Important update for anyone returning to Ireland with a non-EU/EEA spouse or de facto partner.
As part of recent Irish immigration reforms, there have been changes to how Irish citizens can sponsor family members to come to Ireland.
Section 10 of the revised Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification (26 Nov 2025) now mandates that the income of only one individual sponsor will be considered in assessing whether an application meets the financial requirements.
This means that for applications submitted on or after 26 November 2025, only the Irish sponsor’s income will be considered as part of the application/registration for non-EEA de facto partners and spouses.
As the Irish de facto partner or spouse, you must now have a gross income [pre-tax] of at least €40,000 over the last three years (approximately €13,333 per year over three years). To read more about this, take a look at our guide for non-Irish de facto partners and non-Irish spouses.
We are aware that this change may impact certain categories of Irish citizen (e.g. carers, stay at home parents, people in receipt of disability benefits, etc.) and are monitoring this.
Please contact us here if you are affected by this change, as we may be able to provide information on other avenues to explore depending on personal circumstances.
