Is my wife eligible for an Irish passport

[John_S]

I am hoping to get my non-EU wife to join me here in the UK. I am a dual Irish/British citizen (I was born in the UK to an Irish mother, and I have an Irish passport). I don't meet the financial requirements to sponsor my wife for a British spouse visa. Would it be possible for me to get her an Irish passport since I, her husband, am an Irish citizen? With an Irish passport, she obviously would be able to live in the UK like any other EU citizen.

Thanks.

[wiggsy]

I am hoping to get my non-EU wife to join me here in the UK. I am a dual Irish/British citizen (I was born in the UK to an Irish mother, and I have an Irish passport). I don't meet the financial requirements to sponsor my wife for a British spouse visa. Would it be possible for me to get her an Irish passport since I, her husband, am an Irish citizen? With an Irish passport, she obviously would be able to live in the UK like any other EU citizen.

Thanks.

Do you hold British citizenship?

If so, have you worked / lived outside of britain in another EU country...

Simply being Irish is not suffcient for Directive 2004/38/EC. you actually have to excersise your treaty rights...

See: Also British: Only British

[John_S]

I don't think my question has been understood properly. I'm simply inquiring whether or not my wife is eligible to apply for an Irish passport for herself on the basis that she is married to an Irish person.

Having done some research, I have found the answer to my question, which is that my wife is not eligible for an Irish passport because she is not currently living in Ireland, and has not lived in Ireland for two out of the last four years before the current year of required residence.

[wiggsy]

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/mo ... tizen.html

I'm an Australian citizen and have been legally resident in Ireland since 2001. In 2002 I married an Irish citizen. Can I now apply for Irish citizenship?

Yes. As you have been married to an Irish citizen for over 3 years, and have enough “reckonable residence” in the island of Ireland, you can apply to become an Irish citizen through marriage.

Leads onto:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/mo ... riage.html

Rules

If you are the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen who is applying for Irish citizenship, you must meet the following conditions:
•You must be married to or in a recognised civil partnership* with the Irish citizen for at least 3 years
•You must have had a period of 1 year's continuous reckonable residence - see below - in the island of Ireland immediately before the date of your application
•You must have been living on the island of Ireland for at least 2 of the 4 years before that year of continuous residence
•Your marriage or civil partnership must be recognised as valid under Irish law
•You and your spouse or civil partner must be living together as husband and wife or civil partners
•You must be of full age, good character and intend to continue to live on the island of Ireland
•You must have made a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State.

*Foreign relationships registered outside Ireland were only recognised by the State on 13 January 2011 when the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 came into force. This means that, even if your civil partnership was registered outside Ireland before 2011, only your residence as the civil partner of an Irish citizen since 13 January 2011 will be counted as part of the 3-year period required for naturalisation based on your civil partnership with an Irish citizen.

Note that you need to have residence in ireland...


i might add though: Irish naturalisation fees seem a little "Fairer" (even if more costly than UK) with their "Applicaton" and "Issue" Fees being seperated.....

Rates

Since 10 November 2011 the fee for an application for naturalisation is €175

When the certificate of naturalisation is issued you pay a fee of €950.

[jeupsy]

Your wife is not entitled for Irish citizenship unless she is presently living in Ireland and has been living in Ireland for 3 of the past 5 years.

[wiggsy]

Your wife is not entitled for Irish citizenship unless she is presently living in Ireland and has been living in Ireland for 3 of the past 5 years.

Looking at the rules... that seems incorrect

She must be MARRIED to him for three years, and living in ireland for the last year continuiously on application.

The other two years could be broken residence over four years prior to the 1 year continuious (three years over last five).

also note: the two years in four is on the ISLAND of Ireland (including N. Ireland)

IE:

2012-2013 = Continuous
2011-2012 = In another country
2010-2011 = Ireland
2009-2010 = another country
2008-2009 = Ireland...

- 2008 - 2012 covering four years... two of which is in ireland... two outside of ireland..

it may be a little more complicated than this though IE: an absence over 6 month cannot be taken etc (such as UKBA/EEA ETC)..