Kudge

Hi everyone,

I've looked for info but can't find any. I'm a British national and my wife's Colombian. We're currently living in Spain but I have the chance of a decent job near Dublin so we'll probably want to move there. My question is about the visa for my wife, and whether or not we can both go together or I have to go first, get settled and everything, then invite her over somehow.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Pulaski

How long has your wife been living in Spain? Is she eligible for Spanish citizenship yet?because then she'd have the freedom to move anywhere in the EU.

Kudge

She has Spanish residency which entitles her to 3 months max. I don't know though if she could apply to stay there longer as we're married, or whether she'd have to leave Ireland after that and go back after.

Pulaski

How long has she been living in Spain? .... Are you saying she's been in Spain less than three months?

"Residency" isn't the same as citizenship. Citizenship is permanent and means she'd get a Spanish passport, which would then entitle her to live in any country in the EEA (EU + Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein).

Kudge

I know residency isn't the same as citizenship. I was just explaining her circumstances. By the time we go to Ireland (if we both can together), she'll have been in Spain longer than 3 months. She's checked and she can spend 3 months max in Ireland without a visa.

Pulaski

My question was (post #2), how much longer than three months?

I get the impression it isn't even as long as one year. .... My thought was that if she had been in Spain for a number of years she might be eligible for citizenship, thereby bypassing the question of a visa for Ireland entirely.

Kudge

No she hasn't been here anywhere near that long. By the way, it's "I get the impression..."

morpeth

My understanding is has automatic right to entry for 3 months, but once here can apply for residency card and stay there until application approved which can take 6 to 10 months.