How To Get Irish Dual Citizenship By Descent

My family talked about applying for our Irish dual citizenship for years but the process always seemed too overwhelming. From acquiring all of the necessary documents and determining who could witness those documents, the application process kept getting put off.

With all of the global political changes, I decided it was finally time to take advantage of the benefits of having Irish American dual citizenship and an Irish passport.

I wasn’t born in Ireland but I became an Irish citizen by descent in 2018. If you have Irish parents or grandparents, you can become an Irish citizen too!

I’m going to teach you exactly how to get Irish dual citizenship by descent.

How To Get Irish Dual Citizenship By Descent

Ireland is more lenient than other countries when it comes to claiming dual citizenship. Instead of only acquiring Ireland citizenship through your parents, they also allow you to claim citizenship through your grandparents. This is all because of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1956.

If one of your parents was born in Ireland or Northern Ireland and was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, then you are automatically an Irish citizen. You don’t need to apply to become an Irish citizen and can apply for your Irish passport now.

If you weren’t born in Ireland, you can become an Irish citizen through one of your grandparents. If one of your grandparents was born in Ireland or Northern Ireland, or if one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth (even though they were not born in Ireland), you can apply to become an Irish citizen.

If one of the above applies to you then you can become an Irish citizen through what is called Foreign Birth Registration. Once you are entered into the Foreign Births Register, you are considered an Irish citizen and you’ll receive a certificate. You will need this certificate to apply for an Irish passport.

So, in my case, both of my grandparents on my Father’s side were born in Ireland, so I was able to apply for my Foreign Birth Registration.

Can An American Get Dual Citizenship In Ireland?

Yes, both Ireland and the United States permit dual citizenship, so you can still be an American. There are some countries that do not allow dual citizenship, and in that case you would have to choose which citizenship to give up.

Temple Bar Dublin Ireland
The Temple Bar, Dublin
Guiness Storehouse Dublin Ireland
Guinness Storehouse, Dublin

How To Apply For Irish Dual Citizenship

If you have a grandparent that was born in Ireland, then you will need to prove your lineage through a lot of documentation. All of these documents will be used for your Foreign Birth Registration. I’ve detailed the steps below for an adult application, but you can also find more information from the Irish Embassy here.

Step 1: Collect Your Documents

Your original documents:

  • Your ORIGINAL birth certificate
  • Your ORIGINAL marriage certificate (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)
  • (3) ORIGINAL documents showing proof of address (bank statements or utility bills)
  • COPY of your passport/ID (must be witnessed)
  • (4) Passport photos (2 must be witnessed)

Your parent’s original documents (the one related to your Irish grandparent):

  • ORIGINAL birth certificate of your parent
  • ORIGINAL marriage certificate of your parent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)
  • COPY of passport/ID of your parent, if living (must be witnessed)
  • ORIGINAL death certificate (if applicable)

Your grandparent’s original documents (if both of your grandparents were born in Ireland, you will need to collect both of their documents)

  • ORIGINAL birth certificate of your grandparent(s)
  • ORIGINAL marriage certificate of your grandparent(s) (if applicable)
  • ORIGINAL divorce certificate of your grandparent(s) (if applicable)
  • COPY of passport/ID of your grandparent, if living (must be witnessed)
  • ORIGINAL death certificate (if applicable)

Collecting all of these original documents was the most difficult and time-consuming part of the process. We had difficulty determining if we needed certain documents for my grandparents since they were both deceased.

We ended up having to order official documents from Ireland and since we needed them mailed to Alaska, we would wait four weeks at a time to receive the documents.

Double-check that your documents are the originals (long-form) and don’t have missing information, especially on the birth certificates (such as middle names, if applicable).

Also, make sure to have ALL of the documents above. If your grandparents are already deceased, you will still need their marriage and divorce certificates (if applicable). It’s better to have them and send them all at the same time.

