Irish Citizenship Through Marriage for UK Citizens
If you are a British citizen with an Irish spouse or civil partner, you may be eligible for Irish citizenship through marriage. Marriage or partnership, however, does not automatically confer citizenship, so you will have to go through the process of citizenship application with the Department of Foreign Affairs.
If you are in the process of getting married to an Irish citizen, contact Total Law for assistance. Speak to one of our expert immigration advisers today. Call +44 (0) 333 305 9375 or use the online contact form to get in touch regarding your immigration status.
What Is Irish Citizenship by Marriage?
Citizenship through marriage is a way for UK citizens to get Irish citizenship through Irish associations with their spouses or civil partner. UK applicants must meet a number of strict eligibility requirements such as having been married for a minimum of three years prior to applying for Irish citizenship.
Gaining Irish citizenship through marriage is essentially the same as applying for Irish citizenship through naturalisation. The difference is that being married to, or in a civil partnership with, an Irish citizen allows you to apply after only three years of reckonable residence rather than five years in other naturalisation cases.
While Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) reviews the applications for Irish citizenship by marriage/civil partnership, the Minister for Justice has absolute discretion over who will be granted citizenship. Marriage or civil partnership with an Irish citizen does not automatically entitle you to Irish citizenship.
As UK citizens have the right to work, study, and hold residence in Ireland freely, some may choose not to apply for Irish citizenship at all.
Page Contents
- What Is Irish Citizenship Through Marriage?
- Eligibility for Irish Citizenship Through Marriage
- How to Apply for Irish Citizenship Through Marriage
- Required Documents for Irish Citizenship
- Costs and Fees for Irish Citizenship
- Processing Time for Irish Citizenship
- Irish Citizenship Ceremony
- Applying for an Irish Passport
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
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How UK Nationals May Apply for Irish Citizenship Through Marriage?
The process to apply for Irish citizenship by marriage or civil partnership is similar to the process of applying for citizenship by naturalisation in Ireland. The main difference is that you will select Form 8 for marriage and civil partnership when you apply. Here’s a step-by-step guide to apply for Irish citizenship by marriage:
- Start your application by filling up the Form 8 online. To register, you need a valid email ID (contact ISD for paper forms if you cannot access the online service)
- Upload the required supporting documents online. All uploads must be true copies certified by an appropriate witness (e.g., a practising solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, Peace Commissioner, or Notary Public)
- As an Irish citizenship applicant through marriage/civil partnership, your application must include the relevant Statutory Declaration, duly signed by you in the presence of a practising solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, Peace Commissioner, or Notary Public
- Tick the Statutory Declaration box to legally declare that you understand the application form, and that all the facts provided in the form by you are true and correct to the best of your knowledge
- Pay the required application fee online and submit your form to complete your online application process
- If you are using a paper form, send the completed form and other supporting documents to the Department of Justice, along with a bank draft (drawn on an Irish bank and payable to the Secretary General, Department of Justice) towards fee payment
- After processing your application, ISD will submit a review report to the Minister of Justice. The Minister has the final authority to approve or reject your application.
UK citizens do not need a visa to stay in Ireland. You can freely live, work, and study in Ireland under the Common Travel Area agreement. You may be able to take your required documents to the Garda National Immigration Bureau Registration office to register your marriage or civil partnership with Irish authorities.
However, you may still wish to gain Irish citizenship. There are numerous advantages to holding both a British and Irish passport.
When filling out your application for citizenship, it is important to complete it thoroughly and accurately. Misinformation in your application, whether intentional or not, can be used against you as a penalty for the requirement of good character. The Minister for Justice has the right to determine whether any inaccuracies on your application are deceptive in nature. Inaccurate answers or incomplete applications may lead to your request for citizenship is denied.
Are UK Citizens Eligible for Irish Citizenship Through Marriage?
Yes, to be eligible for Irish citizenship through marriage, the UK citizen applicant must:
- Be 18 or older
- Have significant ties to the Irish state or Northern Ireland
- Be the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen
- Have three years of reckonable residence in Ireland within the five-year period immediately preceding application, including at least one year of continuous residence prior to Irish citizenship application
- Be of good character
- Agree to declare loyalty to the island of Ireland upon being granted citizenship
- Have followed all immigration legislation for prior residence in Ireland
Note that reckonable residence does not include any time spent in Ireland on a student visa. If you have doubts about your eligibility for Irish citizenship, it is best to consult with a qualified legal team prior to applying.
