Long-distance couple facing Brexit ‘heartache’ use Irish loophole to kick-start their future together

A young couple separated by long distance due to Brexit “heartache” have finally found a loophole by making Ireland their home to kick-start their future together.

Nathaniel Bacchus, 25, from Ipplepen in Devon, and Karin Kohlmetz, a 26-year-old from Esbjerg in Denmark, met online on a Discord server in May 2022 and they have been travelling the 900-mile distance between their respective homes ever since – with dreams to get married and start a family in the future.

After Karin applied for a spouse or partner visa with hopes to move to the UK, the couple discovered they faced a fee of £88,500 for a UK spouse visa, prompting them to ask the public for financial support on GoFundMe.

The fee made their plans feel like a “fantasy” but after sharing their experience on TikTok, they received a message urging them to relocate to Ireland.

Speaking to PA Real Life while together in Denmark, Karin, who is completing a three-year visual communication degree, said: “Every time we leave each other we’re thinking ‘We’re never going to see each other again’, but eventually, we’re going to be able to say ‘See you at home’.

“£88,000 seemed like a fantasy number but now there’s no tricky requirements, it’s just the money we need to live.

Nathaniel, who is currently unemployed but is about to start a job as a social media manager, said: “It seems way too good to be true, we’ve spent so many nights googling it and we still didn’t really believe it – every other way just seems so much more complicated.”

The couple initially had their hearts set on living together in the UK – and while Denmark was also an option for the pair, it was thought the language barrier for Nathaniel and Karin’s education being more applicable to a variety of jobs would set them in better stead to live in England.

A couple with no relevant earnings who are looking to meet the threshold entirely in savings need a lump sum of £88,500, according to the UK Government – and while the couple appealed for public funding through GoFundMe, they knew it would take years to reach the full amount.

After sharing their experience on TikTok however, they were approached by one of their followers about looking into the possibility of relocating to Ireland together.

“Someone actually contacted us privately and asked ‘Have you thought about Ireland?'” Karin said.

As a member of the EU, Ireland participates in freedom of movement which allows UK and EU nationals to live and work there without the need for visas or work permits, according to the government of Ireland.

An EU citizen, such as Karin, can enter the country and stay there for up to three months, or six months if they are looking for a job, without restriction, according to Citizens Information.

“Even if we have to have two, three jobs, we’ll do whatever we can to live in the same country,” Nathaniel said.

Karin added: “Ideally, I would like a job that has something to do with my education but I can’t be picky, I’m not going to be picky.”

Nathaniel flew to Denmark in November 2022 to meet Karin for the first time and the pair have been going the distance between their respective homes ever since.

The initial hurdles they needed to jump over to live together started to cause some anxiety between the pair, especially when they would leave each other.

“Emotionally, ever since this Ireland thing has come up, a lid has been put on the anxiety around our distance.

“We’re actually able to have a conversation now about how we want to run a home together.”

The couple are looking to initiate their plans as soon as possible and are toying with which area they would like to settle in – including Dublin, Cork or somewhere “off the beaten path”.

They are looking to meet with an Irish immigration lawyer in the coming weeks to begin setting their plans in motion.

“It’s freeing, it doesn’t seem so far away now and we could actually get this done before the end of next year,” Nathaniel said.

“Keep planning for it, get into the communities and talk to people who relate to your situation,” Karin said.

“If that one person had not said anything about Ireland, we would never have been where we are now.

“Keep trying to find a solution, there’s going to be one – one way or another.”

To find out more, visit the couple’s GoFundMe page here: gofundme.com/f/projectcominghome