Can I Get an Irish Passport?

If you are of Irish heritage, you may be eligible for an Irish passport regardless of where you currently reside. If you were born outside of Ireland but either of your parents are Irish citizens then you are entitled to Irish Citizenship and an Irish passport under Irish law. No matter where you currently reside, you are eligible if one or both of your parents were born in Ireland and can prove their Irish Citizenship.

You could also qualify if one or both of your parents obtained Irish Citizenship through Naturalisation of Foreign Birth Registration before you were born. Irish Citizenship is passed to the next generation provided your parent was an Irish citizen before you were born.

The EU referendum outcome does not change anything about current Irish passport rights. As the law stands at the moment, if you were born on the island of Ireland before 1 January 2005 then you are entitled to Irish citizenship.

If you were born after 1 January 2005, then your eligibility will depend on where your parents were born. If they were born in Ireland, then you will also qualify for Irish citizenship.

If you would like to apply for Irish citizenship then you will need to go down the Naturalisation route. If you are married to an Irish citizen then you may be eligible for naturalisation. You can also apply for naturalisation if you intend to continue living in Ireland and meet other criteria. You can find out more about the naturalisation process here.

Spouses or civil partners of Irish citizens can apply for Irish Citizenship in the same way that non-partner apply, but with slightly more lenient requirements.

To qualify for an Irish passport through marriage you must:

• have been married to or in a civil partnership with an Irish citizen for at least three years;
• have lived lawfully in Ireland for the past year and, in the four years preceding that, have been in Ireland lawfully for at least a total of two years;
• be living with your Irish partner at the time of your application;
• pass a good character assessment; and
• intend to continue living in Ireland and make a declaration of fidelity to the State.

If you are concerned that you do not meet these requirements right now, our lawyers can advise you and plan a course of action for you to meet them in the future.

First-time applications will take longer than renewals because of the extra security checks, so you should allow up to eight weeks to get your passport. There is likely to be a surge in demand at the Irish passport office following the UK’s exit from the EU, so Irish citizens hoping to renew their passports should also allow plenty of time and avoid sending their passport for renewal within eight weeks of travelling.

Under Irish law, you do not have to give up citizenship of another country in order to hold an Irish passport. You can hold both a British and Irish passport if you qualify and receive Irish Citizenship.

The standard cost to become an Irish citizen for adults is currently €175 and a fee of €950 for your certificate of naturalisation.

At IAS, we have an excellent track record of supporting people through the application for Irish Citizenship. With our services, your personal lawyer will manage your application and submit it for you, making the process as stress-free as possible.

Our services include:

• Assessment of your eligibility and ensuring you meet the requirements;
• Informing you of which documents you will need to complete your application and collating them into a document pack;
• Completing your application form(s) in full to a professional standard;
• Writing a Letter of Representation to accompany your application;
• Maintaining contact with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) until a decision has been made.

If you would like to discuss your circumstances or start your application, get in touch now by calling 0333 363 8577 free or making an enquiry online.