If you’re not sure where to get your passport photos, I usually go to Costco to get mine. If you plan on getting your Irish passport immediately after receiving your Foreign Birth Registration, then you should get at least six passport photos. You will need four for your passport application.

Step 2: Fill Out Your Application

After you collect all of the above documents, you will need to fill out your online application through the Irish Embassy.

It’s important that you wait to have all of your documents before you fill out the online application because you will need the information of your parent and Irish-born grandparent that can be found on the documents.

You will submit the application online to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You must also print the application, sign it, and send it in with all of your other documents. Make sure to save the PDF version of your application in case you need to reference it later on.

Step 3: Make Your Online Payment

When you are filling out your online application, you will also be asked to make an online payment to obtain your Irish citizenship.

If you are over 18 years old, you will need to pay a fee of €278, this includes payment for the registration, certificate, and a non-refundable postage and handling fee.

If you are under 18 years old, you will need to pay €153.

Step 4: Witness Your Documents

In order to complete your application process, you will need to find someone to witness your documents. They will need to witness part of your application, (2) of your passport photos, and witness you sign the application. They can either stamp and sign the documents, or provide a business card if they don’t have a stamp.

Who Can Witness The Application Form and Photographs?

Here are some examples of who can witness your documents:

  • Member of the Clergy
  • Medical Doctor
  • School Principal
  • Bank Manager
  • Solicitor/Lawyer
  • Notary Public
  • Police Officer

In my case, we didn’t personally know anyone that could witness our documents and all of the local banks said that they couldn’t witness personal identification documents.

So, we ended up using the notary services at The UPS Store in Alaska. It should cost you less than $10 USD to notarize all of your documents. The notary should stamp, sign and date your documents. You can find a UPS Store near you here.

Sometimes you may need to explain that the notary is not confirming your identity, they are just confirming that you are the person in front of them that matches the ID presented. It’s confusing, but this is how the consulate explained it to us.

Step 4: Mail Your Documents To Ireland

After you collect all of your documents, witness necessary documents, fill out your application and make the online payment, you can mail in all of your documents.

You will send your documents addressed to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin:

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
***CHECK YOUR APPLICATION FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE ADDRESS***
Dublin, Ireland

If you don’t want to experience the anxiety I did when I sent all of these precious documents untracked through the USPS and not through certified mail, then I highly suggest you pay to have these documents sent with a tracking number. You can mail them with FedEx. It’s worth it!

Can You Apply At The Same Time As Your Siblings?

If you are applying at the same time as your siblings and you need the same set of original documents, it’s okay to send them all together in the same envelope. Make sure to separate each of your applications and include a letter saying that some of the documents apply to both applications. 

How Long Does It Take To Get Your Irish Citizenship?

When I was in the middle of applying, there was high demand and it took 10 months to process a registration. They state it presently takes between 9 to 12 months to process a completed Foreign Birth Registration application.

When I applied for my Foreign Birth Registration, it took 6 months to receive my certificate in the mail. It took longer because we had to send different documents that we had to wait to receive from Ireland. I imagine the process to take 4 to 6 months.

New applications were paused during the pandemic but now they have resumed again (Sep 2021). Applications are being processed in strict date order and should expect delays and longer processing times of up to 2 years. Sometimes you can get updates on Facebook from Irish Foreign Ministry.

Step 5: Apply For Your Irish Passport

Once your Irish citizenship application is approved, you’ll receive an official Irish Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) in the mail.

Congrats! You’re now an Irish citizen and you can apply for your Irish passport!

In order to apply for an Irish passport, you will need to get your FBR certificate first. If you live in the United States, you will need to contact your local Irish Embassy or Consulate to get an application form or have it mailed to you because you can’t download the form online.

You will have to fill out the passport application, collect similar documents, pay the fee, and mail everything to the nearest Irish consulate.

Can You Hold An Irish and American Passport?

Yes, you can hold an Irish passport and an American passport. When you leave or enter the United States, you are required to use your American passport. Having an Irish passport is my favorite thing about having dual citizenship!

