Irish Citizenship Ceremony

Understanding the Irish Citizenship Ceremony

The Irish citizenship ceremony is often cited as an ‘important milestone’ for foreigners getting citizenship through naturalisation in the Republic of Ireland (also called the ‘State’). Apart from its societal and cultural value, the ceremony also has a legal and binding implication for adult applicants.

The first citizenship ceremony was held in 2011. Since then, it has become a symbol of the State granting Irish citizenship to foreign nationals in a ‘dignified and solemn manner’. Usually a judge presides over the ceremony. The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and some of their colleagues also attend occasionally.

Irish citizenship ceremonies do not have a fixed schedule, but they are held periodically throughout the year every year (except in 2021, when restrictions on public gatherings due to COVID-19 pandemic made an in-person ceremony unfeasible). Since its introduction, there have been a total of 216 ceremonies. The latest in the series were six ceremonies held at the Convention Centre Dublin on 15-16 September 2025, attended by over 6,500 candidates from 138 countries.

India, Brazil and the UK are the top three nationalities (in that order) of the ceremony candidates attending the September 2025 event, the majority of whom are from the county of Dublin.

What Happens at the Irish Citizenship Ceremony?

An Irish citizenship ceremony consists of two main procedures. First, you will need to register yourself when you arrive at the event venue. This step confirms to the Irish citizenship authorities that you are attending the event as required following their invitation.

The next step is to take an oath of fidelity to the Irish nation. The presiding judge will administer the ‘Declaration of Fidelity to the Irish Nation and Loyalty to the State’. Apart from the presiding judge, government ministers, and your fellow applicants, the ceremony is usually also attended by press reporters and/or photographers who will be there to cover the event. The entire event may take a couple of hours, so plan accordingly.

Registration Process for Citizenship Ceremony in Ireland

As soon as you arrive at the venue (as mentioned in your invitation letter), report to the registration desk to check yourself in. Since there are usually multiple citizenship ceremonies held during a single event to accommodate all participants, strictly follow the schedule provided in your invite.

To register, you will have to present your valid passport at the desk for identity verification purposes. If you do not have a valid passport, you must bring an alternative photo ID, such as a driving licence. Once you have registered successfully, you will receive the following:

• A ceremony booklet containing information regarding:
  • How you can apply for an Irish passport (after receiving your Certificate of Naturalisation)
  • Your right to register to vote in Ireland and how to register
  • Circumstances under which your Irish citizenship may be revoked
  • The words of the Irish national anthem
• An Irish emblem

Non-EEA nationals must also carry their valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) cards with them while attending a citizenship ceremony. So, even if you have already applied for citizenship by naturalisation, make sure to keep your IRP card up to date at all times while you are in Ireland.

Declaration of Fidelity to the Nation

During the ceremony, you will have to take an oath of loyalty and fidelity to the Irish nation and the State. It is basically a process through which you make a sworn declaration in front of the judge, the minister(s), the Press, and the other attendees that as a citizen, you will respect the rights, freedoms and democratic values of Ireland, and solemnly follow the laws of the land.

The exact words of the declaration will be provided to you during the ceremony, so there is no need to memorise the words. However, here are the words for your reference:

“I (name) having applied to the Minister for Justice for a certificate of naturalisation, hereby solemnly declare my fidelity to the Irish nation and my loyalty to the State.

I undertake to faithfully observe the laws of the State and to respect its democratic values.”

Note that you will not become an Irish citizen until you have made the declaration. Post your declaration, the presiding judge will ceremoniously confer the citizenship rights on you. However, you will not receive your Certificate of Naturalisation at the ceremony. It will later be sent to your residence address via post.

Receiving Your Certificate of Naturalisation

After you have attended a citizenship ceremony and taken an oath of loyalty and fidelity to the State, the Department of Justice will issue your Certificate of Naturalisation. You will receive the same at your address by registered post within four to six weeks after the citizenship ceremony. You will have to sign for it during the delivery. Make sure you inform the authorities if there are any changes to your postal address meanwhile.

A Certificate of Naturalisation proves your Irish citizenship. It contains important details like your name, date of birth, and date of naturalisation. Per the Irish immigration and citizenship laws, this certificate cannot be replaced. So, once you receive it, please keep the certificate in a safe place to prevent any damage or loss.

