Becoming an Irish Citizen
Being an Irish citizen means being legally recognized as a national of Ireland and a citizen of Europe. There are certain conditions that allow foreign individuals to apply for Irish Citizenship.
By Birth
If you were born in Ireland prior to 1 January 2005, you are automatically an Irish Citizen. People born in Ireland before that date may apply for Irish Citizenship by descent or naturalization.
By Descent
Irish citizenship can be granted to an individual whose ancestor was an Irish citizen; this may be a parent, a grandparent or a great-grandparent. Irish citizenship can be claimed by both maternal and paternal lines, regardless of where or when the applicant was born.
It is also possible to apply for Irish citizenship if one of the applicant’s parents became an Irish citizen through adoption, naturalization or marriage prior to the applicant’s birth.
The application entails presenting a number of documents which prove the applicant’s Irish lineage. Among these are birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates pertaining to each family member in the Irish lineage, including the applicant.
The application for Irish citizenship must be submitted online by registering with the Foreign Births Registry in Ireland. However, the application must also be physically signed and mailed to the relevant office. If applying in Ireland, the application needs to be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. However Irish consulates and embassies abroad do not process citizenship applications/claims.
According to the Irish legal system, obtaining Irish citizenship does not affect the applicant’s previous citizenship in any way.
If you are interested in applying for Irish citizenship by descent, we will be happy to assist you in all the stages of the process. We will obtain all the necessary documents you need to present and ensure that they are in the right format. We will also assess any potential discrepancies and we will take care of translating your records. Finally, we will help you to submit your application.
Supporting Documents
Required documents
In order to apply for Irish citizenship by descent, a set of documentation proving heritage is required. Generally, it consists of Vital Records pertaining to the requestor and to the other members who are part of the Irish lineage. The documents must be copies and they must also bear an Apostille seal. Finally, they may also be accompanied by a professional translation.
Please find below lists of supporting documents for each family member.
| Applicant | Parent | Grandparent |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | Birth certificate | Birth certificate |
| Marriage and divorce certificates, when applicable | Marriage and divorce certificates, when applicable | Marriage and divorce certificates, when applicable |
| If the applicant has legally changed their name, dead poll/ name change decree and documents listing the new name will be required | Death certificate if deceased | Death certificate if deceased |
| Photo ID | If the parent has ever legally changed their name, dead poll/ name change decree and documents listing the new name will be required | If the grandparent has ever legally changed their name, dead poll/ name change decree and documents listing the new name will be required |
| Proof of residence | Declaration of alienage, in case of renunciation of Irish citizenship | Declaration of alienage, in case of renunciation of Irish citizenship |
Please note further documentation may be necessary depending on the specific case.
WITNESSES
All applications must include a witness. The witness must be currently living in the applicant’s country of residence, he/she must not be related to the applicant in any way and must know the applicant. In addition to this, the witness’ profession must be one of the ones below:
Member of the clergy
Medical Doctor
School Principal
Bank Manager
Solicitor/Lawyer
Police Officer
Magistrate/Judge
Notary public
We can assist you in preparing all your paperwork. We will obtain the necessary vital records for you, ensuring that they are issued in the correct format and that they can be used for your application. We will take care of the legalization process and will provide the translations when necessary.
The Foreign Births Register
The Foreign Births Register is an official register of births for Irish descendants born outside the Country. Registering a birth with the FBR is, at the same time, applying for the recognition of Irish citizenship.
The registration system has existed since 1956 and nowadays accepts requests online. In order to apply for a birth registration you must present proof of your heritage, a form of ID and all the vital records pertaining to the family members in your Irish lineage.
Once your application is processed, your records will be registered and you will be able to apply for an Irish passport.
If you believe that you are eligible for Irish Citizenship, we can help you to register your birth through the online system and complete your application as required by the Irish government.
Through Marriage
If you are married to an Irish citizen for 3 years or more you can apply for Irish Citizenship through naturalization, regardless of whether your marriage took place in Ireland or abroad.
You can apply by presenting a set of documents that prove your identity and your marital status. Other conditions that need to be met regard residency. More specifically, the applicant needs to have resided in Ireland for at least 3 out of the 5 years preceding the application.
The application for citizenship by marriage can be submitted via the Irish National Immigration Service (INIS), which will determine if the applicant is entitled to Irish Citizenship. After the INIS have reviewed the applicant’s paperwork, they will issue a certificate of citizenship within 30 days from the date of approval.
We can help you to verify if you are eligible for Irish citizenship by marriage and assist you during all the steps of the process. We will handle the retrieval of the records and provide the relevant translations, ensuring that your application complies with all the requirements.
Citizenship Through Association
Irish citizenship through association, which falls under citizenship by naturalization, may be for those who have a great-grandparent who was born in Ireland, and therefore have a claim to Irish citizenship, but you are unable to apply through theForeign Births Register (FBR) because you do not meet the criteria, namely that your parent was not registered on the FBR (therefore was not an Irish citizen) at the time of your birth.
Legal definition
Section 16 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 states a person is of Irish associations if:
(a) he or she is related by blood, affinity or adoption to, or is the civil partner of, a person who is an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen, or
(b) he or she was related by blood, affinity or adoption to, or was the civil partner of, a person who is deceased and who, at the time of his or her death, was an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen.
Criteria for applications made by association
- You are aged 18 or over, or if you are under 18 you are married;
- You meet the residency requirements (“reckonable residence”);
- You plan to reside in Ireland, or if you are spouse/civil partner of an Irish citizen, you intend to live on the island of Ireland;
- You are of “good character”.
Applications made for citizenship through association are expected to have around 3 years of legal/lawful residency in Ireland. If you do not meet this requirement, you will need to present a strong case that demonstrates you have a meaningful connection to Ireland. The more you can evidence tangible links with Ireland, the stronger your application for Irish citizenship by association will be.
Decision-making in granting or denying an application
Applications go to the Immigration Division of Department of Justice, and decisions are made by The Irish Minister for Justice. The Minister has absolute authority and discretion to waive, or not, the eligibility requirements, and grant or deny a citizenship claim.
Building a case
With the above considered, if you do not meet the residency criteria, you will need to present a strong case for association. This will involve listing your connections to Ireland, including any relationships (relatives, friends, business) you have there; travel to Ireland, for work, holiday, study; outlining any future intentions to live in Ireland; any memberships you may have in Irish clubs or societies, and any Irish hobbies and interests you have. Also needed in support of your application are 3 references from Irish citizens.
Applying for a Passport
A passport is a travel document recognized internationally which attests your identity and nationality. If you are an Irish citizen, you are entitled to get your Irish passport, which will give you the right to enter many countries and ensure you enjoy your benefits as an EU citizen.
The Irish passport is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Ireland and by the Consulates and Embassies all over the world. The Irish entity which is responsible for issuing Irish documents for an Irish citizen who lives abroad is the consulate with jurisdiction over the person’s residence address.
In order to apply for a passport, Irish citizens who were born outside Ireland are required to present a number of documents, including proof of identity and address, and the certificate of citizenship.A complete guide for the application for an Irish passport is included in all the Service Packages we offer. If you are already an Irish citizen and do not know how to request your passport, we are happy to assist you and ensure you have your travel document in hand as quickly as possible.