Irish American Dual Citizenship Passports

American Irish Dual Citizenship Benefits

Besides just being totally awesome and feeling like the coolest person ever, there are a ton of benefits to having your Irish dual citizenship. A lot of it comes with have the option to use two passports.

Entering The EU and UK On An Irish Passport

Whenever I enter any countries that are a member of the European Union (EU) or the United Kingdom, I get to enter on an Irish passport. This means that I get to skip all of the long foreigner lines to get through customs.

I can also use the automated ePassport gates instead of having my passport checked by border control.

All I have to do is scan my Irish passport at the passport gate and an automated passport reader and camera verifies my identity and checks my passport.

The gates uses facial recognition technology to compare your face to the photograph recorded from your passport. Once the check is made successfully, the gate opens automatically for you to walk through.

It’s amazing and I don’t think it ever takes me more than ten minutes!

Work and Live In The EU Or UK

Last summer, I lived and worked in Southern Portugal. I didn’t have to worry about going over the 90-day maximum stay for non-EU citizens.

Since the Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union, anybody with citizenship in one country can live and work in other EU countries, without restrictions.

Also, since the relationship between Ireland and the UK is so good, the Brexit vote doesn’t affect Irish citizens. I can live and work anywhere in the UK.

Free Healthcare and Education

As someone who was born and raised in the United States, I couldn’t fathom the idea that healthcare and education could be free. But now, I’m experiencing it firsthand.

There are a lot of perks to being part of the European Union. I’m currently living in Wales, and I’ve applied to receive free healthcare through the NHS. The process was really easy and I can even get prescriptions at no cost.

I’ve also looked into schools in countries around Europe. Having an EU passport means that I can pay the same amount as the local costs. Sometimes this means that it’s free! You can save thousands of dollars this way.

Traveling The World

I love traveling and I travel a lot. The main reason I had an interest in getting Irish citizenship was so that I could have an Irish passport. I knew that having the option to travel on two different passports would be advantageous.

Ireland’s passport is one of the most powerful in the world with visa-free access to 175 countries. This means that countries that would require applying and paying for a visa as an American, could be free to access as an Irish citizen.

In 2016, I paid $160 USD for a tourist visa for Bolivia. If I had my Irish passport at that time, it would have been free!

Other Benefits

If your children are born after your entry in the Foreign Births Register then they are eligible to apply for their foreign birth registration.

If you are looking into an Australian Working Holiday Visa, Canadian, Irish and French passport holders can apply up to age 35. For any other country, it is up to age 30.

Basically, if you are eligible for Irish citizenship, I highly recommend you take advantage of it.


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124 Comments
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Christine Lynskey
2 years ago

Thanks for all the info – glad to read about someone who completed the process. Trying to get all the documents ready right now.

Joseph Collins
2 years ago

Enjoyed your article. Here’s my question: My father’s grandparents were born in Ireland. He is thinking about applying for his dual citizenship. If he were to do so and get it, can I apply?

Joseph Collins
2 years ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Thank you for your response. I’m definitely encouraging him to do so.

Lenny
10 months ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

This is from your article. I am a bit confused. “If your children are born after your entry in the Foreign Births Register then they are eligible to apply for their foreign birth registration.”

sam
2 years ago

Hi, im currently struggling to get three proof of address for myself. I’m only 20 years old, living at home, with no bills or anything. I can use a bank statement for my debit card as one but unsure on the others. any advice? thanks

Cindy Rogers
1 year ago

Thank so much for this information. I have all the documents I need to register once it opens up again (Covid :-() but I am struggling with the witness since the list states the witness must be practicing his or her profession and I know a few people who are retired but none practicing. My sister is a lawyer and she was a witness for a friend’s application and the Register called her to confirm and asked a few questions. I see you used a notary but am concerned that since I don’t know one personally it will be an… Read more »

Cindy Rogers
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Thank you!

