Ireland Citizenship by Descent - Get Dual Citizenship Today!

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Ireland

Citizenship by Descent

Irish citizenship is the most valuable in the world. It allows visa-free travel to the US and Australia and enables you to stay for as long as you want in the European Union and the UK. The Ireland citizenship by ancestry program is a great way to get a Irish passport. The Ireland citizenship by Ancestry or Descent is open to individuals with Irish ancestry going back as far as great grandparents. Foreigners normally must have 5 years of residence in Ireland before being able to apply for naturalization.

Ireland accepts dual citizenship, so you won’t have to forfeit your citizenship to apply. We can assist you to become an Irish citizen now and claim your Irish passport.

Free Irish Citizenship Eligibly Assessment

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Capital city

Dublin

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Visa free countries

185

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Total area

84,421 km²

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Languages

English, Irish Gaelic

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Currency

Euro €

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Population

4,832,765

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Time zone

GMT

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Irish Citizenship by Ancestry Options

Determining eligibility for Irish citizenship by descent is primarily dependent on:

Where and when you and your parents were born.

Where and when your Irish Ancestor was born.

For those Born outside of Ireland

An individual is automatically an Irish citizen if at least one of their parents was born in Ireland, and was an Irish citizen at the time of their birth. This also applies to children who are adopted by at least one Irish citizen.
If the parent was not born in Ireland, then Irish citizenship is not an automatic right. However, it may still be possible to claim Irish citizenship by descent. This applies to those who have an Irish parent, grandparent or, in exceptional circumstances, a great-grandparent.

For those with an Irish parent

Irish parent can pass citizenship to their children, if they were born in Ireland and were Irish citizens at the time of their child's birth. In this instance, their children are automatically Irish citizens.
If a parent is born outside of Ireland, but was an Irish citizen at the time of their child's birth, then that child can claim Irish citizenship by descent.

For those with an Irish grandparent

If someone has an Irish grandparent, then they can claim Irish citizenship by descent - but only if that grandparent was born in Ireland or Northern Ireland.

Path 4: Spanish Citizenship by Option

It is theoretically possible to claim Irish citizenship through a great-grandparent. However, these applications will only succeed if:

The applicant's great-grandparent was born in Ireland; and
The applicant's parent obtained Irish citizenship based on the fact that their grandparent (the applicant's great-grandparent) was an Irish citizen; and
The applicant's parent had obtained Irish citizenship by the time he/she was born (if born after 1986) or between 1956 and 1986
The applicant's parent had obtained Irish citizenship by the time he/she was born (if born after 1986) or between 1956 and 1986
- If this can be established, then the applicant can obtain Irish citizenship through a great-grandparent by registering with the Irish Foreign Births Register.

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Visa-free travel
to 185 countries once citizenship is granted

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Freedom of movement
in the EU
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European Citizenship awarded after 5 years
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No residency requirement

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Download the Country Factsheet

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PROCESS

Application Processing Time: 1-5 Years

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STAGE 1 | YEAR 1

Gather your documents and proof of ancestry by searching records in your home country and Ireland. If you’re in category 1, simply go to the Irish consulate near you and apply for your Irish passport. If you’re in category 2 or 3, you’ll need to file your request with the Foreign Births Register. If you’re in category 4, you’ll need to obtain a resident permit, preferably under the Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme. The application process takes a few months.

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STAGE 2 | YEAR 2
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If you’re in category 2 or 3, expect to have your citizenship certificate sent to you after 12 to 18 months. If you’re in category 4, you’ll have to wait 3years before you can petition the Minister for fast-track naturalization.

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STAGE 3 | YEAR 4

If you’re in category 4, you can petition the Minister for naturalization after 3 years of legal residence. You must submit all documents proving your Irish ancestry. The approval is expected to take 2.5 years.

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Documentation & Vital Records Requirements

Documents relating to the Applicant:

Completed, signed and witnessed application form
Birth certificate (showing parental details)
Marriage certificate (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)
Photocopy of current state-issued ID document (i.e. passport, drivers license, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by application
form witness
2 separate original proofs of address –
4 color photographs (2 of which to be witnessed)

Documents relating to the Irish citizen Parent:

Birth certificate of Irish citizen parent (showing parental details)
Marriage certificate of Irish citizen parent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)
Photocopy of current state-issued ID document (i.e. passport, drivers license, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by a professional from the list of witnesses OR original civil death certificate (if applicable)

Documents relating to the Grandparent born in Ireland

Birth certificate of Irish born grandparent (showing parental details)
Civil marriage certificate of Irish born grandparent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)
Photocopy of current state-issued ID document (i.e. passport, drivers license, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by a professional from the list of witnesses OR original civil death certificate (if applicable

Family

When you become Irish, your children automatically become Irish citizens with you. Irish citizenship cannot be passed to your parents. Your spouse could qualify for naturalization after you receive your Citizenship Certificate if you’ve been married for at least 3 years and she has lived most of the year in Ireland during those 3 years, with 12 months of continuous residence before her submission.

Do you qualify for Irish citizenship?

Take a free eligibility test today! Your eligibility for ancestry-based citizenship will be determined within 48 hours by the internal genealogy team at Global RCG.

Irish Citizenship Eligibility Test

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