The de facto partner route is for an unmarried, non-civil-partnership couple where one of you lives in Ireland and the other wants to build a life here too. Everything sits on one definition from the Family Reunification Policy dated 12 June 2026, a "relationship akin to marriage, duly attested, including a period of at least two years cohabitation prior to application". You must both be over 18, in an exclusive relationship, unrelated to each other, and able to prove the relationship is genuine and durable.
Most people meet this route from abroad, and that is the main path on this page: every de facto partner joining from outside Ireland must apply and be pre-cleared, or hold a Long Stay D join family visa, before travelling, whatever their nationality, and must stay outside Ireland while the decision is made. There is also no certificate to lean on, so the whole case is built on evidence, two full years of living together and a relationship history that reads as a shared life.
If you are already in Ireland, two situations are handled in-country instead of from abroad. You renew an existing de facto permission here through the normal IRP process, and if you already live here lawfully on another permission and now meet the two-year test, you may be able to apply to ISD's Domestic Residence and Permissions Division to change your permission to the de facto category, rather than leaving to be pre-cleared. Both are discretionary and depend on holding valid permission throughout, and a short-stay visitor or Working Holiday permission cannot be switched. The policy was rewritten on 26 November 2025 and amended again on 12 June 2026, so most guidance online is out of date. Our team confirms which path is yours, then gets the category, the money and the evidence right the first time.
Made for people like you
Partners of Irish citizens
Your partner is an Irish citizen living in Ireland or moving home. With two years of cohabitation you can be pre-cleared and register for Stamp 4, with full work rights from day one.
Partners of Critical Skills holders
Your partner holds a Critical Skills permit, a hosting agreement or is a non-locum doctor (Category B). There is no waiting period, but you still need preclearance before you travel.
Partners of General Employment Permit holders
Your partner is on a General Employment Permit or independent Stamp 4 (Category C). There is a 12-month wait and an income test, and our team plans the timing around both.
Long-term unmarried couples
You have chosen not to marry or register a civil partnership, but you have a durable, exclusive relationship and two years of shared home life you can document. This route was built for you.
Already living in Ireland
You already hold a de facto permission that is due for renewal, or you live here lawfully on another permission and have since built a two-year de facto relationship. Both are handled in-country, and our team confirms your route.
Do you qualify?
Your sponsor's immigration status sets three things: whether you wait, whether there is an income test, and which stamp you receive. Category A is an Irish citizen, Category B is Critical Skills permit holders, researchers, non-locum doctors, investors and similar high-skill statuses, and Category C is General Employment Permit holders and independent Stamp 4 residents. Joining from abroad is the main route and needs preclearance before you travel, but if you already live here lawfully, renewing a de facto permission or changing your permission to this category in-country may be open to you instead.
You will need
- A relationship akin to marriage, with evidence of at least two years living together immediately before you apply, and proof it is genuine and durable
- Both partners aged 18 or over, in an exclusive relationship for the whole qualifying period, and not related to each other by family
- Proof you have met and spent time together in person, ISD does not accept a relationship conducted only online or by phone
- A sponsor in an eligible category who has served any waiting period, none for an Irish citizen (Category A) or Critical Skills sponsor (Category B), 12 months for a General Employment Permit sponsor (Category C)
- The income test for your sponsor's category met by one income only, €75,000 gross over the previous 3 years for an Irish citizen, more than €30,000 last year for a Category C couple with no children, and no fixed figure for a Category B sponsor
- A written commitment from both of you to live together as de facto partners after the decision, plus a sponsor who has not mainly relied on State supports for the past 2 years and is not in emergency, IPAS or social housing
This route is not for you if
