Irish Citizenship by Birth or Descent

Eligibility requirements for those born outside the State

Another category is those born outside the State. If you were born outside Ireland, you might be eligible if your parent or grandparent:

1. Was born on the Island of Ireland on or before December 31st 2004
2. Was born on the Island of Ireland on or after January 1st 2005
3. Falls in number 2 above

Children of those born in Ireland on or before December 31st 2004

If you were born outside Ireland to a parent born on the Island of Ireland on or before December 31st 2004, you are an Irish citizen. You can reach out to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to apply for an Irish passport.

Children of Irish citizens born in Ireland on or after January 1st 2005

If you were born outside Ireland and are a child or grandchild of someone born on the Island of Ireland on or after January 1st 2005, you are entitled to Irish citizenship. Still, you must register in the Foreign Births Register.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will determine if you are eligible to get the Foreign Births Registration done. You become an Irish citizen on the date you are registered.

This route permits your children to become Irish citizens as well. However, for your child to be able to register as a citizen, you must have registered in the foreign births register between 1956 and 1986, or you must have registered before your child was born if the child was born after 1986. Your child can apply to be registered in the Foreign Births register to become an Irish citizen.

Foreign Birth Registration

If you were born outside Ireland and are eligible for Irish citizenship based on the criteria above, you can become a citizen through Foreign Birth registration.

When registering in the Foreign Birth Register, you are required to provide some documents and what you provide depends on the Irish citizen connected to your eligibility and how they became a citizen. Also, some of the documents need to be witnessed.

The applicant must provide the following for the foreign births registration:

• Application form
• Original civil birth certificate showing the parents
• Original marriage certificate, if applicable
• Photocopy of state-issued ID
• 2 proofs of address
• 4 colour photographs

You will also need to submit evidence of your relationship with your parents/grandparents as well as proof of their status, such as:

• Photocopy of the parent’s or grandparent’s state-issued ID
• Original marriage certificate of Irish parent or grandparent, if applicable
• Original copies of proof of citizenship, such as:
  • Birth certificate of the Irish citizen parent or grandparent
  • Adoption certificate and adoption order of Irish citizen parent
  • Irish Naturalisation Certificate of Irish parent
  • Foreign Birth Registration Certificate of Irish parent
  • Post Nuptial Citizenship Certificate of Irish parent

If the applicant is for a minor, the following documents must be provided as well:

• A letter from the school, family doctor or other relevant sources on headed paper which includes the minor’s address as the proof of address.
• 2 proofs of the address of the Irish parent
• Four colour photographs of the Irish citizen parent

If the application for the minor is made by a non-Irish citizen guardian (declarant) on behalf of the minor, the following should be included:

• Photocopy of a state-issued ID document of the declarant
  • You may also need to include a photocopy of the state-issued ID of the parent
• Two separate proofs of address for the declarant
• Four colour photographs of the declarant
• Proof of guardianship or parental responsibility for declarant if they are not listed on the birth certificate as a parent

How to apply for the Foreign Births Register?

After gathering your supporting documents, you should complete the online Foreign Birth Register Ireland application form.

Cost

Foreign Birth Registrations cost the following:

The above fees are to be paid online, and your application should be processed within six to 18 months. Ensure you submit all necessary and supporting documentation as requested by the Irish authorities.

Any requests for clarifications or documents or incomplete Foreign Birth Registration applications may result in a delay or refusal. If it is a refusal, you will receive a letter detailing why your application was refused and can appeal within six weeks of the date of the refusal.

For assistance with applying for an Irish passport, using the Foreign Birth Registration service, or appealing a letter of refusal for a foreign birth register or passport, please contact our expert immigration team. Call us on (+353) 061 518 025.

Irish citizenship through adoption

If an Irish citizen adopts a child who is not Irish, the child can become a citizen through their Irish associations. Adopted children have the same rights as biological children as long as the Irish parent goes through the right processes so the adoption is recognised under Irish law.

If the Irish citizen lives abroad and adopts the child abroad, they should enter the adoption in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions, so it has the same legal status as an adoption made within the Irish State. If the Irish citizen is living in Ireland and processing a foreign adoption, they must obtain immigration clearance in advance from the Department of Justice so the adopted child can enter the country.

Irish citizenship by birth through special declaration

Depending on the circumstances around your birth, you may acquire Irish citizenship by making a declaration. Those who qualify include:

• Those born on the Irish island between December 2nd 1999 and December 31st 2004 to a foreign national with diplomatic immunity in the state at the time of their birth
• Those born between December 2nd 1999 and December 31st 2004 in the Irish sea or airspace to a foreign national on a foreign ship or aircraft
• Those born on the Irish island who declared that they were no longer Irish citizens but want to resume Irish citizenship. They can resume being citizens by making a declaration using form 1.