As instructed by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), you must not laminate your certificate or make any other changes to it. Unauthorised change(s) to the certificate will make it invalid, and you will not be able to use it to prove your Irish citizenship or to apply for your Irish passport.

Please go through your Certificate of Naturalisation thoroughly upon receiving it, checking for any errors or discrepancy in information. In case you spot any error(s) in your certificate, return the original immediately along with a cover letter detailing the error(s) to the following address:

SU1
Citizenship Division
Immigration Service Delivery
Department of Justice
Rosanna Road
Tipperary Town E34 N566
Ireland

You may need to provide supporting document(s) as well in some cases. For example, if there is a discrepancy regarding the spelling of your name (apart from special characters which cannot be accommodated), you must attach a copy of your current and valid passport.

If, under any unfortunate circumstances, your Certificate of Naturalisation gets damaged, lost or stolen, you will need to write to ISD stating the facts of the situation. If ISD is satisfied with your application post review, they will issue a statement confirming your Irish citizenship. Note that a replacement certificate will not be issued under any circumstances, however. In such a scenario, you will have to use the said statement while applying for an Irish passport.

Obtaining the Irish Passport

After you have received your Certificate of Naturalisation, you will need to apply to the Department of Foreign Affairs for an Irish passport. Applying for an Irish passport is an online process. You may also apply for a passport card online along with your Irish passport, which you can use instead of your passport to travel to all EU and EEA Member States, Switzerland, and the UK.

It is advised not to book international travel before you get your Irish passport. However, if you are required to travel due to an emergency after your citizenship ceremony, check with the immigration officer at the airport whether you will be able to leave and enter the State as a naturalised citizen.

How to Apply Online for an Irish Passport

Go to the Passport Online page to start your online application. Before you start your application process, make sure you have the following available with you:

• Your (or the applicant’s in case you are applying on a minor’s behalf) digital photo meeting the stipulated photo guidelines
• A credit or debit card to pay the required fees
• A valid email address
• A printer

It usually takes up to 10 minutes to complete a passport application online.

Document Requirements for an Irish Passport Application

After they have applied online for an Irish passport, naturalised Irish citizens residing currently in the State will need to submit the following supporting documents:

• Identity verification form as generated while submitting your passport application online, and which is signed by a member of the Garda Síochána for verification purposes
• Original Certificate of Naturalisation
• Original birth certificate that also has the name(s) of your parent(s)
• Original marriage or civil partnership certificate (in case you are applying in your married name)
• Proof of name (e.g., government letters that have your full name)
• Proof of address such as government letters that have your full residential address (cannot be the same document that you are submitting for proof of name). If you do not have the same, you can submit original utility bills or bank statements in your address
• The following photo identity documents:
  • Original passport or any national ID document issued by another country
  • Photocopy of your Public Services Card (PSC) or a copy of your driver’s licence that is certified by a Garda, solicitor, notary or the issuing authority

Irish Passport Processing Time and Fees

ISD may take from 20 working days to eight weeks after receiving your supporting documents to process your passport application, depending on whether you have applied online or used the ‘Post Passport from An Post’ (the accepted postal passport application method) service.

You will be able to track the progress of your application on the Department of Foreign Affairs website. If additional documents are required in your case, this timeline may further increase.

A standard 10-year adult passport costs €75. If you are also applying for a passport card along with your passport, the total fees will be €100.

How to Collect My Irish Passport

Once your passport is printed, it will be delivered to your address (as provided on the online application form) by Express post. No signature is required to receive your passport. If you have also applied for a passport card, the same will reach you approximately a week later following the receipt of your passport.

You will also get back your original documents submitted while applying for your passport separately via post once the processing of your application is complete.

Irish Passport Validity and Renewal

An adult Irish passport is valid for 10 years, while children passports are valid for five years. You can apply for a new passport in the 12 months prior to the expiry of your current passport.

You will have to follow the same application procedure. Usually, you will not need to submit any additional supporting documents for an adult Irish passport renewal unless there is a significant change in your circumstances (e.g., change of name from your current passport following your subsequent marriage).