Ellen
1 year ago
Reply to  Cindy Rogers

Thanks for that write up! You made it sound simpler than the FBR website! Next step I will request passport application from embassy. 2 years for approval. Originally did not include marriage certificate of my grandparents and then of course Covid slowed the process down

Mary Wilson
1 year ago

I just started this process – both of my grandparents were born in Ireland. I am curious about a couple of things: Two separate proofs of address (like a utility bill or bank statement) – does a witness have to sign these? When you have a notary sign/stamp documents, what exactly are they signing, just their signature or a statement as well? Also, do they stamp/sign the back of two of the four passport photos that must be sent? On birth/marriage/death certificates, they say “original” but technically the only ones I can get are true certified copies, they are embossed/sealed… Read more »

Mary
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Thank you, yes, that helps greatly!!

Mary
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Andrea, another quick question — I just realized, having had other things notarized, that the notary’s stamp is too large to fit on the back of the passport photos, and they don’t have a business card that designates them as a notary. The notary is at a UPS store and the only business card she has is for the UPS store and her name is not on it. So here’s a question, if the notary stamps and signs the other items (application, proof of ID), do you think it would be sufficient if the same notary just signed the back… Read more »

Pat Pownall
1 year ago

Hi, My decease Mom was born in Ireland and my siblings and my srlf would like to apply for Duel citizenship. What is the po process?

Don kane
1 year ago

Thanks for reminding me to do this.Been talking about doing it for some time but never took the steps. I’m 76, as is my wife, we both want Irish dual citizenship. My parents were both born in Ireland and my wife’s grandparent was born there. We were both born in the US. How do we get this done. Thanks. Don

Thomas F
1 year ago

My FBR application packet was received in Dublin March 2020. I haven’t heard back yet.When I did the online application I did not see a link to pay the application fee otherwsie I would have done so at the time. Is there a link you could provide to comply with that requirement or do I neewd to contact Dublin via email or phone to hopefully have them send me a link to pay it. Thanks.

Thomas F

Ellen
1 year ago
Reply to  Thomas F

Thomas I applied in Oct. 2019, needed further documentation then just heard from FBR office this week with approval. Almost 2 years due to Covid… hang in there!

Elba Morgan
1 year ago

Hello i was born in Switzerland and my father was Irish i was to young to be Swiss and we did no live there long enough to claim citizenship. I became Irish and have been ever since. I have a us green card and Irish passport. Can my children claim dual citizenship and what do they need ?

Mary Menter
1 year ago

Hi Andrea, Thanks for writing such detailed information on how to become an Irish dual citizen! My brother and I started gathering documents 3 years ago! It’s been very challenging, to say the least! When I began the search, I don’t recall needing notarized copies of passports/ID’s of my deceased parent and grandparent. Where would I obtain those documents? I do have a photocopy of my Irish grandfather, but it was obtained by someone else, and I’m not sure if that’s what is needed. Do they have to be certified, with a seal? What exactly is being notarized, if the… Read more »

Karen
1 year ago

Can you explain what they mean by “if applicable”.

ORIGINAL marriage certificate of your parent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)

The way I understand it is that it has to do with name change since they say “OR other change of name document” so if my Irish parent is my father than I would Not need to include his marriage certificate because he did not change his last name when he got married

Karen
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Thank you so very much for responding back and for writing this informative post. Thank you for letting me know about the divorce papers as well. The FBR doesn’t indicate that on the above list but I do know that they ask that information on the application so I guess that is when they say you need to include it. Did you use your drivers license for your ID and double duty for one of the proofs of address? I was wondering if one could do that since U.S. driver licenses and State ID cards have one’s address on it.… Read more »

Karen
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

I would not send in the DL, just the required photocopy and use it as double duty for proof of address and just send in one other proof of address.

I was just wanting to know if you think that the FBR would be okay with that?

