A person is entitled to Irish citizenship by birth or by descent. There is also the possibility to apply for Irish citizenship through the process of naturalization, one through which a foreigner must first become a permanent resident and afterwards, comply with other requirements imposed by the law.
Different rules apply based on the date when the person was born and many others, therefore the procedures on how to get citizenship in Ireland vary greatly. Because of this, we recommend that you get in touch with our immigration lawyers in Ireland.
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When can a person claim Irish citizenship in 2024?
A person can apply for Irish citizenship if many conditions apply at the same, for each particular case of citizenship. In the list below, you can discover some of the legal pathways that grant the right to citizenship:
- persons who were born in Ireland before 1st January 2005 are automatically Irish citizens, as long as the person’s birth took place in Ireland or if the parents (at least 1 parent) were born in Ireland;
- persons who were born on 1st January 2005 or after this date can claim Irish citizenship only based on the parents’ citizenship or their residency at the moment when the applicant’s birth took place;
- those who apply for Irish citizenship through naturalization must have a minimum age of 18 years old;
- for naturalization, a person must prove having residency in Ireland for 9 years (out of which 5 were spent as permanent residency);
- a subcategory of citizenship through naturalization refers to those who apply when they are married to an Irish citizen – in this case, the spouses must be married for minimum 3 years.
Besides the rules presented above, other options are available, and this is why we highly recommend you request the legal assistance of our Irish citizenship lawyer, specialized in all areas of practice concerning citizenship.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Ways to acquire citizenship | The law stipulates that citizenship can be obtained through naturalization, descent, birth or by association (through adoption or by special declaration). |
|
Law on citizenship |
The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956. |
|
Fees charged for citizenship application |
EUR 175 (non-refundable in case the application is denied). |
| Minimum requirements for citizenship by naturalization | Those interested in how to obtain Irish citizenship by naturalization must have at least 5 years of stay in Ireland, have an age of minimum 18 years old, have a good character and show comittment to the Irish state. |
| Minimum requirements for citizenship by marriage |
Citizenship by marriage is a type of citizenship by naturalization, but with less restrictive rules. For instance, the residency requirements are reduced to 3 years (instead of 5). The applicant must have 1 year of continous residency in Ireland before the application and 3 years of marriage/civil partnership. |
| Requirements for citizenship by descent |
The procedure on how to obtain Irish citizenship by descent is simpler, as it doesn’t have any residency requirements. The applicant must simply show sufficient evidence on having Irish ancestry through parents or grandparents. |
| Fees charged for minor children citizenship application |
EUR 175 (there is no distinction between citizenship application fees for minors and adults). |
| Duration of the citizenship process |
It varies based on the type of citizenship (minimum 6 months to maximum 24 months – on average, processing of citizenship by naturalization takes 19 months). |
| Citizenship certificate fee |
EUR 950 for most applicants (there are lower fees – EUR 0 for refugees, EUR 200 for minors and the spouses for Irish citizens). |
| Institution in charge with the review of the application | The procedure on how to obtain Irish citizenship is handled by the Immigration Service Delivery, working under the Ministry of Justice. |
| Dual citizenship allowed (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Fees for the issuance of a passport |
EUR 20/EUR 30 for minors (for online and by post applications) and EUR 75/EUR 80 for adults (online/post applications). |
| Passport validity |
5 years for minor passport holders, 10 years for adults. |
| Difference between permanent residency and citizenship |
A citizen benefits from all the citizenship rights prescribed by the Irish legislation. A permanent resident has similar rights, but he or she is not allowed to vote, to hold an Irish passport and to work for governmental institutions. |
| Authentication/translation of foreign documents required (yes/no) | Yes |
Can a person receive citizenship in Ireland when born overseas?
Yes, a person is entitled to claim Irish citizenship even in the case when the person is born overseas. This right is granted only to the persons who are related to Irish nationals. Therefore, this rule can apply if a person claiming citizenship rights had at least one parent who was an Irish national at the moment of the birth, regardless of where the birth took place.
There is also the possibility to apply if the foreigner has grandparents who are Irish nationals (citizenship by descent). For these cases, there is the possibility to apply for Irish citizenship through the Foreign Births Register (procedure completed through the Department of Foreign Affairs).
Please mind that the law on immigration in Ireland, as well as the regulations for citizenship apply different fees for different procedures. Currently, those who apply through the Foreign Births Register must pay a processing fee of EUR 278 (for applicants above 18 years old).
