Priced per fix

    Fix one problem

    Checklist, cover letter, financial proof, SOP or a slot — buy only the piece you need.

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  4. / 04From ₹7,499

    Full filing, done for you

    Every form, every document, VFS booking and tracking until the decision — one consultant end to end.

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Ireland guides & insights

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