Passports
How to apply
Track your application

Visas
General Info
Who needs a visa?

Visa Types
Accompany Employer
Business
Conference
Employment
Join Spouse/Parent
Spouse of Irish/EEA Citizen
Study
Visit
Working Holiday

A visa required family member (spouse or minor child) of a non-EEA national who is legally employed in the State may join that person once the worker has become established in the State, usually after twelve months, and is likely to be in Ireland for at least a similar period. The person must be in a position to support his or her family members without recourse to public funds.

The twelve month waiting period has been reduced to three months for the following categories:

• Persons participating in the Working Visa programme
• Doctors, including temporarily registered doctors
• Persons who are legally employed in other high skill areas on a case by case basis and with particular regard to any advice provided by relevant State or semi-State bodies

Please note: The Department of Social and Family Affairs in Ireland provides a Family Income Supplement (FIS) to families at work on low pay. The FIS is in the form of a weekly payment of 60% of the difference between your average net family income and the income limit for your family size.

This office is not in a position to approve any Join Spouse or Join Parent visa application where the spouse/parent in Ireland is earning less than the equivalent FIS income limit as detailed on this website.

Join Spouse

If you are the partner of an Irish citizen/Work Permit holder/Green Card holder or persons granted long term residence, in a long-term relationship that has existed for at least 2 years and you wish to join your partner in Ireland of accompany them to Ireland, the following documents are required in order to have your application considered.

Join Parent

In order to be eligible for a Join-Parent Visa an applicant must be under 18 years of age and not married. The parent(s) in Ireland must have sufficient income to support the child and must be able to provide adequate accommodation.

If you are visa-required national and travelling to Ireland to join your parent, you should present the following with your visa application:

• Passport (please include a photocopy of the passport bio page, all visas and all stamps)

• Two (2) copies of the signed summary of your online application form. Please refer to our Application Forms section for details.

• Two (2) passport sized colour photos taken in the past six months that meets our specifications

• Photocopy of Hong Kong Identity card

• Full contact details (address and daytime number)

• Details of the status of the parent in Ireland, this should include:

  • copy of all pages of his/her passport

  • copy of his/her Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) registration card

  • copy of his/her current work permit

  • letter from parent's employer in Ireland stating current salary, including all benefits in kind, duration of employment and whether employer intends to renew the work permit

• Evidence that the parent in Ireland has sufficient funds to cover the costs of the stay, this should include:

  • bank statement from parent in Ireland

  • copy of most recent P60 (Certificate of Pay, Tax and Pay-Related Social Insurance)

  • recent pay slips

• Full details of the applicant's close family (parents, children and siblings). Please indicate whether any family members intend to join at a future point.

• Details of the applicant's current status in Hong Kong

• Photocopy of applicant's long-form birth certificate

• Evidence that the applicant's parent is lawfully resident in a country other than Ireland

• Where the minors other parent / guardian will remain in Hong Kong, legal consent from the other parent/guardian must be provided

Additional documents or information may be required.

We regret that we do not provide photocopying services at the Consulate.

Processing Time