Required Documents for Irish Citizenship by Marriage
To obtain citizenship in Ireland on the basis of marriage or civil partnership, you must submit supporting evidence proving your eligibility. Required documents can include:
- Birth certificate and British passport of the applicant
- Birth certificate or certificate of naturalisation of your Irish national spouse or civil partner
- Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate
- Documents that confirm refugee status if applicable
- Documents that prove the time of reckonable residence, such as a lease or property ownership documents
- Financial documents such as bank statements
- Documents that prove good character (e.g., police clearance certificates from Ireland, the UK or any other countries you may have lived in the recent past)
- A printout of the online residency calculator page from the Department of Justice’s website
- Details and signatures of three references who must be Irish citizens, know you well enough to form an opinion about your character, and willing to act as a referee for you
- Two coloured passport photos signed with date on the back by the same witness who have signed your statutory declaration
If any documents are missing, you will be given a period of 28 days to submit them. You must submit original documents where required. Documents that are not originals will need to be certified as copies.
The certified document will need to be signed and dated by a recognised third party who can verify that it is a copy or translation of the original document. Acceptable third-party verifiers may include the issuing authority of the original document, a solicitor or barrister, or a post office official.
Original documents such as birth certificates will be returned to you by post. Copies will not be returned.
Costs and Fees for Irish Citizenship
There are several fees associated with applying for Irish citizenship. Citizenship application processing fees are non-refundable, so you will not get a refund even if your application is refused. Fees must be paid from a bank draft drawn from an Irish bank.
Application fee: €175
If your application is successful, you will have to pay a fee for your Certificate of Naturalisation:
- €950 – Adult
- €200 – Minor
- €200 – Widow, widower or surviving civil partner of an Irish citizen
- €0 – Recognised refugee or stateless person with documentation
There may be additional costs for services such as expedited processing, passport fees, and fees for obtaining translated or certified copies of documents.
Processing Time for Irish Citizenship
Processing time can vary depending on your application and circumstances. The current average time for processing an application for citizenship by marriage is 12 months. If additional documents are requested during the processing of your application, you will have 28 days to provide them.
Irish Citizenship Ceremony
ISD will send you an approval letter if your application is approved. It will have certain documents mentioned which must be sent to ISD at this stage. Plus, you will have to pay a certification fee (if applicable).
You will have to attend a citizenship ceremony next per invitation and make a declaration of fidelity and loyalty to Ireland. Following the ceremony, your Certificate of Naturalisation will be sent to your residential address by registered post.
Can I Get an Irish Passport Through Marriage?
Once you have been granted Irish citizenship through marriage, you can apply for an Irish passport. Only an Irish citizen can hold an Irish passport.
- Apply online or by mail to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
- You may be required to submit original documents such as your birth certificate or British passport when applying. These will be returned to you by post.
- Pay any passport fees at the time you submit the application form.
- Wait to receive your Irish passport by post.
You can use your new Irish passport as proof of your Irish citizenship when travelling. As an Irish or British citizen, you are entitled to travel freely throughout the designated Common Travel Area with either passport.
How Can Total Law Help?
Becoming a naturalised Irish citizen through marriage or civil partnership is a complex process. If the clause of reckonable residency applies to your case, you will also have to carefully consider whether you are meeting that criterion or not. Even if you meet all requirements, you must fill up the relevant forms correctly and submit all required documents for a positive outcome.
A refusal will result in going through the entire process once again and may even jeopardise your life in Ireland as a family.
This is where a specialist Irish immigration lawyer can help. They can increase your chances of receiving a positive decision by providing legal advice and administrative support to ensure that your application adheres to ISD regulations.
With Total Law, your post-nuptial citizenship application can be assembled by our team of qualified immigration lawyers. Our team will ensure your documentation is correct and your Irish citizenship application has the best chance of approval.
Your Total Law advisor will provide you with all the necessary advice to apply for Irish citizenship by marriage.
For further information, contact us today at 0333 305 9375 or use our online contact form to get in touch with our team of professional immigration lawyers.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
In case of incorrect or incomplete forms, ISD will straightaway return your application to you, to start the whole process afresh. If any supporting documents are missing, you will have up to 28 days to provide them. Your application may be refused if you fail to submit on time.
If the Minister decides not to approve your application, ISD will inform you of the refusal reason(s). You may apply again at any time, but ensure you pay particular attention to the previous refusal reason(s) and take necessary steps before you re-apply.
A child born in Ireland after 31 December 2004 will be an automatic Irish citizen having a British (you) or Irish parent. If you were living outside Ireland when the child was born, they would automatically be an Irish citizen if at least one parent was born on the island of Ireland (e.g., your Irish spouse/partner if they are the other parent of the child.
You can stay in Ireland as an Irish citizen indefinitely. Note that UK citizens also have the right to reside in Ireland freely.
