Dual Citizenship in Ireland for Canadian Citizens
If you are a citizen of Canada and decide to become a citizen of Ireland, you can apply for Irish dual citizenship. Both Ireland and Canada allow you to hold dual citizenship without renouncing one citizenship for the other.
For advice and assistance with your Irish citizenship application, contact us today at +1 844 290 6312 or use the online contact form to get in touch.
Page Contents
- What is Dual Citizenship?
- Rights of Irish Dual Citizenship
- Eligibility Criteria for Irish Dual Citizenship through Descent
- Eligibility Criteria for Irish Dual Citizenship through Naturalization
- Eligibility Criteria for Dual Citizenship for Spouse/Civil Partner of an Irish Citizen
- Application Process for Irish Dual Citizenship based on birth/descent
- Irish Dual Citizenship Application Based on Naturalization
- Irish Passport Application Process
- Application Fee
- How can Total Law help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dual Citizenship?
Dual citizenship allows you to hold citizenship of two counties simultaneously, which means you have legal rights and obligations with both countries.
As a Canadian citizen, you can claim Irish citizenship if you were born to immigrant parents, have Irish associations, or through naturalization.
There are many benefits that come with Irish nationality and citizenship, one of which is being able to travel through the EU without needing a visa.
Once you get Irish citizenship, you can get your Canadian passport stamped with a Stamp 6 or Without Condition Endorsement, allowing you to live in Ireland without restrictions.
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Rights of Irish Dual Citizenship
If you are granted dual citizenship in Ireland, your immigration permission will be granted stamp 6, and you are entitled to enjoy certain benefits, which include:
- Entitled to an Irish passport.
- Live and work in Ireland without restriction.
- Vote during the general elections, local elections, European elections, constitutional referendums, or presidential elections.
- You can be elected to government in Ireland and the European Union.
- You are permitted to live, travel and work within the European Union.
- You can serve as a jury if called upon to do it.
- Receive diplomatic assistance abroad from an Irish or EU embassy.
- You are also entitled to automatically gain EU membership status, which allows you to travel freely between EU countries without applying for a visa or subject to passport conditions, you can take up residence in an EU country without meeting the standard requirements, and you are permitted to take up employment in any EU country without having to go through tedious processes.
Eligibility Criteria for Irish Dual Citizenship through Descent
The qualification for Irish citizenship through descent is dependent on your parent, whether they were Irish citizens at that time, and their status at the time of your birth. However, you need to meet certain requirements to qualify for dual citizenship of Irish descent.
- You are qualified for Irish citizenship if either of your parents were born in Ireland, even if you were not born in Ireland. This implies that you do not need to apply for dual citizenship; you automatically become an Irish citizen.
- You are qualified for Irish citizenship through descent from your Irish grandparent(s); whether or not your parents were from Ireland, Northern Ireland, or a British citizen, one of your grandparents must have been born in Ireland. However, you must register your birth under the Foreign Birth Registration to claim your citizenship.
- You are eligible for dual Irish citizenship if either one parent or Irish-born grandparents have/had Irish citizenship at the time of your birth.
Eligibility Criteria for Irish Dual Citizenship through Naturalization
Citizenship by naturalization is when an individual who is a national of a foreign country (Canada in this case) and does not have familial relations with Ireland acquires Irish citizenship.
To qualify for Irish dual citizenship through naturalization, you have fulfilled some requirements according to Irish Law. The first non-negotiable requirement is that you must have lived in Ireland for a certain period of time, depending on your route towards citizenship or your immigration permission.
In general, the requirements are that you must:
- Be aged 18 or older. You can apply if you are under 18 years and are married.
- Be of good character while considering if you have any criminal record.
- Have been resident in Ireland for at least four years of the previous eight years and must not have left Ireland for more than 6 weeks in the 12 months immediately before making your application for naturalization.
- Make a declaration of fidelity and loyalty to the State by attending a citizenship ceremony.
Eligibility Criteria for Dual Citizenship for Spouse/Civil Partner of an Irish Citizen
You are eligible to apply for dual citizenship if you are the spouse/civil partner of an Irish citizen. However, there are certain conditions you need to meet to qualify for dual citizenship by naturalization through marriage. These conditions are:
- You must have been married to/in a civil partnership with an Irish citizen for three years.
- You must presently live together in an ongoing marriage/civil partnership for at least three years.
- You must be of full age when applying for dual citizenship through naturalization.
- You must have been legally resident in Ireland for at least 3 of the previous 5 years, including one year of continuous residency immediately before applying for naturalization.
- You must be able to provide documents to prove that you and your spouse/civil partner live together permanently. You will need to submit P60s, Property Tax or Social Welfare documents, mortgage statements, bank statements showing direct debits for utility bills and others, rental agreements, spouses’ revenue documentation, and spouse employment letter.
