Living in Ireland Advice needed

Hi I am British with a non EU husband currently living in his home country. My Father was born in Belfast and I understand that I am entitled to an Irish passport.

We are considering moving to Ireland permanently.

Is it better for me to apply for my passport and then a spouse visa for my spouse to live with me? Or is it better to apply as a UK citizen exercising my treaty rights to free movement?

If I I came as a UK citizen exercising treaty rights and later applied for an Irish passport what would happen to my husbands immigration status? Would he then be able to apply for citizenship after 3 years instead of 5?

We are intending to purchase a property outright but would both want to work. Eventually he would want citizenship.

He will have better immigration rights if you apply as a UK citizen (status valid for 5 years, no need for Irish re entry visas, not need for visa to travel to most EU country if accompanied by you, option for permanent residence under EU rights after 5 years, requirement to be treated as an EU citizen by any public organisation).

On constrain will be that his immigration status will depend on the fact that you are exercising treaty rights (ie that you are working or a student here). This means he won't be able to apply before you find employment, and that he will in theory loose his right to be in Ireland if you voluntarily decide to stop working.

I don't believe you becoming an Irish citizen after he gets granted EUTR status will change anything for him. If you originally enter as a UK citizen only you are exercising treaty rights and becoming irish shouldn't stop this. It would however give him the uptick to apply for citizenship as the spouse of an Irish citizen.


In summary: I think as long as you intend to work and are confident you will find a job, I think the EUTR route is better.

Thank you for your reply. We are going to visit later in the year, hire a car and have a good look round.

We would both be Self Employed and don't see any problems with working.