Karen
1 year ago

Hi, Andrea,

Do we need to submit our U.S. Documents with a Apostille/Authenticated

Thank You

Janell Mollenhauer
1 year ago

Thank you for all the information!! What if you have to go back to your great grandparents who were born in Ireland, is this too far back?

Marty S
10 months ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Could my father get citizenship through his grandparent and then myself get citizenship through him?

Robert
1 year ago

Just a heads up the address you posted is out of date, it’s a PO Box now. I’d type it out for you but I’d suggest you just put “mail it to the address provided on the application” in case they change the address again in the future.
I just sent all my stuff in a couple weeks ago, wish me luck!

Robert
1 year ago
Reply to  Robert

Oh one other piece of info too. The website says they are not currently accepting new applications because of covid, but I called up the consulate and talked to someone who said they’d actually started processing applications again so I should go ahead and send my stuff in. Apparently no one has bothered to update their website yet. I imagine no one on their team is champing at the bit to encourage more applicants since they have a big back log to get through.

Teresa L George
1 year ago

My mother was born and raised in Ireland but is deceased, how do I get a copy of her birth certificate and also do I need my grandparents birth certificate and marriage certificate too?

Claudia McCormack
1 year ago

Hi,
I am an American citizen, descendant of Irish born grandparents with the goal of becoming an Irish citizen. I have collected some documents through vital records offices but there seem to be a lot of errors. Is there a service that can help me? I am willing to pay for the service but I don’t know how to find a reputable service or even what to call it.

Please advise. Thank you.
C. McCormack  

Marie
1 year ago

Hi! My dad’s grandfather was born in Ireland, but his birth certificate was housed in a church in Ireland which burned down. We can’t obtain an original or copy of his birth certificate. Is there a work-around for that? My second–and important–question is this: my dad has since died. Although we worked on this process of obtaining all the documents prior to his death, we never got everything together. Now my siblings and I wonder if we can complete the process, posthumously, and have my dad obtain dual citizenship and thus us kids become dual citizens as well. Is this… Read more »

Nathan
1 year ago
Reply to  Marie

If it was your dads grandfather who was born in Ireland, then it is not possible either for you or your children, sorry marie but best of wishes x

Mary
1 year ago

Thanks so much for this helpful article! I’m struggling with the application. I’m the applicant. My grandfather was born in Ireland. His daughter, my mother, was born in the US. When I’m filling out the application, I select Foreign Born Registration. It then takes me to the Parent page but says it’s mandatory for me to fill out my mom’s FBR number and date. She is deceased and to my knowledge didn’t fill it out but was a citizen since her father was born there. The application won’t let me go to the Grandparent page. Does the fact that my… Read more »

Karen
1 year ago
Reply to  Mary

Mary, I am a viewer of this blog and saw your question and I also have a grandparent born in Ireland and parent born in the U.S. I took a look at the online application and on the “General” page of the application you need to select “Born abroad to a parent born in Ireland”. There is a note on the page to “Please indicate the citizenship category to which the applicant’s parent belongs Important: Please note that this question relates to how the PARENT acquired Irish citizenship.” If a child is born abroad to a parent born in Ireland… Read more »

Mary
1 year ago

Oops! Just figured out my mistake. No need to post or reply. Thanks again though!

Karen
1 year ago

Hi Andrea, Thank You for your informative blog post on Irish Dual Citizenship. I was wondering how did you have after filling out the online application and submitting it. I know with the Irish Passport it is 6 months due to the age of the photos and was wondering if it is the same for the Foreign Birth Registration process. I think that it would be the same due to the age of the photos but wanted to make sure. In order to get documents from Cook County, Illinois, I have to submit a copy of the Foreign Birth application… Read more »

Sam A
1 year ago

Such a detailed article. Would you know the best way to make a correction on the application after it was submitted on line. Hoping I can make a note on it and have notary sign it too and then mail in. It is on my grandmother’s DOB. Thank you

Christine Suarez
1 year ago

Andrea! Appreciate you sharing your experience. Can you clarify “original” in terms of vital documents? For example, did you send your original birth certificate to Dublin or did you request a new “original” from a US state agency to send out. Im slightly concerned about getting valuable original documents returned to me. Especially now that the process is estimated to take 2 yrs due to Covid and the influx of UK citizens trying to apply becuase of Brexit concerns. So I’m wondering if I need to request new orignals for the required documents. For anyone trying to obtain their grandparents… Read more »

Christine Suarez
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Thanks Andrea. That’s a great point. Appreciate your response.