- You are here only on a short-stay visitor permission or a Working Holiday authorisation, which cannot be switched, so you must leave and apply from abroad. Being here on another valid permission need not shut you out: the join-from-abroad route will not take an in-State application, but you may be able to renew an existing de facto permission or apply in-country to change your permission to the de facto category through Domestic Residence and Permissions, and our team advises which fits
- Your partner is on an ordinary student permission or the Stamp 1G graduate scheme, those statuses cannot sponsor a partner (a Category B PhD or approved scholarship student is a narrow exception)
- You cannot show two full years of cohabitation, or the relationship cannot be shown to be genuine, durable and exclusive
- You have never met in person, relationships carried on only over the internet or phone are refused
- Your sponsor was joined by a previous partner or spouse less than 5 years ago, a 5-year re-sponsorship bar applies from the first partner's permission
Your sponsor's category, side by side
Irish citizen (Category A)
Stamp 4- Waiting period
- None
- Income test
- €75,000 gross over 3 years
- Stamp on arrival
- Stamp 4, work or run a business
- Visa fee
- Full fee, no de facto waiver
- Apply from
- Abroad, preclearance or D visa
Critical Skills & similar (Category B)
No wait- Waiting period
- None
- Income test
- No fixed figure
- Stamp on arrival
- Stamp 1G, work without a permit
- Visa fee
- €60 single, €100 multiple
- Apply from
- Abroad, preclearance or D visa
General Permit or Stamp 4 (Category C)
- Waiting period
- 12 months
- Income test
- €30,000 last year, couple with no children
- Stamp on arrival
- Stamp 1G, work without a permit
- Visa fee
- €60 single, €100 multiple
- Apply from
- Abroad, preclearance or D visa
How the journey works
- 01
Confirm the sponsor category and your two years together
Day 1Our team places your partner in Category A, B or C, checks that any waiting period is served, and tests the two-year cohabitation clock against the dates on your tenancies and bills. We run the income numbers against the current thresholds before you spend anything, and tell you honestly if the timing is wrong.
- 02
Already in Ireland? Renew or change permission in-country
Instead of the abroad stepsTwo situations are dealt with here rather than from abroad. If you already hold a de facto permission, you renew it in-country through the normal IRP process, refreshing your relationship and sponsor evidence before it expires. If you are already living here lawfully on another permission and now meet the two-year de facto test, you may apply to ISD's Domestic Residence and Permissions Division to change your permission to the de facto category, rather than leaving to be pre-cleared. Both routes are discretionary and rely on your holding valid permission throughout, and a short-stay visitor or Working Holiday permission cannot be switched. Our team confirms which path is open before you act.
- 03
Build proof of a genuine and durable relationship
Weeks 1-3This is where de facto cases are won or lost. We assemble a relationship history that reads as a shared life, how you met, in-person time together with passport stamps and boarding passes, photos across the years, and messages sampled over time, alongside two full years of cohabitation shown through tenancies, joint bills and both names at the same address.
- 04
Prepare the sponsor's finances and, for Category C, accommodation
Weeks 2-3An Irish citizen sponsor gathers Revenue Employment Detail Summaries for the past 3 years plus recent payslips. A Category C sponsor gathers last year's Employment Detail Summary and payslips, and must also evidence suitable accommodation with an RTB confirmation letter and a signed ACCOM1 form. Only one income counts, so we build the strongest single case.
- 05
Apply from abroad for preclearance or a D join family visa
Week 4Every de facto partner applies before travelling. Non-visa-required partners apply for preclearance, visa-required partners apply online through AVATS for the Long Stay D join family visa, then send the signed summary, documents and fee to the visa office within 30 days. Some countries also require biometrics.
- 06
Wait for the decision outside Ireland
You must stay outside Ireland while the case is decided. ISD works in strict date order and only expedites genuine emergencies, so do not book travel yet. Our team monitors the weekly processing updates and answers any query or document request quickly and completely.
- 07
Travel, then register for your stamp within 90 days
Within 90 daysWith your preclearance letter or visa you travel and present it at the border, telling the immigration officer you are arriving to join family. Book your ISD registration appointment within 90 days of arrival. A de facto partner of an Irish citizen registers for Stamp 4, a partner of a Critical Skills or General Permit holder receives Stamp 1G. You can start work once you are registered.
