S.I. No. 253/2026 - International Protection Act 2026 (Section 212(1)) (Minimum Levels of Income) Regulations 2026

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 16th June, 2026.

I, JIM O’CALLAGHAN, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 212(1) of the International Protection Act 2026 (No. 9 of 2026) having regard to the matters specified in subsection (2) of that section, hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the International Protection Act 2026 (Section 212(1)) (Minimum Levels of Income) Regulations 2026.

(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on 12 June 2026.

2. In these Regulations –

“Act of 2026” means the International Protection Act 2026 (No. 9 of 2026);

“application” has the same meaning as it has in section 205 of the Act of 2026;

“de facto partner” and “family member” have the same meanings as they have in section 205 of the Act of 2026;

“dependent adult relative”, of a sponsor, means a person to whom paragraph (c) or (d) of the definition of “family member” applies;

“income” has the same meaning as it has in Part 9 of the Act of 2026.

3. Where a sponsor makes an application for a permission to be given to the spouse, civil partner or de facto partner of the sponsor, the conditions specified in subsection (3)(d) of section 205 of the Act of 2026 shall, for the purposes of subsection (6)(a) of that section, be considered to have been satisfied where the sponsor at the time of his or her application is in receipt of an annual income of at least €30,000.

4. (1) Where a sponsor makes an application for a permission to be given to a minor child (within the meaning of paragraph (b) of the definition of “family member”) of the sponsor, the conditions specified in subsection (3)(d) of section 205 of the Act of 2026 shall, for the purposes of subsection (6)(a) of that section, be considered to have been satisfied where the sponsor at the time of the application is in receipt of an annual income of at least the relevant amount.

(2) In this Regulation, the “relevant amount” in relation to the income of a sponsor means for the number of minor children of the sponsor in respect of whom an application is made, the amount of income standing specified in column (2) opposite the mention of the number of such minor children in column (1) of Schedule 1.

5. (1) Where a sponsor makes an application for a permission to be given to a dependent adult relative of the sponsor, the conditions specified in subsection (3)(d) of section 205 of the Act of 2026 shall, for the purposes of subsection (6)(a) of that section, be considered to have been satisfied where the sponsor at the time of the application is in receipt of an annual income of at least the relevant amount.

(2) In this Regulation, the “relevant amount” in relation to the income of a sponsor means for the number of dependent adult relatives of the sponsor in respect of whom an application is made, the amount of income standing specified in column (2) opposite the mention of the number of such dependent adult relatives in column (1) of Schedule 2.

6. (1) Where a sponsor makes an application in respect of family members of the sponsor referred to in Regulations 3, 4 and 5 or any combination thereof (in this Regulation referred to as the “Regulations concerned”), the conditions specified in subsection (3)(d) of section 205 of the Act of 2026 shall, for the purposes of subsection (6)(a) of that section, be considered to have been satisfied in respect of the application where the sponsor at the time of the application is in receipt of an annual income of at least the highest of the prescribed amounts.

(2) In this Regulation, the “prescribed amounts” in relation to an application means each of the amounts of annual income prescribed in the Regulations concerned in respect of the family members to whom the application relates.

SCHEDULE 1

Relevant amount – Minor Children

Number of Minor Children of Sponsor (1)	Relevant Amount of Income of Sponsor (2)
1 Child	€50,000
2 Children	€60,000
3 Children	€70,000
4 Children	€80,000
5 Children	€93,000
6 Children	€106,000
7 Children	€121,000
8+ Children	€131,000

SCHEDULE 2

Relevant amount – Dependent Adult Relatives

Number of Dependent Adult Relatives of Sponsor (1)	Relevant Amount of Income of Sponsor (2)
1 Adult	€96,000
2 Adults	€130,000
3 Adults	€165,000
4 Adults	€199,000
5 Adults	€233,000
6 Adults	€267,000
7+ Adults	€301,000

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GIVEN under my Official Seal,

11 June, 2026.

JIM O’CALLAGHAN,

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

The International Protection Act 2026 introduces changes for family reunification for beneficiaries of international protection. These regulations prescribe the minimum level of income that a sponsor must be in receipt of at the time of their application in order to apply for family reunification, as provided for under section 212(1). Different income thresholds are prescribed for various categories of family members (e.g., spouses, children, dependent adults). Thresholds also vary according to the number of family members that a sponsor is seeking to bring to the State.