Mary Wilson
1 year ago

Hi Andrea, just another quick question — as both my mother and grandfather (who is an Irish-born citizen) are both deceased, I understand I need to send their death certificates – do these need to be notarized? I didn’t see this in the requirements but was curious before I send everything in!
Thank you for all of your help in these comments!

Mary Redican
1 year ago

Did you need an apostlle stamp for your U.S. documents? Thanks.

Patricia Jesel
1 year ago

can I use my mothers passport as proof .She was born in 1917 and came to NYC in the 30’s and try many time to get her birth records and could not get a one?

Dori Mack
1 year ago

Thanks for this helpful information. I’m in the process of applying for FBR and have a question about the size of the passport pictures. U.S. passport pictures are 2″x2″ but the Irish photos can’t be any larger than that. Did you have issues with getting the right size photos at Costco?

Michelle Smith
11 months ago

What if I’m in my 50s and I apply for dual citizenship (great grandparents born in Ireland)., can my children in the 20s apply as well?

Karen
10 months ago

Hi Andrea,

Could you tell me what are the duties as a Dual Irish Citizen to Ireland? For example paying Irish taxes if one works in Ireland or in an the EU country. Are there any other duties as a Dual Irish Citizen to Ireland and the EU?

Thank You!
Karen

Teresa
10 months ago

Hi Andrea, I applied for my Irish passport in January 2022 but didn’t do the foreign birth registry because my mother was born in Ireland and still holds an Irish passport. My understanding was that I didn’t need to do anything else except for apply for the passport. The passport office is backed up so my application is currently still processing. After reading your blog, now I’m wondering if I should have applied for foreign birth registry first.

Wendy
10 months ago

I read your article and thank you for this ! My question is that I am applying through my maternal grandparents descent. My parents are not Irish citizens. The form online was only asking for one grandparent information. Should I mail all the documentation on both? Also, as I am using grandparents, do I need to include any documents about my mother? Although I am 70, this is something I have wanted to do for a long time. Better late than never!
Thank you!

Wendy
10 months ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Thanks! I certainly will do that. Back to ordering online for my mother”s stuff!

Karen
8 months ago

Hi Andrea,

I read that you needed to get some newly created certified documents for the ones that you were lacking and was successful in getting your FBR Certificate and Passport.

I was looking at the Irish Passport site and it indicates that one has to use originals and that one can’t submit certified copies but you were successful in getting your passport with the newly created certified documents.

I was wondering if you read that on the Irish Passport website and tried it anyway with the newly created certified copies?

M.Kathleen BRanyon
8 months ago

My ancestors immigrated to the US from Belfast in the mid-1800s. I have traced my ancestry back to them, and have the name of the ship they sailed on (Lord Dungannon). I would really like to apply for Irish citizenship. Would this be possible???

MHill
1 month ago

Belfast is part of Northern Ireland so part of the UK. The Republic of Ireland is part of the EU. The grandparents rights only come under the Republic of Ireland rather than Northern Ireland. I don’t believe the UK offers a grandparents or ancestors scheme.

PMc
1 month ago
Reply to  MHill

That’s incorrect. If the grandparents were born *anywhere* on the island of Ireland then you can apply for Irish citizenship.

In fact as a result of the Good Friday peace agreement those born in Northern Ireland have a choice whether to have a UK passport or an IE passport.

Joe
7 months ago

Do the documents need to be apostilled?

