All non­EEA nationals need immigration permission to remain in the State. Permission to remain will be in the form of an endorsement in your passport confirming the conditions and period of time for which you have permission to remain in the State. Persons granted permission to be in the State by INIS must also register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

The intention of the Immigration Services when considering De Facto Partnership Immigration Permission (DFPIP) applications is to allow genuine long­term relationships to continue. It is intended to provide a means by which couples who are already living together in a committed relationship to remain in Ireland on this basis alone. For immigration purposes a person may be considered the De Facto Partner, opposite or same sex, of another person.