EU Directive 2004/38/EC
Family members of EEA nationals exercising Treaty rights in Ireland in accordance with EU Directive 2004/38/EC, who are not themselves EEA nationals, are required to apply for a "Residence Card of a family member of a Union citizen", as described in Article 10 of the Directive. In Ireland, applications for the Residence Card, are made on form EU1 and sent to the EU Treaty Rights Section of the Department of Justice. Article 10(1) of the Directive requires that such applications are processed within six months of submission. Once processed, a letter is sent to the applicant, instructing him or her to visit their local Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), in order to receive their Residence Card. The Residence Card comes in the form of a "Certificate of Registration" like any other issued by the GNIB, however a crucial distinction is made in that "Stamp 4 EUFam" is printed as the stamp number. This serves to confirm that the holder is a family member of an EEA national who is resident in Ireland in accordance with Directive 2004/38/EC. The Residence Card is valid for five years.
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