Gene MD
6 months ago

I received email Aug 3, stating that my Citizeship through entry on the FBR has now been received. What exactly does that mean? I sent in all documents while I was in ireland three weeks ago local mail there to the registry. I had to get the grandparent birthcertificate there which cost 30 bucks…lol its all good.

Paul Daly
6 months ago

This information was very helpful. Thank you. I have submitted my application and documents and received an email indicating that everything had been received. Assuming all goes well I am wondering if I will get any similar kind of email when the FBR has been approved and the certificate has been sent. Or will the FBR certificate just show up?

Lauren
6 months ago

This was SO HELPFUL. I am getting everything ready now and it’s quite the process lol. When you say a COPY of passports etc… Can I take a photo and print that off? Or it needs to be an actual copy from a machine?

Karen Silberman
5 months ago

My children have dual Irish citizenship through their father. Can I get dual citizen ship due to being a blood relative of my children?

Jean Sproul
5 months ago

Your article was very informative. I have one quick question. If I get a dual citizenship, am I responsible for Irish income taxes too?

Katie
4 months ago

Hi Andrea,

Thank you for the really helpful article. I just wanted a bit of advice please on the fact that I’m not on talking terms with my father (he is the side which has the Irish parent). Due to this being able to access a copy of his passport or ID would be extremely hard. Is there any alternative documents?

Thank you

Daniel
3 months ago

Hi Andrea, great article! When you purchase a ticket to fly from the U.S. to Ireland or other EU country, which passport to you use when purchasing the ticket? I know that U.S. citizens must exit and enter using a U.S. passport, however, as we don’t have outgoing border checks there is no government inspection of one’s passport. Best I can tell, one should use the U.S. passport info when purchasing a ticket for the U.S. and checking in at the airport and then present the EU passport when landing in Dublin? Any words of wisdom to share based on… Read more »

Colleen Noyes
2 months ago

Hi,
My grandmother and grandfather were both born in Ireland. My father got dual citizenship. I applied and also received dual citizenship. Can my children who are all in their 30’s get dual citizenship too? My father was born in the states and so was I.

Thank You
Colleen

blob:https://andreakuuipoabroad.com/2f6a0992-0f72-464e-99a5-7bdca6644e81

Kelsey
2 months ago

Hey there! My great grandparents were born in Ireland. My grandparents then move to Ireland and owned a home for 1 year. Will be be accepted for my dual citizenship? Thanks!

Sherry Emery
2 months ago

About a year ago, someone posted the scenario where her grandparent was born in Ireland, but her parent was born in the US. From the question, and response, it’s my understanding that if your parent was born before 2005, when the law changed in this regard, that this meant your parent was automatically an Irish citizen. My grandfather was born in Ireland in 1901, he immigrated to the US in 1925, was married in 1931, my dad was born in 1935, and my grandfather became a naturalized citizen of the US in 1938. Does this mean that my dad was… Read more »

Brian
2 months ago

Wow, first, bless you Andrea. Great work. This is a really helpful site. So, my grandmother was born in Ireland. Got on the FBR before my two kids were born, and I now (just recently) got my passport. My questions are this: (1) How can my spouse take advantage? Can she get an Irish passport? Or, do we have to go through the different lines at the airports when in Europe? I.e., she’d have to use US passport, while I could use my Irish passport? We travel a fair amount and are thinking of living in the EU for a… Read more »

Brian
2 months ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Great info. Thanks again Andrea. 🙂

PMc
1 month ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

In case you are not aware, a spouse or partner of an EU citizen (i.e. the spouse or partner of the holder of an Irish passport) is not subject to the 90 in 180 day Schengen rule when they travel with the spouse or partner. https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/schengen-90-days-in-180-day-ruling-for-non-eu-spouses-of-eu-citizens/ The spouse / partner still need to go through the non-EU passport queues and cannot work without a visa, but it does mean long term stays in the EU are possible for the couple even though only one is an Irish passport holder. Also as an aside, you might want to make clear in… Read more »

