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.
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 NEEDA certified long-form copy of your parent’s birth certificate.
Marriage certificate or change of name document (if applicable)
Certified photocopy of current state-issued identification (passport, drivers licence, national identity card)
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
Four photographs
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:A certified long-form copy of their birth certificate
A certified copy of their marriage certificate
A certified photocopy of current government-issued identification (passport, drivers licence, national identity card)
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 NEEDIf your parent became an Irish Citizen through the foreign births register, you will need a certified copy of their original foreign birth registration certificate
If your parent became an Irish citizen through post-nuptual declatation, you will need a certified copy of their post nuptial citizenship certificate
If your parent became a citizen through naturalization, you will need a certified copy of their original naturalization certificate
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
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.