EU1: what documents proving same-sex relationship (US & FR)?

Hi all,

I'm an American who's been living in Dublin for 3 years together with my partner who I met 2 years earlier in the UK. I'm filling out my form EU1 to apply for a family member residence card as we've been in a relationship for 4 years and plan to reside in Ireland for the indefinite future. All of the paperwork seems rather straight forward as do the documents requested (he's working, we've got bills in our names, leases spanning 3 years, joint bank account, etc); however, under section 4 'evidence of relationship of applicant to EU citizen', what can I submit to prove our relationship? We have photos together over the last 4 years, but is that enough? Our holidays have been in Ireland so we don't have shared plane tickets, and when we have been on holiday together in France, we were on different flights on different days.

Also, they ask that I submit my passport and he submit his passport/identity card during the application process. How long does it take to get these back and does anyone know if they honour requests to have them returned promptly? As it's close to Christmas we'll need these documents to travel.

Many thanks in advance.

You don't necessarily need to submit all of these, but here are suggestions of things which will each make your case stronger in proving your relationship is genuine:
- Phone/Skype bills showing you are calling/texting each other on a regular basis
- Copy of emails/letters/cards sent to each others (you can obviously redact content you don't want to share, but if you have high volumes and some messages imply you are couple, it is a strong argument)
- Pictures together and/or with each other's family members
- Letters from friends and family where they confirm they know you and you are a couple
- Evidence of presents given to each other (this is a tricky one, but I managed this as I tend to always keep receipts and some presents where shipped ... so for example I could show that I bought a watch and my partner still had the envelop proving she received it at her address a few days later, or I had a receipt for a phone with her name on the receipt but my credit card number as a payment method)
- I think your plane tickets will be acceptable as proof of traveling together even if not on the same flights, especially if you can show hotel bookings or a letter of friends/family you stayed with, or any receipt for concerts, shows, train tickets or anything you did together during the trip, as well as pictures in front of local landmarks


With regards to your passports, they won't keep them during the whole duration of the process, but it will take a good few weeks for them to send them back to you be registered post.
I think other people have managed to get in touch with them and pick-up the passport earlier from the INIS office, but I suspect it will likely delay the initial processing - so if you are not in too much of a rush and need the passports for Christmas, I would suggest to send the application after your holiday.