Irish Citizenship by Marriage for Nigerian Citizens

Do You Want to Obtain Irish Citizenship by Marriage?

If you want to obtain Irish citizenship by marriage, our immigration lawyers at IAS can help. Our immigration lawyers can assess your situation to determine your eligibility to apply for Irish citizenship through marriage. We can also help you fulfil the Irish citizenship requirements and apply for Irish citizenship on your behalf.

Nigerian Emigration

For Nigerian emigration matters, please call +2342013306361 or +44 (0) 3316300929

Other Immigration and Emigration Matters

For immigration/emigration to/from other countries, please call:

US –  +1 844 290 6312

Ireland –  (+353) 061 518 025

UK –  (+44) 333 4149244

What Is Irish Citizenship by Marriage?

Irish citizenship by marriage is a type of citizenship a non-EU/EEA national can obtain because they’re married to an Irish citizen. It is also known as citizenship via naturalisation through marriage. You won’t be granted Irish citizenship automatically for being the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen. Hence, you must meet several eligibility criteria to qualify for citizenship.

For naturalisation through marriage to an Irish citizen, you must have been in a marriage or civil partnership for at least 3 years. You must have had 1 year of continuous residence in Ireland before applying, within 3 out of the last 5 years to achieve the reckonable residence requirement.

When you obtain Irish citizenship through marriage, you can vote in Irish elections, travel freely within the EU and access Irish services.

Eligibility Criteria for Irish Citizenship by Marriage

Nigerian nationals must meet several eligibility criteria to qualify for naturalisation through marriage, including:

• You must be of good character
• You must be 18 years or older before applying
• You must have been in a civil partnership or married to an Irish citizen for at least 3 years or more
• You must have been residing in Ireland legitimately with your Irish spouse as a married couple or civil partner
• You must intend to remain in Ireland permanently after obtaining citizenship
• You must have lived in Ireland for at least 3 of the last 5 years. This includes 1 year of uninterrupted residence in Ireland. The Minister may pardon you for 70 days of absence during this period and a further 30 days in unique situations
• You must have always obeyed the Irish immigration rules while living in Ireland
• You must take an Oath of Fidelity to the nation of Ireland

After meeting all the requirements for obtaining Irish citizenship by marriage, the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) has the veto power to decide whether you’ll be issued Irish citizenship.

The Application Process for Irish Citizenship by Marriage

Nigerian nationals can follow a step-by-step guide to obtain naturalisation through marriage, including:

Consult an Immigration Lawyer

You may need the assistance of immigration lawyers in the application for naturalisation through marriage to an Irish citizen. Our immigration lawyers at IAS are experts and highly experienced in Irish immigration law. We can help you gather all the required documents for your Irish citizenship application. Call us at +234 2013306361 or complete our online enquiry form for immediate assistance.

Determine Your Eligibility

Before applying, you must determine if you qualify for naturalisation through marriage. To be eligible, you must meet the eligibility criteria above. If you don’t qualify for Irish citizenship, your application will be rejected.

Complete Online Application Form 8

The application process for naturalisation through marriage is similar to the application process for citizenship by naturalisation. The difference is that for marriage, applicants must choose Form 8 on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFE) website for marriage and civil partnerships. Download and fill out the form with accurate information.

Don’t include misleading or inaccurate information in the form, as it could cause a refusal. If any question doesn’t apply to you, put ‘N/A’ instead of leaving the answer blank. In the Form 8, you’ll be required to include the information and signatures of 3 referees. Your referees must be Irish citizens. They must have known you well enough to convince the immigration authorities of your character.

Assemble Required Documents

You must provide certain documents to prove your eligibility and support your citizenship by marriage application. Some documents to include in your application include:

• A completed application Form 8
• Your birth certificate: It’s required to determine your actual age
• Proof of identity: The Irish immigration authorities need documents such as a Nigerian passport, Ireland residence permit, and driving licence to confirm your identity. Submit the colour copy of your current passport’s biometric page certified by a notary public, solicitor or commissioner for oaths. This gives you the required 150 points. Alternatively, you can combine documents such as Ireland residence permit, driving licence, etc. to prove your identity. These documents must add up to meet the 150 point requirement for identity check. The Citizenship Division can request your original passport if they need it for more clarification. Your passport and other identity documents you provide will undergo anti-fraud checks. Note: You don’t need to prove your identity for each year you lived in Ireland
• Proof of residency: You must meet the residency requirement to apply for Irish citizenship. As proof of residence, you should score 150 points each year you lived in Ireland. These documents include house bills (gas, water, electricity, TV licence, etc.), tenancy board letters, etc.
• 4 passport-size photographs: Your passport photographs must comply with the photo guidelines of the Irish immigration authorities
• Your civil partnership or marriage certificate proves that you’re in a civil relationship or married to an Irish citizen and recognised by Irish law
• Proof of financial sufficiency: Provide your bank statements or pay slips to prove that you have not relied on Irish public funds while in the country. You must provide at least 3 consecutive monthly transactions for every year you resided in Ireland. Your bank statements should record transactions from point-of-sales (POS) on the island of Ireland. They must have the addresses of outlets, stores, or shops where you made the transactions. You should obtain your bank statements from a credit union or retail bank regulated by the European Central Bank or Central Bank of Ireland
• Evidence of good character: You must prove you have a clean criminal record before applying for Irish citizenship. This also means you don’t have pending criminal charges and are not suspected of criminal activities by the Irish police

Note that the documents above are not all-encompassing. Depending on your situation, you may be required to provide additional documents to support your citizenship application. The Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) uses a scorecard to assess foreigners’ residency history in Ireland. You can obtain points from different documents. For example, documents that prove identity must total 150 points and documents that prove residency in Ireland must total 150 points.