What to gather
Start collecting these early. Weak or missing documents are the most common avoidable cause of delays and refusals.
Current passport plus all previous passports
Valid for at least 12 months, with full copies of every previous passport to show your travel and time together.
Two passport photos
Taken within the last 6 months, with your name and application number on the back.
Signed letter and application summary
Why you are coming, your sponsor's details, and any family you have in Ireland, the UK or the EU. Visa applicants also send the signed AVATS summary.
Proof of at least two years cohabitation
Tenancy or lease agreements, joint utility bills, and official post showing both names at the same address across the full two years.
Relationship history and proof you have met in person
How and when you met, photos across the relationship, correspondence sampled over time, and travel records for in-person visits.
Joint financial evidence
A joint bank account, shared bills or regular money transfers between you help show a genuine, interdependent relationship.
Sponsor's income proof
Revenue Employment Detail Summaries, 3 years for an Irish citizen sponsor or last year for a Category C sponsor, plus recent payslips.
Sponsor's status documents
Passport, and for a permit-holder sponsor the IRP card and a copy of the employment permit or hosting agreement.
Accommodation evidence (Category C)
An RTB confirmation letter and the ACCOM1 form signed by the landlord and sponsor, sized to your household.
Police clearance and any previous refusals
Police clearance from every country lived in over the past 5 years, and the original letter for any visa refusal, from any country. Non-disclosure alone causes refusal.
Every case is different. We confirm your exact list at consultation.
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preclearance or Long Stay D join family visa | €60 to €100 | €60 single entry, €100 multiple entry. Non-refundable. As of 2026. |
| Free-visa waiver for de facto partners | Not available | The visa-fee waiver is only for spouses, civil partners and minor children of an Irish citizen, so de facto partners pay the full fee. |
| First IRP registration on arrival | €300 | Per adult. The marriage-based waiver does not apply to de facto partners, so plan to pay it even with an Irish citizen sponsor. |
| Appeal after a refusal | Free | Submitted in writing within 2 calendar months and decided by a different officer. |
| Our consultation | Fixed fee | Agreed up front at booking, no surprises. |
There is no separate ISD application fee for a de facto join family case beyond the visa or preclearance fee. Figures are as of 2026 and government fees can change, so our team confirms the current amounts with you before anything is paid.
How long it takes
Guide figures from current official processing information. Individual cases vary.
ISD business target
6 to 12 months
6 months for an Irish citizen or Category B sponsor, 12 months for a Category C sponsor, once every document is in. A goal, not a guarantee.
De facto partner of an Irish national, actual
About 12 months
As of July 2026 the Dublin visa office was deciding de facto applications received up to around early July 2025.
Wider join family visa queues
2 years or more
Broader join family visa applications were slower again, so build a complete file and lodge it early. The list refreshes every Tuesday.
Register after you land
Within 90 days
Book your ISD registration appointment, then your IRP card with Stamp 4 or Stamp 1G follows.
Why applications get refused
Most refusals are preventable. These are the patterns we see and design out of every application.
Less than two years of documented cohabitation
The policy requires cohabitation in a relationship akin to marriage of at least two years immediately before the application. A shorter period, or gaps you cannot explain, means refusal however genuine the relationship is.
Avoid it: Map your two years on paper before filing, with overlapping tenancies, joint bills and post at the same address covering every month. Our team fills the gaps before you submit.
Relationship not shown to be genuine and durable
With no marriage certificate, the entire case rests on evidence. A handful of photos from one trip does not show a shared life, and ISD actively assesses whether the relationship is genuine, durable and exclusive.
Avoid it: Layer evidence across the whole relationship: in-person visits, messages over time, joint finances and a clear written history. We build the timeline so the story is unmissable.
Sponsor income falls short
The income test is strict and only one person's income counts, salaries cannot be combined. An Irish citizen sponsor now needs €75,000 gross over 3 years, a Category C sponsor more than €30,000 last year for a couple.
Avoid it: Run the numbers against the current thresholds first. Declared, verifiable savings can be considered where income is close but short, and we present them properly.
