5 Simple Steps To Claim Irish Citizenship By Descent

Nowadays an Irish passport is one of the best travel documents in the world. A passport from the Emerald Isle will let you live and work in every EU country and it also lets you live permanently in the United Kingdom. The Irish passport is the only EU passport that can do this. Many people might not be aware that they’re entitled to Irish citizenship by ancestry. The Irish spread far and wide throughout the world in the past, so if you can find an Irish ancestor you might be able to become a citizen of Ireland.

This article will give you all the information on how to get your Irish citizenship by descent.

What is Irish Citizenship By Descent?

Irish citizenship can be obtained in two ways: through birth or naturalization, and both options allow for an Irish passport or ID card to be acquired. There are special rules that apply if you have a parent or grandparent from Ireland. If you find out that a grandparent or even a great-grandfather (in limited circumstances) is Irish, then you might be able to obtain your citizenship through descent and get an Irish passport.

People can also find out if they’re entitled to become citizens of the country by ancestry research based on their name and their family background. The best way to do this is by getting in touch with the nearest embassy or consulate. This will not only tell you if you’re entitled but also help you throughout your citizenship application process.

Step 1. Find Your Irish Ancestor – The Key to Irish Citizenship by Descent

There are many ways to find an Irish ancestor.

You can check the country’s national archives and census records for your forefathers’ names or birthplaces, which might tell you if they’re from Ireland. If that doesn’t work then you could hire a professional genealogist who has access to all kinds of historical documents and will be able to help you find your Irish forefather.

This is the most time-consuming method since it can take weeks or even months of research, but if successful then you might be entitled to Irish citizenship by descent, also known as citizenship by ancestry.

Step 2: Get The Birth Certificate of Your Irish Ancestor

If you’re applying for Irish citizenship by descent, one of the first things that you’ll need to do is get a copy of your grandparent’s birth certificate. You can order these directly from Ireland through the General Register Office website or use an online service.

In addition to this, you will need to provide proof that one or more of your grandparents were born in Ireland. This may be done through a variety of documents including birth certificates and marriage licenses.

Familial relationships must also be proven by supplying official documentation between both parties. This may include birth certificates, marriage licenses, or other forms of proof as it applies to the individual circumstances.

When applying for your Irish citizenship by descent you will need to submit a number of documents. You’ll have to provide proof that one or both parents are, were, or would be entitled to become citizens of Ireland at the time when you’re applying.

Step 3: Prove Your Connection to Your Irish Ancestor

When applying for your Irish citizenship through descent you will need to submit a number of documents. You’ll have to provide proof that one or both parents are, were, or would be entitled to become citizens of Ireland at the time when you’re applying. It’s also possible to get additional documentation if needed

You need a birth certificate that shows that one of your parents or grandparents was an Irish citizen.

A certified copy of the birth certificate which shows one of your forefathers’ names and birthplace. If this isn’t available then a baptismal record might be accepted instead, along with a certified copy of the birth certificate

If you can’t provide documentation from before 1984 then it’s possible to use an Irish electoral register entry as proof. If that is also unavailable then your parent or grandparent will need to have been born in Ireland and registered their place of residence there at some point after they turned 18 years old.

If your parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent has passed away it’s possible to get a copy of their death certificate. If they were born in Ireland then this can be used as proof to apply for Irish citizenship by descent.

Step 4: Apply to be put on the register of foreign births

After you’ve proved your connection to your Irish ancestor you have to apply to be put on the register of foreign births. This may seem like a trivial step but it’s actually the key to the whole process. If you’re entered on the register of foreign births, that’s it – you’re Irish. You can then get the documents required to apply for an Irish passport.

Step 5: Apply for an Irish Passport

Once you’ve been entered on the Register of Foreign births you just have to fill in the Irish passport application form. You can apply online here. This is the simplest part of the whole process because after you’ve been entered on the register of foreign births you can apply for a passport without any new documents. You just have to provide your photographs and fill in the form. You can also apply for an Irish passport at your nearest embassy or consulate.

Process of Getting Citizenship By Descent

The application process is pretty straightforward and simple, but it still needs time since you’ll need to provide all the necessary documentation which might take some research to track down. The research and documentation, proving your connection to your Irish ancestor is the most difficult part of getting Irish citizenship by descent.