You need expert guidance from an immigration solicitor to help you gain all the required points to obtain Irish citizenship. If you have documents in a foreign language, they must be translated into English or Irish (Gaelic) by an authorised translator and notarised. If you can’t provide all the required documents, you must explain why. You must provide an appropriate affidavit if you can’t provide your birth or marriage certificate.

Make a Statutory Declaration

A statutory declaration is a written statement that must be witnessed by a peace commissioner, a solicitor, a notary public, or a commissioner for oaths. In the declaration, you must swear that the information you have provided to the Citizenship Division is true. Your spouse or civil partner must also participate in the statutory declaration.

Pay the Citizenship Application Fee

You must pay your citizenship initial application fee of €175 via bank draft or the online portal to the Secretary-General, Department of Justice and Equality. You should pay after submitting your documents for processing.

Get Notified of Initial Processing

Within a few weeks after your application, you will receive a notification confirming that your application has passed the initial processing stage. After that, the major application process for Irish citizenship will commence.

Citizenship Ceremony

If your citizenship application is approved, you will be issued an approval letter and be invited to a citizenship ceremony. At the ceremony, you will take the Oath of Fidelity, a declaration to honour the freedoms, rights and the Irish law. After the ceremony, you will be issued a naturalisation certificate. You will become an Irish citizen once you receive the naturalisation certificate.

Costs Involved in Obtaining Irish Citizenship by Marriage

Nigerian citizens must pay for a naturalisation certificate to obtain naturalisation through marriage. Here is the breakdown of the costs associated with the application process for naturalisation through marriage:

• Naturalisation application fee worth €175
• Naturalisation certificate approval fee:
  • €200 for application on behalf of a minor
  • €200 for a widower, widow or surviving partner of an Irish citizen
  • No fee for stateless persons, programme refugees or refugees
  • €950 for the regular certificate approval fee

How Long Does it Take to Get Irish Citizenship by Marriage?

You should expect a decision on your citizenship via naturalisation through marriage 18 to 24 months after submitting your application. Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) processes applications chronologically, and verdicts are made on an individual basis.

Factors that Can Influence Processing Duration

Some factors that can influence your Irish citizenship application processing time include:

• Incomplete documentation
• Incomplete application form
• Lack of prompt response when the ISD requires more clarifications
• High volumes of applications
• In some cases, government agencies must provide more information for the application process to continue, such as checking applicants’ good character

Common Challenges During Citizenship Applications and How to Overcome Them

Nigerian nationals might face some challenges during the application process for Irish citizenship by marriage, including:

Delays in Processing Times

Naturalisation through marriage can take a long time to process. This processing time can be delayed for several reasons, including thorough background checks, administrative issues, incomplete documentation, etc. Stay informed about the current processing times by regularly checking the INIS website. Submitting complete documentation will help you avoid unnecessary back-and-forth that normally delays citizenship applications.

Difficulty in Gathering Required Documents

Nigerians may be challenged with assembling several documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, police clearance certificates, etc., due to inconsistent access or bureaucratic delays. You must assemble all the required documents for your Irish citizenship long before applying. Our immigration lawyers at our Lagos office can help you gather your documents and ensure they’re complete before applying for Irish citizenship by marriage on your behalf. Call us today at +234 2013306361 or schedule a video call to speak with one of our immigration solicitors.

Ensuring the Marriage Is Recognised under Irish Law

The Irish authorities don’t recognise all marriages conducted abroad. Hence, you must prove that your marriage meets Nigerian and Irish legal standards. You must, therefore, provide a certified copy of your marriage certificate. Present an English or Irish (Gaelic) translation of your marriage certificate if they’re in a foreign language.

Proving Genuine and Subsisting Relationship

The Irish immigration authorities might scrutinise marriages for authenticity. You must prove that you haven’t engaged in a sham marriage and that your marriage is genuine and subsisting. Hence, you must demonstrate that you and your spouse or civil partner have lived together. You must provide proof of shared residence, communication history, etc. You must record your cohabitation, shared finances, photos, communication logs, etc.

How Can IAS Help?

Obtaining Irish citizenship can be overwhelming. You must prove your eligibility, assemble documents, pay fees and make a declaration. You may need the assistance of an experienced immigration solicitor in each aspect of your Irish citizenship application.

Our immigration lawyers at IAS provide guidance and support at each stage of your citizenship by marriage application process to give you a high chance of success. One of our immigration solicitors will be assigned to your case from the beginning to ensure your application is standard. Our immigration lawyers will engage with the Irish immigration authorities to ensure they receive updates regarding your situation whenever required.

For more information about Irish citizenship or a marriage visa Ireland, IAS can help. Schedule an in-person meeting with one of our immigration solicitors at our Lagos office. You can complete our online enquiry form or call us at +234 2013306361 for immediate assistance.