The fee is comprised of a non-refundable fee (postage services) of EUR 8, and a fee for the registration procedure and the issuance of the certificate (EUR 200). For minors with an age below 18 years old, the overall fee is EUR 153.
Information on the processing of the application in 2024
The processing of the application for citizenship in Ireland can take around 19 months (this period of time is calculated since the application is submitted until the date when the decision is made). After the applicant has submitted the necessary documentation, the Irish officials will check and see if all the documents are included in the file.
If not, the applicant will be informed on the documentation that is missing and, according to the law on immigration in Ireland, he or she will have 28 days to provide the respective documents. In the case in which the 28 days threshold is not met, the citizenship application can be denied.
Please know that, during the processing of the application, you are not allowed to be absent from the country for a period longer than 70 days without notifying the Irish authorities. The Irish legislation stipulates that an applicant can meet all the requirements, and yet the citizenship application can be denied.
It is very important to be aware of this rule, as the Irish state has full discretion on the right to grant citizenship in Ireland. However, it is worth knowing that an applicant can re-initiate the citizenship application process at any time.
You can learn more about your rights concerning the issuance of citizenship, appeals and new applications from our immigration lawyer in Ireland. For successful applicants, the next step is to attend a citizenship ceremony.
However, we mention that this procedure is applicable solely to adult applicants, minors do not attend such ceremonies and they will directly receive the certificate of citizenship by post. Below, you can also watch a short video presenting how to apply for Irish citizenship:
Applying for an Irish passport
Once a person becomes an Irish citizen, and he or she is in the possession of the citizenship certificate, then the said person has the right to apply for an Irish passport, a right that is granted solely to persons who are or who have obtained Irish citizenship through one of the legal means prescribed by the law on immigration in Ireland.
All eligible people can apply online, following a simple and direct procedure. There is also the possibility to apply by post, but the first option is more convenient. In Ireland, a passport is valid for a period of 10 years, in the case of adult applicants. Passports for minors are issued for a period of 5 years.
If you are entitled to an Irish passport and you want to apply in 2024, you must know that the Irish authorities will ask for the payment of a fee of EUR 75 for the standard passport. In Ireland, citizens can also opt for a large passport with 66 pages, which costs EUR 105. Both passports have a validity of 10 years, as the validity is established in accordance with the age of the applicant.
For children with an age below 18 years old, the standard passport costs EUR 20 in 2024, while the large version (with 66 pages) costs EUR 50. Citizens who apply from outside Ireland have to pay a postal fee as well, of EUR 15.
Those who want to apply for a renewal must address the offices in Cork and Dublin – the fees in 2024 vary based on the number of days in which citizens want to obtain the document (for same day services, the passport renewal costs EUR 150 for adult applicants).
If you need to obtain citizenship in other countries, such as UAE, we can put you in touch with our local partners.
What are the rules for dual citizenship in Ireland?
As a citizen of a foreign country moving to Ireland on a permanent basis with the purpose of becoming a citizen, you may be wondering whether you can still retain your initial citizenship. Luckily, the Irish law recognizes dual citizenship, just like most of the European countries do.
Therefore, from an Irish law point of view, all foreigners can retain their initial citizenship while applying for Irish citizenship, as long as the country of origin does not impose other regulations. This can be the case of a foreigner relocating to Ireland from a country that specifically mentions that if a national of that country gains the citizenship of another country, then the initial citizenship will be revoked automatically.
If this is the case and you want to maintain your first citizenship, then you will not be able to apply for Irish citizenship. However, you can still apply for permanent residence in Ireland, which offers similar rights with the ones of a citizen (with few limitations, of course).
If you will be moving to Ireland as a permanent resident, you will have the right to own property, obtain a bank loan, have a job, start a business, benefit from the public medical system, the pension system, enroll your children in the public education system, etc.
The limitation of permanent residence is that you can’t vote and you can’t have an Irish passport, but other than this, there are no other major differences that can impend your day-to-day life while living here. Our immigration lawyer in Ireland can offer more information.
Legislation on Irish citizenship
The procedures on how to get citizenship in Ireland are now regulated by the 27th Amendment of the Irish Constitution, which was enacted following a national referendum that was held in 2004. Following this referendum, it was established that the Irish Parliament holds the right to enact new regulations concerning citizenship, which in the past used to be granted much easier.
For instance, before 2005, all children born on the Irish territory were automatically entitled to citizenship, regardless of the nationality of the parents. Nowadays, foreign parents who immigrate to Ireland must become citizens so that their children can obtain this right. You can learn more on the subject from our immigration lawyer in Ireland.