Application Process for Irish Dual Citizenship through Descent or Birth
There are processes to take when applying for Irish citizenship as a Canadian citizen. If you want to claim Irish dual citizenship through descent or birth, you must have registered your birth in the Foreign Births Register, which involves documenting the ancestry from which you want to claim. The application process here involves:
- Submit your birth certificate and marriage certificate, if needed
- Submit any name change documentation, if applicable
- Submit proof of identity, in the form of a passport/national identity card/driver’s license, etc.
- Two proofs of your residence address
- Four passport-sized photographs of you. As a form of identification, a professional witness that knows you personally must sign two of your passport photos. He/she must also stamp your application form with their official stamp to verify that the copy of your state identification is genuine.
There are cases where you will need to provide some other supporting documents, especially if you are claiming Irish dual citizenship through a grandparent or parent; you must be able to provide their birth certificate, marriage certificate, and death certificate, if applicable. You must also prove that your grandparent or parents are Irish citizens by providing their passport/driver’s license etc. After your documents have been submitted to the necessary quarters, it may take up to 6 months for your application to be processed.
Irish Dual Citizenship Application Based on Naturalization
If you are applying for Irish citizenship based on your time spent in Ireland, whether as a spouse of an Irish national or under an eligible stamp, visa or permit, there are specific processes as well. They are:
- Fill in the relevant application form.
- Gather all the required documentation together. The documents you are to submit are dependent on the citizenship route through which you are applying and your particular circumstances.
- Send in your application by post to the Citizenship Division of Immigration Service Delivery (ISD).
The documents you are to send depend on how you came to live in Ireland. Typically, those documents include:
- A copy of your current Canadian passport and all previous passports that have stamps contributing to your period of reckonable residency
- Original birth certificate and marriage/civil partnership certificate (if relevant)
- passport photographs
- A copy of your current Immigrant Registration Card
- Up-to-date tax clearance certificate
If applying based on your stay in Ireland as a spouse of an Irish citizen, you may need to provide additional documents that include your partner’s proof of citizenship and proof you lived together.
Irish Passport Application Process
After applying for dual citizenship and your application has been approved, you can then proceed to apply for an Irish passport.
An Irish passport is a means of identification that shows that you have officially become an Irish citizen.
However, due to changes in the Irish immigration laws on 29th March 2016, you may no longer need to provide a photocopy of your public services card for identification for any first-time applicant of an adult passport.
When applying for your Irish passport, you will need to provide proof of residence address with other documentation required to prove that you are worthy of an Irish passport.
The documents to submit depend on the route taken towards Irish citizenship.
If you acquired Irish dual citizenship through naturalization, you must provide these stated documents below:
- Naturalisation certificate
- Foreign passport
- Birth certificate
- Civil marriage/civil partnership certificate.
Application Fee
The application fee for Irish dual citizenship is €175, which is non-refundable regardless of the reason, whether the application was rejected based on false documents or insufficient information.
Besides the citizenship application fee, other costs may incur later; for example, you will need to pay for your official Certificate of Naturalization.
The cost for a naturalization certificate differs in individual categories. These include:
- Adults: €950
- Minor: €200
- Widow, Widower, or Surviving Civil Partner of Irish citizen: €200
- Recognized refugee or stateless person: €0
How can Total Law help?
Total Law’s excellent immigration lawyers are vastly experienced in dealing with Irish dual citizenship and can provide advice and support to make your application process smooth.
Our immigration lawyers will help you determine that you meet the eligibility criteria, help you gather the supporting documents to ensure there are no delays or denials, and help you complete a high-standard application to maximize your chances of success.
For advice and assistance with your Irish citizenship application, contact us today at +1 844 290 6312 or use the online contact form to get in touch.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not need to renounce your Canadian citizenship to apply for Irish citizenship. Ireland allows you to become a citizen while being a citizen of another country. Canadian Law also permits you to hold dual citizenship.
However, some countries do not permit you to acquire dual citizenship; hence, you may need to renounce your citizenship if you are an Irish citizen living abroad. However, if you wish to denounce your Irish citizenship, you must meet certain conditions like:
- Be aged at least 18 years
- Live outside of Ireland
- Be in the process of acquiring citizenship in another country
Then you will have to fill out a ‘declaration of alienage’ form, which must be witnessed and submitted to the Department of Justice and Equality.
Your child is entitled to Irish citizenship under certain conditions. Your child is entitled to obtaining Irish citizenship if you were born outside of Ireland but have acquired dual Irish citizenship.
Your children are also entitled to Irish citizenship if they have been registered under the Foreign Births Register. You must also register your birth in the Foreign Births Register to claim your children’s Irish citizenship.
Your children can apply for Irish citizenship and an Irish passport, after which they have registered and have received a certificate confirming their entry in the Foreign Births Register.
