Family Reunification for Protection Holders

Who Qualifies as a Sponsor

You can sponsor family members for reunification if you hold a current declaration as one of the following:

• Convention Refugee — someone recognized as meeting the 1951 Refugee Convention definition
• Programme Refugee — someone admitted to Ireland through a resettlement programme
• Beneficiary of Subsidiary Protection — someone who does not meet the refugee definition but faces serious harm if returned to their country

Your status must be active and valid at the time you apply and must remain valid throughout the process.

Eligible Family Members

The definition of "family member" is strictly limited to the nuclear family only. Extended family — grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, adult children, or dependent adult relatives — are not eligible under this pathway, even if they depend on you financially.

If you are an adult (18 or over):

• Spouse — but the marriage must have been in force before you applied for international protection in Ireland. Marriages entered into after you arrived in Ireland or after you submitted your asylum application do not qualify, with no exceptions.
• Civil partner — the civil partnership must have been established before you applied for international protection in Ireland.
• Unmarried children under 18 — biological or legally adopted children who have not yet turned 18 and are not married.

If you are a minor (under 18 and unmarried):

• Parents — biological or legal guardians.
• Unmarried brothers and sisters under 18 — only if they are also under 18 and unmarried.

Critical Eligibility Boundaries

Marriage and Civil Partnership Timing: This is a strict requirement with no discretion. The marriage or civil partnership must predate your application for international protection in Ireland. If you married after arriving in Ireland or after submitting your asylum claim, that spouse or partner is ineligible for family reunification under this pathway. You cannot later apply under the general family reunification route — the opportunity is lost.

Age at Application: Children must be under 18 and unmarried at the time you submit your family reunification application. If a child turns 18 while your application is being processed, they lose eligibility immediately. There is no grace period. If you have children approaching 18, you must submit your application before their birthday.

No Financial or Accommodation Requirements (Current Law): Under the International Protection Act 2015 (the current law), there are no income thresholds, employment requirements, or accommodation standards you must meet to sponsor family members. This is a major distinction from general Non-EEA family reunification, which requires sponsors to earn a minimum income. However, this changes on 1 July 2026 when the new Bill takes effect.

Proposed Changes Under the International Protection Bill 2026

When the new law takes effect on 1 July 2026, the requirements will change significantly:

Two-Year Waiting Period: You will not be entitled to apply for family reunification for two years following your grant of international protection. This means if you receive your refugee or subsidiary protection declaration on 1 July 2026, you cannot apply until 1 July 2028. Applications made before 1 July 2026 are not subject to this waiting period.

Financial Self-Sufficiency: You will need to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency assessed against income thresholds to be set by the Minister. The exact thresholds have not yet been published. You will also be ineligible if you are receiving certain social welfare payments or owe money for International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS).

Applicability: These new rules apply only to applications made after 1 July 2026. If you can submit your application before that date, you can avoid the waiting period and financial requirements.

The 12-Month Application Deadline (Hard Deadline)

You must submit your family reunification application within 12 months of one of the following dates:

• The date you received your declaration as a refugee or person with subsidiary protection, or
• The date of your arrival in Ireland as a programme refugee

This is a strict, non-negotiable deadline. There are no discretionary extensions, no exceptions, and no second chances. If you miss this window by even one day, you lose the statutory right to family reunification under the International Protection Act 2015. You would then have to apply under the general Non-EEA family reunification policy, which has much more restrictive criteria (including strict income requirements and accommodation standards).

Example: If you received your refugee declaration on 1 January 2024, you must submit your family reunification application by 31 December 2024. If you submit on 2 January 2025, your application will be refused as out of time.