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Ireland Amends Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, Increasing Financial Thresholds and Modifying Rules for Internationa

🇮🇪 IrelandFamily Reunification1 recorded versionLast change 10 Sept 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

From 12 June 2026, Ireland increased the financial requirements for non-EEA family reunification. Irish citizens sponsoring a spouse, civil partner, de facto partner or minor child must now have earned at least €75,000 in gross income over the previous three years, excluding State benefits. The income must come from the individual sponsor and cannot be combined with a spouse's or another family member's income. The policy also introduced updated financial thresholds for other family categories. For Category C sponsors bringing minor children, the 2026 minimum net-income requirement ranges from €39,780 for one child to €79,664 for eight or more children, with indicative gross-income requirements ranging from €50,200 to €131,600. For dependent adult relatives, the minimum gross-income requirement is €96,929 for one dependent adult, €130,985 for two and €165,042 for three. These thresholds are subject to annual updates. Category C sponsors, including General Employment Permit holders, Reactivation Employment Permit holders and eligible Stamp 4 holders, must also demonstrate that they have suitable accommodation for their family members. The accommodation must meet the policy's space requirements and avoid overcrowding. Where children are being sponsored, the sponsor must generally rent or own the entire housing unit, and rented accommodation must be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board. Sponsors must also meet restrictions concerning State-supported accommodation and housing assistance. Certain homeless, emergency, International Protection Accommodation Service, social and local-authority housing arrangements can prevent a sponsor from meeting the requirements, while specified housing supports may also affect eligibility. The rules for refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection have also changed. They are generally no longer eligible to use the ordinary Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy and must instead use the family reunification provisions of the International Protection Act 2026. They must generally wait two years from the date protection was granted and demonstrate sufficient resources to support their family without becoming an unreasonable burden on the State. Specific exceptions apply to certain minors, including unaccompanied minors. The revised policy also sets different waiting periods according to sponsor category. Category A sponsors, including Irish nationals, have no waiting period. Category B sponsors, including Critical Skills Employment Permit holders and certain researchers, students and other eligible categories, generally have no waiting period for nuclear family members but must generally complete two years for other family members. Category C sponsors generally must have been legally resident in Ireland for 12 months before sponsoring nuclear family members, while a five-year residence period generally applies to other eligible family members.

Overview

Effective from 12 June 2026, Ireland has introduced amendments to its Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy and the policy for those granted International Protection. The changes primarily affect financial sponsorship requirements for Irish nationals and certain non-EEA nationals, significantly raising the gross income threshold. Additionally, individuals with international protection status will now face a two-year waiting period before becoming eligible to apply for family reunification, along with other new restrictions concerning accommodation, finances, and existing relationships for refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • Irish citizens seeking to sponsor spouses, civil partners, de facto partners or minor children
  • General Employment Permit holders seeking family reunification
  • Reactivation Employment Permit holders seeking family reunification
  • Eligible Stamp 4 holders who fall within Category C
  • Critical Skills Employment Permit holders and other Category B sponsors whose applications are subject to the revised financial and documentary requirements
  • Sponsors seeking to bring dependent parents or dependent adult children
  • Refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection who seek family reunification
  • Family members seeking to join eligible non-EEA sponsors under the revised policy
  • International-protection holders whose relevant family relationship was formed after they entered Ireland and who fall within the limited Category C route

What changed in the latest version

Before

Before the changes on 12 June 2026, the Non-European Economic Area (EEA) Family Reunification Policy had lower money requirements for Irish citizen sponsors. An Irish citizen who wanted their spouse or children to join them previously had to show a gross income of €40,000 over the three years before they applied. This was about €13,333 each year. The change on 12 June 2026 raised this amount to €75,000 over three years. The old rules also did not have the same requirement for General Employment Permit holders and other Category C sponsors to provide documents showing suitable housing for joining family members. The rules from June now clearly say that Category C sponsors must show suitable housing. For people granted international protection, the International Protection Act 2015 set the rules for family reunification for applications made before 12 June 2026. The current guidance from the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) confirms that applications sent in before 12 June 2026 will still be processed under sections 56 and 57 of the 2015 Act.