PMc
1 month ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Andrea – the information is in EU Directive 2004/38/EC https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32004L0038 – it’s horrible legal reading but it is the law! In essence as an EU citizen, which you are because of your Irish citizenship, then it would be an infringement of your family life if your spouse or civil partner (has to be a legal civil partnership not just a couple living together) or children under 21 could not accompany you. If you email the official EU help centre https://european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/write-us/answering-your-questions_en they will confirm this and will respond with an email that says this what is quoted in this article –… Read more »

Marylou
2 months ago

Hello! How do I find out if my grandparent/parent were registered as FBR? Both my grandmother and father are deceased and any relatives that may have known are also gone. Is there a data bank that I could access to see if they were registered? They were both born in the US, but my great grandmother was born in Ireland, and I just found out they traveled back to Ireland and perhaps,registered my grandmother. Enjoyed your article, Thanks!

russell Cusack
2 months ago

Great article. Grandmother was born in Ireland. I have her birth certificate from 1867. I have records of her first marriage. I can not find through churches and gov agencies proof of her marriage to my grandfather. I even have her third marriage documents. I have my dad’s baptism certificate that documents my Irish born grandmother as his mom- my grandfathers name is also on the baptism certificate. So I feel at a loss as I can’t get that one marriage certificate. Any and all ideas appreciated.

Denise Shelton
1 month ago
Reply to  russell Cusack

If your grandparents were baptized Catholic and married in the Catholic Church, the church where they were married would have sent a record of the marriage to the churches where they were baptized. You can check with those churches and see if they have it on record. I was able to use this method successfully myself. Ireland is good about honoring church records when the civil one can’t be located. Good luck!

Paul
2 months ago

Thanks so much for this informative article. I would like to travel and work in Ireland and Europe. I have gathered many documents. It seems like my Irish born grandfather who died before I was born lied about his age on documents in the US. I have a registry entry of his birth on a certificate document authenticated from Ireland but his marriage license and death certificate ages do not correspond. Should I try to get a corrected version of his death certificate which is from the US? Will the Irish government agencies conveying citizenship make allowances for these date… Read more »

Jack
1 month ago

Hi! Thank you for laying everything out in so much detail. I am in the process of gathering all the documents and have a couple of questions…1) My grandmother was born in Ireland. Both my deceased father and I were born in the US. My father and I have the same last name, and my grandmother’s last name (maiden name) should be on my father’s birth certificate. For clarity, my grandmother was a Boylan and my father and I are Collin’s . I just ordered my grandmother’s birth certificate, my father’s birth certificate and my birth certificate. So, I think… Read more »

PMc
1 month ago
Reply to  Jack

You only need to trace back to one grandparent born on the Island of Ireland, so if your father’s mother was born there then that is enough.

You should include your grandmother’s marriage certificate to your grandfather to show her change of name, and it is preferable to include your father’s marriage certificate as even though he didn’t change his name it provides additional evidence as it will show his father’s name on it that they can link back to your grandmother’s marriage certificate. Similarly your marriage certificate if you are married. More is better!

Daniel Kennedy
1 month ago

Hi, I just came across this article and I had a question. For the 4 photos 2 of which need to be witnessed. Do you print them out on photo paper or regular paper? Do they want the paper size to be just the photo, and if so, is your professional witness signing on the back? The photo specs aren’t confusing just the type of paper, size of the paper itself, and where they’re witnessed. I hope this question isn’t annoyingly confusing. Thank you for your help!

Daniel Kennedy
27 days ago
Reply to  Andrea Kuuipo

Thank you very much for the response. The way you arranged this information makes the process so much easier. Much appreciated!

Sheila
1 month ago

Thank you so much for this great article. I have one question: when filling out the info for my Irish-born grandmother, the options were married, single or divorced. I put “married” because she was married at the time of her death. Is this correct? Thanks so much!