You applied from inside Ireland
This route only accepts applications made from abroad. A partner already in the State as a visitor, on a student permission or on any other permission cannot apply, and ISD refuses rather than converts these cases.
Avoid it: Apply and be pre-cleared before travelling, and stay outside Ireland until the decision issues. Talk to us before anyone books a flight.
Undisclosed refusals or false information
Every previous visa refusal, for any country, must be declared with the original letter. False, misleading or fraudulent information leads to refusal, removes appeal rights and can bring a bar on future applications of up to 5 years.
Avoid it: Disclose everything with context. An old refusal explained well is rarely fatal, a hidden one almost always is.
Common questions
What counts as a de facto partner, and how much time living together do we need?+
A de facto partner is someone in a relationship akin to marriage with the sponsor, who is not married or in a civil partnership with them. As of 2026 the policy requires at least two years of cohabitation immediately before you apply, and the relationship must be genuine, durable and exclusive. You must both be over 18 and unrelated to each other.
I'm already in Ireland. Can I get or renew a de facto permission without leaving?+
Sometimes, yes, through a different route than the join-from-abroad one on this page. If you already hold a de facto permission, you renew it in-country through the normal IRP process, updating your relationship and sponsor evidence. If you are already living here lawfully on another permission and now meet the two-year cohabitation test, you may be able to apply to ISD's Domestic Residence and Permissions Division to change your permission to the de facto category, instead of leaving to be pre-cleared. Both are discretionary and depend on holding valid permission, and a short-stay visitor or Working Holiday permission cannot be switched. Our team confirms which applies to you.
Who can sponsor me as a de facto partner?+
An Irish citizen (Category A), a Critical Skills permit holder, researcher, non-locum doctor, investor or similar high-skill status (Category B), or a General Employment Permit holder or independent Stamp 4 resident (Category C). Ordinary students and Stamp 1G graduates cannot sponsor a partner, though a Category B PhD or approved scholarship student is a narrow exception.
Do I really have to apply before I travel, even if I do not need a visa?+
Yes. This is the rule that catches people out. Every de facto partner must apply from abroad and be pre-cleared, or hold a Long Stay D join family visa, before travelling, whatever their nationality, and must stay outside Ireland while the case is decided. Unlike a spouse, a non-visa-required de facto partner cannot simply present at the border.
How much does my Irish partner need to earn?+
As of 2026, an Irish citizen sponsor must show €75,000 in gross income over and above State benefits across the three years before you apply, roughly €25,000 a year, expected to continue. This rose sharply from €40,000 on 12 June 2026, so older guidance is out of date. Verifiable savings can be taken into account where income falls a little short.
What stamp will I get, and can I work?+
It depends on your sponsor. A de facto partner of an Irish citizen or an investor sponsor registers for Stamp 4, which allows any employment and self-employment. A partner of a Critical Skills or General Employment Permit holder receives Stamp 1G, which lets you work for any employer without your own permit, but not run a business. A few sponsors, such as Ministers of Religion, produce Stamp 3, which carries no right to work. You can start work only once you have registered.
My partner is on a Critical Skills or General Employment Permit. Do we have to wait?+
With a Critical Skills sponsor (Category B) there is no waiting period and you are treated as nuclear family, but you still need preclearance before you travel. With a General Employment Permit sponsor (Category C) your partner must have completed 12 months in Ireland on an eligible permission first, and show gross income above €30,000 in the previous year for a couple with no children.
How long does it take, and what if we are refused?+
ISD's business targets are 6 months for an Irish citizen or Category B sponsor and 12 months for a Category C sponsor, once your file is complete. In practice, as of July 2026 de facto partner cases for Irish nationals were running at about 12 months. If you are refused, you get written reasons and a free appeal, lodged in writing within 2 calendar months and decided by a different officer, so the strongest move is to get the first application right.
Grounded in official sources
Ready to talk through your next step?
Book a consultation with our team and leave with a clear, personal plan grounded in the official rules.
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