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Eligibility for Irish Citizenship by Descent is generally limited to those whose parents or grandparents were born in Ireland. However, under certain conditions, you may be able to qualify through a great-grandparents or further.
Ireland is an EU country with one of the world's best Passports.
Up to 33 million Americans may be eligible for Irish citizenship based on their ancestral heritage.
Those whose links are further than Great-grandparents can apply for simplified naturalization after three years of residence.
The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1956 served as the foundation for Ireland’s citizenship by descent laws, which have been amended several times since.
Submit your application form for review. Once approved, we’ll reserve a space for you in the next available monthly cohort.
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Program Overview
The Foreign Birth Register is a facility to allow individuals that were born outside of Ireland, but have Irish parents or Grandparents, to apply for Irish Citizenship. To register your birth your parent must have been Irish citizen at the time of your birth. This is usually the case if:
1. your grandparent was born in the Republic of Ireland before 1987,
2. your parent had his or her birth registered in the Foreign Births Register before your birth or before 1987, or,
3. your parent held an Irish passport validly issued before your birth.
You are automatically an Irish citizen if one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, and was born on the island of Ireland. You don’t need to apply to become an Irish citizen in this case.
Documents relating to the Applicant
(unless stated, originals must be submitted):
Documents relating to the Irish citizen Parent
(unless stated, originals must be submitted):
Documents relating to the Grandparent born in Ireland
(unless stated, orig. must be submitted):
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During the early 1900’s, many children in Ireland never received official birth certificates, especially in more rural areas. Because doing so required traveling to the nearest big city (something not every family could do easily).Instead, local churches recorded births with Baptismal Certificates. In this instance, you can still apply for citizenship, but you must first search for your grandparent’s birth certificate through the General Registrar’s Office anyway.
Section of Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that process's applications for Foreign Births Registration otherwise known as Citizenship by Descent. This can be a complex process that may require you to submit official documentation relating to three generations which may have been issued by several jurisdictions.
Embassies and Consulates in these countries do not process Foreign Birth Registrations. All applications are now processed in Dublin.
Yes, you can use the same set of papers and supporting documents for both applications. Just enclose the two separate application forms in one envelope and send it to us with a letter saying that some of the documents apply to both applications. This only applies if you are resident in the same country when applying.
- If your children were born after your entry onto the Foreign Births Register then they too are eligible to apply for entry on the register.
- If your children were born before you were registered, they are not eligible to apply as you were not an Irish citizen at the time of their birth.
Yes. At the end of the process we will return all your original certificates to the address on your application form.
No, you cannot apply for an Irish passport until you are an Irish citizen.
