Hi Folks, 

I've read through the entire thread and have been blown away by the helpfulness of people and their comments. Big thanks to both the experts (looking at you @Liam) and those who've posted updates as their own personal situations have progressed. 

I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping you'll be able to help with. 

I'm a New Zealander and my wife (of one year) has dual Irish/UK citizenship. We're planning on relocating to Ireland in a few months to live and work. 

As I understand it, the process for me will look like this: 

1. Arrive in Ireland with my wife (eg. fly into Dublin)
2. Tell the customs official at the border that I intend to stay as the spouse of an Irish citizen (which means I should get a 90 day visa)
3. As soon as possible, head to a local garda along with my wife (ideally make an appointment in advance)v
4. Bring the following info: Passports, marriage certificate, proof of joint address
5. At that point, one of three things will happen:
   1. They give me stamp 4 there and then
   2. They tell me I'll get the stamp 4, but need to wait for the residence card to arrive (roughly 10 days)
   3. There is some abnormality and they tell me I need to apply to INIS for the stamp 4 (which can take up to 12 months)

Does that sound about right? 

One other question - we're planning on staying with my wife's parents in the North of Ireland when we arrive. Does the "Proof of address" have to be in the Republic of Ireland, or can it simply be on the Island of Ireland? If it has to be the Republic, does anyone have experience using the lease of a short-term / holiday rental as sufficient evidence?

Also, can anyone recommend a particularly accommodating garda office (or recommend avoiding any!)

Thanks in advance!

Hello, just curious to hear everyone's Stamp 4 renewal experiences? The official website is not very detailed with regards to the process and what documents you need to bring so I was hoping I can get some info here. Thanks a million!