The process of getting Irish citizenship by descent includes being entered on the Foreign Births Register and submitting a copy of your birth certificate when born before 1984, or if unavailable then you can also use an Irish electoral register entry as proof instead. You’ll also need to provide proof that one of your parents was entitled to become a citizen at the time of your birth.

If you can’t provide proof from before 1984 then it’s possible to use an Irish electoral register entry as proof instead. You’ll also need to submit a copy of the death certificate if one of your grandparents has passed away, or their birth record and registration card if born in Ireland after 18 years old

Do You Qualify For Irish Citizenship by Descent?

The first thing that has to be done when trying to get an Irish passport through ancestry is, finding out if you qualify. In order to be entitled to citizenship by descent, the applicant has to have an Irish parent or grandparent who was born in Ireland (or Northern Ireland as it is known today).

The next step will involve getting all your documents together and preparing them for submission. These are:

• Birth certificate of yourself and your Irish ancestor

• Marriage certificates of yourself and your spouse, if any

• Your parent or grandparent’s birth certificate from Ireland

If you don’t have all the required documents, applying for citizenship by descent will be difficult. You should also take into consideration that when it comes to getting an Irish passport through ancestry there is no such thing as a fast-track option.

The next part involves delivering all your documents and applications to a designated embassy or consulate that deals with people seeking citizenship by descent. You will also have to pay a fee at this time and gather any supporting documentation that they may request from you in the future such as proof of residency, income, or employment status.

When all your documents are submitted successfully, it’s only a matter of time until you get notified about whether or not your application for Irish citizenship by descent has been successful. If it is approved, you will receive a letter confirming that you’ve been entered on the register of foreign births.

As mentioned before, applying for an Irish passport through ancestry can be a long and difficult process so you should make sure that all your documents are in order.

An Irish citizenship by descent application usually takes up to twelve weeks before the applicant receives an answer, but this time frame may vary depending on how much information is needed from you for verification purposes. There have been cases where applicants were left waiting for over a year before they received an answer.

Benefits of Irish Citizenship by Ancestry

There are several benefits of becoming an Irish citizen by descent. We will discuss some key advantages to getting a passport from the Emerald Isle.

While many countries around the world offer citizenship through ancestry, Ireland stands out as one of the easiest nations in which to gain access to passports and other rights associated with being a national or resident. In fact, the process of becoming a citizen is relatively simple.

In most cases, Irish citizenship by descent requires that an individual have at least one grandparent from Ireland or Northern Ireland. There are other circumstances in which children born outside of Ireland can apply for and receive passports such as when their parent becomes an Irish citizen through marriage to an Irish citizen.

One of the key benefits to becoming a naturalized citizen in Ireland is that you can live or work anywhere in the European Union and in The United Kingdom without any further work permits or visas. If you’re an American or Canadian who’s entitled to Irish citizenship by ancestry you could use your Irish citizenship to live and work in England and then apply for British citizenship after 5 years.

Another benefit to becoming an Irish citizen through ancestry is that there are no language or residency requirements associated with this type of citizenship application process. Unlike many other countries in which immigrants have to live within the borders for a set number of years before they can become citizens, those who apply for citizenship in Ireland by descent need not reside within the country to receive a passport.

Another benefit of Irish citizenship is that it can be passed down through generations without having to abide by strict immigration laws or prove certain qualifications, such as fluency in a language other than English. Under current law, only one grandparent from Ireland is required to provide proof of heritage.

The only real requirement that must be met in order for someone applying under citizenship by descent is proving the familial relationship between themselves and their grandparents. This does require some sort of documentation, which may include marriage certificates or birth records as well as other materials depending on the individual circumstances.

Alongside these benefits, it is important to note that there are also costs and requirements associated with Irish citizenship by descent, although they may be relatively minor in comparison to other countries such as Germany or Norway.

Additionally, the applicant must pay an application fee of €175 and supply photographs to be used within their official documents such as passports or ID cards. Finally, it is necessary for applicants to supply a completed application form with supporting documents and pay the required fee.

As stated above, this is one of the easiest ways to become an Irish citizen without having to move or live within Ireland’s borders for several years before being able to apply.

While this process may seem daunting at first glance, it is relatively simple if you have the right information.

We hope this guide has been informative and sheds some light on the process of obtaining Irish citizenship through ancestry. We regularly help clients to obtain second passports and residences. If you have an Irish ancestor and would like to start the process of applying for Irish citizenship click here to get in touch. We can also help obtain other EU and Latin American passports.