Invitations to the Citizenship Ceremony in Ireland

An Irish citizenship ceremony is a centrally hosted event for applicants residing across all 32 counties in the State. Given that there is no fixed schedule of these ceremonies, ISD issues invitations as and when the next event is scheduled to applicants who have been successful in the citizenship by naturalisation application.

If you have received an approval letter and paid the required fee for your Certificate of Naturalisation, you will receive an invitation to a ceremony in due course. ISD sends these invitations by email to the email address you provided at the time of your citizenship application. Make sure you check your spam or junk folders regularly.

In case you have lost access to the email address provided during your application in the meantime, you can register for or log into your ISD customer service account to inform the authorities. Do not directly contact ISD regarding citizenship ceremony invitations.

Usually, citizenship ceremonies are hosted at the Convention Centre Dublin. You will have to travel to the venue from your county of residence in Ireland on the date of the ceremony. The convention centre is located in a convenient location in the city, minutes away from Dublin airport. You can also reach the venue by road or rail.

Guests and Children Attendance

Each citizenship ceremony attendee is allowed to bring one adult guest with them to the venue. No more than that number will be permitted. ISD is very strict with this given the limited availability of space at the venue.

Please also note that children (i.e., anyone under 18) are not permitted to attend the event as ISD is unable to accommodate them within the auditorium.

Live Streaming Options

Given the limited number of guests permitted to accompany you to the actual event, ISD has a live streaming setup (along with live chat option) that ensures that your family and friends do not miss witnessing this historic moment in your life. Live streaming of the citizenship ceremony online also gives your near ones a chance to watch the event online from anywhere in the world.

Recordings of past events are also available and can be accessed via the ISD website. These videos are hosted on the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration’s YouTube channel.

Ceremony Attendance Requirements

An Irish citizenship ceremony is not just a formal event to recognise and celebrate foreign nationals who are successfully becoming naturalised Irish citizens. It comes with a legally binding implication for such citizens-to-be.

It is mandatory for all adult applicants to attend the citizenship ceremony without fail once they have received their invitation. If you fail to attend, the process of getting Irish citizenship by naturalisation will not be complete, and you will not receive your certificate even though your citizenship application has been successful.

ISD does not encourage any requests to change the date/time for your invitation, given the volume of applicants at these events. However, in case you are unable to attend the citizenship ceremony due to genuine reason(s), there is an option in your invitation received via email to inform the authorities of your inability to attend the event and the reason(s) thereof.

In such a scenario, ISD will invite you to a future ceremony, as and when scheduled. Note that if you fail to attend a number of ceremonies in this manner, the Minister for Justice may decide to altogether withdraw their intention to grant your citizenship application.

Minor applicants, however, are not required to attend the citizenship ceremony. They will receive their Certificate of Naturalisation by post in due course once their applications are granted.

Next Scheduled Ceremony Information

Irish citizenship ceremonies are held throughout the year–often during the months of June, September and December–but there is no fixed schedule per se. The ISD website features the information regarding an upcoming citizenship ceremony as and when it is announced, but does not release such information in advance.

ISD does not encourage any direct contact or question from the applicants regarding when the next ceremony is scheduled.

How Can IAS Help?

Obtaining Irish citizenship by naturalisation is a complex process that involves several stages, such as understanding the eligibility criteria, collecting evidence and required supporting documents, applying for citizenship, and so on. Last but not the least in this process is the Irish citizenship ceremony.

Given that attending the ceremony is a mandatory requirement for all adult applicants to receive their Certificates of Naturalisation, it is crucial to understand how and when you can attend such an event, what documents you must carry with you to the event, and what you can expect during the event. To avoid any last-minute hassle, you must thoroughly understand the ISD policies regarding guest and children attendance.

In addition, you must also be aware of what you must do in case you are unable to attend your scheduled event due to genuine reason(s), to avoid any legal hurdles to receiving your certificate.

IAS can help. Our team of specialist Ireland immigration lawyers and advisers have the required expertise and experience to coach you on the Irish citizenship ceremony, as well as helping you throughout your citizenship by naturalisation journey. To know more about the services we provide and how we can help you, call us on +44 (0)333 414 9244 or message us online today, to speak to one of our team members.