Spouses, civil partners and children of Indians living in Ireland apply from India for a long stay D join family visa: EUR 60 per person, lodged through AVATS and VFS Global and decided by the New Delhi visa office in 6 to 12 months. Who can sponsor and when depends on the sponsor's permission: Critical Skills Employment Permit holders, researchers, Stamp 4 holders and Irish citizens sponsor immediately, General Employment Permit and other Stamp 1 holders after 12 months. Sponsors meet an income test, Irish citizens EUR 40,000 over 3 years and permit holders above the Working Family Payment threshold for 2 years, and marriage and birth certificates carry the MEA apostille.
The short version with the price card and checklist is on the Ireland join family visa route page. This article is the long version: the sponsor categories and waiting periods, the income tests, which stamp the spouse receives, the evidence Indian couples need, the timeline and the refusal reasons. Ireland is outside Schengen, so family members travelling to mainland Europe also need a Schengen visa, covered in the Schengen visa step-by-step guide.
Who qualifies for an Ireland join family visa?
A spouse or civil partner, a de facto partner who has lived with the sponsor for 2 years, or a dependent child under 18 (or under 23 in full-time education) of a sponsor lawfully resident in Ireland. The sponsor must hold one of the permissions that allows family reunification under the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification: Critical Skills Employment Permit, researcher hosting agreement, Stamp 4, Stamp 5, Irish citizenship, or a General Employment Permit or Stamp 1 permission held for at least 12 months. Students on Stamp 2 and most Stamp 1G graduates cannot sponsor.
The relationship must be genuine and subsisting and the marriage legally recognised: an Indian marriage certificate registered under the Hindu Marriage Act or the Special Marriage Act, with the MEA apostille, is the standard document. The Ireland employment permit guide explains how sponsors reach the qualifying permissions.
Which sponsors apply immediately, and which wait 12 months?
| Sponsor's permission | When family can apply | Income test | Spouse's stamp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Skills Employment Permit | Immediately | Permit salary (EUR 40,904 or EUR 68,911) | Stamp 1G, works without a permit |
| Researcher on a hosting agreement | Immediately | Hosting agreement salary | Stamp 1G |
| Stamp 4 holder | Immediately | Above Working Family Payment threshold for 2 years | Stamp 3, or Stamp 4 after sponsor's citizenship |
| Irish citizen | Immediately | EUR 40,000 over the previous 3 years | Stamp 4 |
| General Employment Permit or Stamp 1 | After 12 months | Above Working Family Payment threshold for 2 years | Stamp 3 (no work without own permit) |
| Stamp 2 student | Not eligible | Not applicable | Not applicable |
The Working Family Payment threshold is a weekly net income figure that rises with the number of children: in 2026 roughly EUR 705 a week for a couple with one child and EUR 806 with two, so about EUR 36,700 to 42,000 a year gross. Sponsors must not have relied on social welfare in the qualifying period.
How much does an Ireland family visa cost?
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Long stay D join family visa | EUR 60 per person | EUR 100 multiple entry; not refunded |
| VFS Global service fee | About INR 2,500 per person | Courier and SMS extra |
| Irish Residence Permit | EUR 300 per adult | At registration; children under 18 free |
| MEA apostille | INR 50 per document plus agent fees | Marriage and birth certificates |
| Translations | INR 500 to 1,000 per page | For regional-language certificates |
Vistolane charges the EUR 60 fee at the official rate and shows the IRP and apostille costs separately on the Ireland destination page.
What evidence does the Irish visa office want?
Relationship. The apostilled marriage certificate, wedding photographs and invitations, evidence of the relationship before and after the wedding (chats, calls, visits, joint travel), joint finances or remittances, and children's apostilled birth certificates naming both parents. Arranged marriages are routine in Indian files and succeed when the couple shows contact and visits since the wedding.
Sponsor. The sponsor's passport and IRP card, employment permit or Stamp 4 letter, 6 months of payslips, the P60 or Employment Detail Summary for the qualifying years, an employer letter, a tenancy agreement or mortgage statement and 6 months of bank statements.
Applicant. Passport, photos, the AVATS summary, a police clearance certificate from India, medical insurance for the first year and, for children, a consent letter from any parent not travelling. The guide to proving a genuine relationship covers how officers weigh the evidence.
How does the application run?
- Confirm the sponsor qualifies: permission type, any 12-month wait completed, income over the qualifying years.
- Apostille the marriage and birth certificates through the MEA and translate any regional-language documents.
- Complete AVATS for each family member, print the summaries and book VFS Global Ireland appointments.
- Lodge passports, photos, relationship and sponsor evidence, police clearance, insurance and EUR 60 per person at VFS with fingerprints.
- Wait 6 to 12 months; respond to requests. Travel within the visa dates and register within 90 days for Stamp 1G, 3 or 4 (EUR 300 per adult).
How long does it take?
| Stage | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor qualifying period | 0 or 12 months | Depends on the permission |
| Documents and apostille | 3 to 6 weeks | MEA, translations, sponsor records |
| Decision | 6 to 12 months | New Delhi visa office; 6-month target |
| Travel and registration | Within 90 days | IRP cards |
| Stamp 4 for the family | With the sponsor | Or after the sponsor's naturalisation |
What happens after arrival?
Spouses of Critical Skills holders and researchers register on Stamp 1G and work for any employer without a permit; spouses of Irish citizens register on Stamp 4. Spouses of General Employment Permit holders register on Stamp 3 and may not work unless they obtain their own permit, though the Department of Enterprise exempts them from the labour market needs test. Children attend school free and move to Stamp 4 with the family. Years on Stamps 1G, 3 and 4 count as reckonable residence for the naturalisation described in the Irish citizenship guide.
Why are Ireland join family visas refused, and what fixes each reason?
Sponsor's income below the threshold. Earnings under the Working Family Payment figure or EUR 40,000 over 3 years. Wait until the qualifying income is reached and document every year.
Relationship evidence thin. Marriage certificate alone, no contact or visit history. Add photographs, chats, remittances and travel records since the wedding.
12-month wait not completed. General permit holder applying early. Apply after the anniversary of registration.
Documents not apostilled or translated. Certificates without the MEA apostille. Apostille and translate before lodging.
Sponsor relied on social welfare. Any payment in the qualifying period. Wait for a clean 2-year period.
How Vistolane files it
Vistolane confirms the sponsor's category and income, prepares the relationship and sponsor file, arranges the apostille and books VFS, charging the EUR 60 fee at the official rate. Start with the free eligibility check or the Ireland join family visa route page. Couples comparing routes can read the UK spouse and partner visa guide.