After

From 12 June 2026, Ireland increased the money needed for non-European Economic Area (EEA) family reunification. Irish citizens who sponsor a spouse, civil partner, de facto partner, or minor child must now have earned at least €75,000 in gross income over the last three years. This income cannot include State benefits. The sponsor must earn this income alone; they cannot combine it with a spouse's income or another family member's income. The policy also set new money limits for other types of families. For Category C sponsors bringing minor children, the minimum net income needed in 2026 is between €39,780 for one child and €79,664 for eight or more children. The approximate gross income needed for these sponsors is between €50,200 and €131,600. For adult relatives who depend on the sponsor, the minimum gross income needed is €96,929 for one dependent adult, €130,985 for two, and €165,042 for three. These amounts will change each year. Category C sponsors, which include General Employment Permit holders, Reactivation Employment Permit holders, and eligible Stamp 4 holders, must also show they have suitable housing for their family members. The housing must meet the policy's size rules and not be too crowded. If children are being sponsored, the sponsor must generally rent or own the whole house or flat. If they rent, the housing must be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board. Sponsors must also follow rules about State-supported housing and housing help. Some types of housing, such as homeless accommodation, emergency housing, International Protection Accommodation Service housing, or social and local-authority housing, can stop a sponsor from meeting the rules. Certain housing supports may also affect if a sponsor can apply. The rules for people who are refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection have also changed. They can generally no longer use the ordinary Non-European Economic Area (EEA) Family Reunification Policy. Instead, they must use the family reunification rules in the International Protection Act 2026. They must generally wait two years from the date they received protection. They must also show they have enough money to support their family without becoming an unreasonable burden on the State. There are special exceptions for some minor children, including children who travel alone without parents or guardians — legally called unaccompanied minors. The updated policy also sets different waiting periods based on the type of sponsor. Category A sponsors, including Irish nationals, have no waiting period. Category B sponsors, including Critical Skills Employment Permit holders and certain researchers, students, and other eligible groups, generally have no waiting period for their immediate family members (spouse, children). However, they generally must complete two years for other family members. Category C sponsors must generally have lived legally in Ireland for 12 months before sponsoring immediate family members. A five-year residence period generally applies to other eligible family members.

These changes greatly affect who can apply for family reunification in Ireland and what they need to do. Irish citizens who want to bring non-European Economic Area (EEA) spouses and children will face a much higher income limit. This could make it harder for families with lower incomes to reunite. Non-EEA sponsors must now prove they have suitable housing, which is a new obstacle. For people granted international protection, the two-year waiting period means a long delay for family reunification. Strict new financial and social support rules may also mean many cannot apply. This will make more applications go through the International Protection Act route. People who are refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection can no longer easily use the main policy for family ties that existed before they arrived. They must use a different legal process. This will affect their ability to unite with these family members.

Explained simply

Imagine you want your family to join you in Ireland. If you're an Irish citizen, you now need to show you earn more money than before to prove you can support them. If you're here on certain work permits, you need to show you have a place for them to live. If you've been given protection by Ireland because you needed to leave your home country, you might have to wait two years before you can ask for your family to come, and you also need to show you can support them without relying too much on government help. Plus, if you're a refugee or have subsidiary protection, the old rules for bringing family might not apply to you anymore, unless you only met your family after arriving in Ireland, but there's still another way to apply.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v1Effective 12 Jun 2026EffectiveHigh impact
    Ireland Amends Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, Increasing Financial Requirements and Changing Rules for International Protection Beneficiaries

    Ireland has changed its policy for non-European Economic Area (EEA) Family Reunification and for people granted International Protection. These changes started on 12 June 2026. Irish citizens who sponsor their spouses and children now need a gross income of at least €75,000 over three years. This was previously €40,000. People who hold a General Employment Permit, and other Category C sponsors, must now prove they have suitable housing for their family members. For people who have been granted international protection, a new two-year wait applies before they can apply for family reunification under the International Protection Act. They must also meet new financial and social support rules. Most people who are refugees or beneficiaries of subsidiary protection cannot use the general Family Reunification Policy. They can only use it if their family relationships began after they arrived in Ireland. However, they can still apply under the International Protection Act.

Other routes in this country

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