Non-EEA Parents of Irish Citizen Children
If your child is an Irish citizen, you can get permission to live with them in Ireland. If you’re a non-EEA/Swiss citizen, you’ll need to complete an application once you’re in Ireland. If you’re from a visa required country, then you must also get a visa before you travel.
Speak to our immigration solicitors if you want to join your child in Ireland, or you want to renew your permission. We specialise in Irish immigration law. We’ll apply our legal expertise to ensure you and your child can stay together.
Call us on 01 901 1355, email info@rnlsolicitors.ie or fill in the Free Online Enquiry Form. You can also request a call back and we will contact you at a convenient time.
We can be contacted outside of Irish office working hours and can communicate with you via phone, email and WhatsApp.
If you don’t have permission to reside in Ireland
If you don’t currently have permission to reside in Ireland – but your child is living in Ireland as an Irish citizen – then you need to submit an application to the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD). This is the ‘Application for permission to remain in the State on the basis of parentage of an Irish Citizen Child for a Non-EEA Parent’ (form RES3).
You will be granted permission to reside in Ireland with your child if you meet all the following criteria:
- You are the biological parent of an Irish citizen child
- Your Irish citizen child is residing full time in Ireland
- You are involved in the upbringing of your Irish citizen child (emotionally or financially)
- Your Irish citizen child is under the age of 18 (unless he/she has a severe disability)
- You are named as the biological parent on your child’s birth certificate
If you’re not named on your child’s birth certificate, then you’ll need to get the birth certificate re-registered to include your name. Otherwise, you may need to submit DNA evidence with your application.
If you’re currently outside the State, you need to check whether or not you’re from a visa required country. If you are, then you’ll need to get a visa to travel to Ireland. We can help you with the visa application.
If you currently have permission to reside in Ireland
If you’re currently residing in Ireland on a Stamp 1, 2 or 3 permission, or you entered Ireland on a ‘D Reside Parent of an Irish citizen child’ visa, then the process is different. In these cases, you and your Irish citizen child must attend your local immigration office to seek permission to remain. You’ll need to take the following documents:
- Your passport and your child’s passport
- Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card
- Your child’s birth certificate
- Evidence of your address in Ireland – such as utility bills
- Evidence of your child’s address in Ireland – such as a doctor’s letter
How long can I stay?
Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. You may be given permission to stay in Ireland for anywhere between six months and three years. You can extend your permission, provided you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
What happens if my application is refused?
If your application to join your Irish citizen child in Ireland is rejected, then you can apply again. There is no appeal process. However, you will be told why your application was refused.
Let us help you
We understand that you desperately want to be with your child in Ireland. But determining the right immigration route is not always easy. The rules are complex and depend on a multitude of factors. Our immigration solicitors can assess your family’s circumstances and recommend the best way forward. We are committed to keeping your family together so that your child can be raised in Ireland. Speak to us about:
- Moving to Ireland with your child who is an Irish citizen
- Joining your child in Ireland
- Extending your permission to remain in Ireland
- Getting a visa to enter Ireland
- A rejected application
We are specialist Irish immigration solicitors. We have helped countless families in a similar situation to yours, and we can help you too.
Contact us now
We work with individuals and corporations across the globe. We can be contacted outside of Irish office working hours and can communicate with you via phone, email and WhatsApp.
Call us on 01 901 1355, email info@rnlsolicitors.ie or fill in the Free Online Enquiry Form. You can also request a call back and we will contact you at a convenient time.
Joining Irish citizen child in Ireland – quick facts:
Can I work in Ireland if my application is approved?
If your application to reside in Ireland as a non-EEA parent of an Irish citizen child is approved, you’ll be given Stamp 4 permission. This means you’ll be allowed to work and set up your own business. It also counts towards your reckonable residence, if you want to apply for citizenship at a later date.
Will my application be accepted if my child doesn’t live in Ireland?
If this is your first application, then your child must live in Ireland. If you are renewing your permission, your application may be accepted if your child is outside of Ireland for certain reasons, such as attendance at university abroad. The ISD will consider each case on its individual merits.
Are the rules different if my child has a disability?
The rules are different if your child has a mental and/or physical disability that means they cannot live independently. Where this is the case, your permission may be accepted/renewed, even if your child is over the age of 18.
Do I have to provide a DNA test result?
A DNA test is not needed for each and every application. However, you may have to prove that you are the biological parent of the Irish citizen child if there is any doubt over their parentage. This might apply if you are not on the child’s birth certificate, for example.
Can I get Irish citizenship through my child?
Citizenship by ascent is not generally allowed in Ireland. This means a child cannot pass their Irish citizen on to their parents. However, once you have lived in Ireland for five years, you can apply for citizenship by naturalisation.
Is your child an Irish citizen? Found out how to join your child in Ireland.
Call us on 01 901 1355, email info@rnlsolicitors.ie or fill in the Free Online Enquiry Form. You can also request a call back and we will contact you at a convenient time.
