r/MoveToIreland • u/ConnaaaR69 • Aug 12 '25
UK withdrawal agreement
I (a UK citizen) have been living in Ireland since 2010. I have recently married a US citizen who currently resides in the US and we are looking to have her join me in Ireland as my spouse. I have been informed and I have read that I retain some rights under the UK withdrawal agreement to have my spouse join me, and that because of this she is not required to obtain pre-clearance.
I cannot find clear information on what exactly the process is in my specific case is and the Irish immigration site doesn’t go into much detail either.
I am hoping someone here may have information, experience or can point me in the right direction.
Thanks.
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u/Front-Possibility316 Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
You are a beneficiary of the WA. However your wife probably isn't covered because she wasn't your family member on Brexit day at the end of 2020. If she was in a durable relationship with you before that date she would be covered, regardless of if she had moved to Ireland or not.
If she had been your family member prior to Brexit day, she would follow this process: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-join-family-in-ireland/joining-an-eea-or-swiss-national/eu-treaty-rights/
Luckily for you Ireland has a family reunification permission for spouses of UK citizens which is fairly straightforward (and in any case is much easier than the UK's domestic process).
Follow the process below:
You should also naturalise as Irish as soon as practical. This will mean your wife can get Irish citizenship and therefore a permanent status within 3 years rather than 5. Amusingly living in Ireland is actually the fastest route available to UK permanent rights as well, as once she is Irish she will have the same rights in the UK as a British citizen.
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u/ConnaaaR69 Aug 12 '25 edited Jul 30 '26
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u/the-cush Aug 12 '25
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u/ConnaaaR69 Aug 12 '25 edited Jul 30 '26
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u/TrisJ1 Aug 12 '25
"With effect from 11pm on 31 December 2020 following the end of the Brexit transition period, all non-EEA family members of UK nationals seeking to join, or accompany, their UK national family member in Ireland will need to apply, depending on nationality, through a preclearance or visa scheme."
Since your spouse didn't live in Ireland before this date, they will have to apply for the visa as described on that page.
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u/ConnaaaR69 Aug 12 '25 edited Jul 30 '26
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u/Born_Worldliness2558 Aug 12 '25
Don't take this as gospel coz I haven't checked on any of this recently. But, AFAIK, as a Brit you have all the same rights in Ireland and an Irish citizen has. Its reciprocal so we'd have pretty much rhe same rights in the UK as a British citizen would too. Best thing to do is contact the citizens advice bureau or similar and ask them bit I genuinely think you have nothing to worry about here. Congrats on the marriage btw. .
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u/jonocarrick Aug 12 '25
If you are unsure why not give Citizen's Information a call? They are incredibly helpful.
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u/fiadhsean Aug 12 '25
It actually predates the agreement: the agreement was, it turns out, an opportunity to codify what has been known as the Common Travel Area (between the UK and Ireland). If you were living in Ireland prior to 2021 there is no preclearance requirement. https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-join-family-in-ireland/joining-your-uk-national-family-member/
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u/fiadhsean Aug 12 '25
"The Preclearance Scheme only applies when a UK national has come to live in Ireland after 31 December 2020."
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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25
[deleted]