IRISH CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT

IRISH CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT

IRISH CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT

If you’ve found our website, you’ve discovered the possibility of claiming Irish citizenship by descent. The rules surrounding the process can seem overwhelming and confusing. Ireland is not very generous with their citizenship by descent, simply having an Irish ancestor somewhere in your family line is not good enough. In the vast majority of cases, you’ll only be able to claim a right to citizenship if your grandparent was an Irish citizen. In less common cases, some are able to claim Irish citizenship through a great grandparent.

  • You were born in the island of Ireland on or before 31 December 2004.

    Category A is entitled to Irish citizenship or you already are an Irish citizen.

  • Born on the island of Ireland on or after 1 January 2005.

    Category B is entitled to Irish citizenship if one or both of your parents:

    Is Irish

    Is British or entitled to live in Northern Ireland or the Irish State without restriction on their residency

    Is a foreign national legally resident in the island of Ireland for 3 out of 4 years immediately prior to your birth

  • Child of A, born outside the island of Ireland.

    Category C is considered to be an Irish citizen.

  • Child of C and a grandchild of A, born outside the island of Ireland.

    Category D is entitled to Irish citizenship, but you must first register in the Foreign Births Register.

  • A child of D and a great grandchild of A, born outside the island of Ireland.

    Category E is entitled to Irish citizenship, by having your birth registered in the Foreign Births Register, but only if your parent D had registered by the time of your birth.

CITIZENSHIP ELIGIBILITY CATEGORIES

PERKS OF IRISH CITIZENSHIP

When you are an Irish citizen, you are a European Union citizen. This means that not only are you able to move to Ireland, you also gain access to 30 other countries between the EU and EEA. In addition to those countries, Ireland is now the only European Union passport with access to freely live and work without visa restrictions in The United Kingdom.

As a dual citizen, this means you’d have the freedom to live, work, and travel within a total of 33 countries!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  1. A certified long-form copy of your parent’s birth certificate.

  2. Marriage certificate or change of name document (if applicable)

  3. Certified photocopy of current state-issued identification (passport, drivers licence, national identity card)

  4. Two proofs of address (not photocopies). If you are applying on behalf of a child, you must also include a letter from the child’s school or doctor

  5. Four photographs

  6. If you are applying on behalf of a child, but you are not the parent of the child, you must include proof of guardianship

You must also provide documents relating to the person you are basing your application on. This will be either your grandparent or parent.

You must include the following documents from the Irish citizen that you’re claiming your right from:

  1. A certified long-form copy of their birth certificate

  2. A certified copy of their marriage certificate

  3. A certified photocopy of current government-issued identification (passport, drivers licence, national identity card) 

  4. A certified copy of their death certificate if they are deceased

Please note, it is currently taking the Irish Foreign Births Register department an average of 2 years to process applications.

YOU MIGHT ALSO NEED

  1. If your parent became an Irish Citizen through the foreign births register, you will need a certified copy of their original foreign birth registration certificate

  2. If your parent became an Irish citizen through post-nuptual declatation, you will need a certified copy of their post nuptial citizenship certificate

  3. If your parent became a citizen through naturalization, you will need a certified copy of their original naturalization certificate

  4. If they became an Irish citizen from adoption by an Irish citizen living abroad, you will need a certified copy of their original adoption certificate and adoption order

Hire a genealogist to assist you with your dual citizenship eligibility

EXPERT ELIGIBILITY ASSISTANCE

If you’re having trouble locating the information you need to determine your Irish citizenship eligibility, allow our team of expert genealogists to research your family line and determine whether or not you qualify.