yousrname wrote:Hello.. I have a slightly more complicated situation that the norm. I am from the United States and my wife is Canadian, but she has dual German (German passport and the whole 9). We were thinking about moving to Ireland relatively soon and were wondering how to approach that from a legal standpoint? Is that something that is relatively easy? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
THere does not seem to be any complications here, so long as she is a holder of a valid German passport
As a European Citizen, your wife is entitled under the EU Treaty to vist, work, and resided in Ireland. The legislative rules are contained in EC Directive 2004 / 38 EC and the Irish version in EC REgulations (Freemovement of Persons) Regulations 2006-2008. As a European Citizen, so long as she complied with the directive whilst in Ireland she can have her family with her
As you are America, I don't think you need a visa to enter Ireland, confirm with the Irish EMbassy, Dept of Foregin Affairs website and email INIS (
www.inis.gov.ie) Contact at least two, as our glorious groups have a tendancy to say one thing and the other group will say another.
Make sure your wife enters on her German Passport. Bring your marriage cert (in case) and other proof of marriage (simply as precaution). Make it crystal clear that ye are entering on basis of Eu Freemovement.
If you and your wife stay for more than three months, both of ye are obliged to register or inform the department.
In order for you wife to be excercising her EU rights and thus allow you to stay (and entitled to work etc) she must be either one of the following
(1) worker (full time or part time - so long as job is of economic value)
(2) self employed
(3) Student with evidence of social insurance/ medical insurance
(4) if she don't intend to work, a be a "person of leisure", she can reside on basis of being full finanically covered (both yourself and herself)
so long as she is not an unreasonable burden to the State and is looking for work, it would be very very hard to remove her. One the other hand, she needs to be excercing her EU rights in order to ensure your ok. Before three months, you will have to make an application for residence. (so make sure you bring all documents of proof of marriage, living together, former employment etc - to save hassle and ensure application is granted)
With regard to feasibility and potential of work, unless both of ye have a job waiting or intend to set up a business or super multi corporation (check out our lovely corporation tax compliments of the EU), there is slim and feck all chance of getting decent work. The country is bust don't you know. Also it's not a cheap country to live in (I am Irish btw) so try and avoid Dublin (like any major city in a country, its dear)
So if you have some money and willing to be searching for ages for decent employment, then yes it should be relatively easy to reside in Ireland on basis of your wife and that she is excercing her EU rights.
