Did you know that Ireland has the strongest passport in the world? Not bad for a country with a population of around 5 million. Thanks in part to Ireland’s membership of the EU, Irish citizenship is more popular than ever.
In the US, registration of foreign birth, the first step in eligibility for Irish citizenship, rose by 50% in 2024. And in the post-Brexit UK, where 10% of the population has at least one Irish grandparent, applications for Irish citizenship have also been rising significantly every year.
In this Remitly guide, we’ll discuss who’s eligible for Irish citizenship, walk you through the application process, and take a look at the costs and time it takes. Don’t worry; getting Irish citizenship is actually quite straightforward if you’re eligible. With the right guidance, you could secure that valuable passport.
Who qualifies for Irish citizenship?
There are a few different ways you can qualify for Irish citizenship. You can qualify:
- By birth
- By descent
- By association
- By naturalization
| Eligibility | Requirements |
| By birth |
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| By descent |
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| By association |
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| By naturalization |
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Irish citizenship by descent: the most common route
For those of us who weren’t born in Ireland, Irish citizenship through descent is the most common route for claiming our rights, so we’re mainly going to focus on that route. Ireland has a large worldwide diaspora, with millions of people in the US and elsewhere descended from Irish citizens. This was my own path to Irish citizenship.
Here’s how it works. If one of your parents is an Irish citizen, so are you. This happens automatically. You don’t need to apply for citizenship, and can apply directly for a passport if you want one.
You can also qualify through a grandparent. If one of your grandparents was born in Ireland or was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, you may qualify. If that’s the case, you need to register your birth on Ireland’s Foreign Birth Register (FBR).
Irish citizenship documents needed
The list of documents you have to provide might change slightly depending on the route and your own circumstances, but typically, you’ll need:
- An application form, signed and witnessed by someone who knows you but is not related to you and has a recognized profession.
- Your original birth certificate showing your parents’ names.
- Your parents’ marriage certificate, if applicable.
- Your parents’ original birth certificates.
- The original birth certificate of your Irish grandparent, showing their father’s details.
- The original marriage certificate of your Irish grandparent, if applicable.
- A photocopy of your current passport, driver’s license, or other state-issued ID. This must be certified as a true copy by your witness.
- Two separate original proofs of address. This could be a utility bill, a tax assessment notice, or other official mail you receive at your address.
- Four recent passport photographs, two of which need to be witnessed.
In this context, “original” doesn’t mean the actual piece of paper your great-grandparents were given when your Irish grandparent was born. After all, that could have been a century ago. It simply means that the document must come from the issuing authority. In this case, that means the Irish government. These can often be ordered online.
If you weren’t born in Ireland
You don’t have to be born in Ireland to be an Irish citizen, but the chain of descent must be unbroken. What does that mean? Well, we’ve said you need to register your birth with the FBR if you were born abroad, as do all children of Irish citizens born abroad, to preserve the chain. But your parent needs to have been an Irish citizen when you were born, which means they had to have been registered with the FBR too.
To give a real-world example, my siblings haven’t applied for the Irish citizenship they’re entitled to. That means their kids aren’t entitled to inherit it. But if I have children, my kids would inherit my Irish citizenship provided I register them with the FBR.
Required documents: where to find them
The documents you need to apply for Irish citizenship via descent center around your ancestry. If you’re wondering how to get Irish citizenship through grandparents, you’ll need more documents than if you’re applying through a parent.
You will need your own identity documents, including a birth certificate, to prove who your parents are or were. You’ll also need their birth certificates. And, if your claim comes through an Irish grandparent, you’ll need their birth certificate too.
Where to get them
If you don’t already have your own birth certificate, you can contact the records office in the country where you were born. In some countries, you can do this online, while in other places, you need to do it by mail. In the US, you can contact the records office for the state or territory where you were born.
The same applies to your parents. The application requires birth certificates for both of them, plus a marriage certificate if they were married. In many countries, these records are public information, so anyone can access them.
Sooner or later, you may need Irish documents. It’s the birth certificate of your Irish parent or grandparent that grants you your Irish nationality. Ireland’s system for this is very easy to use, and you can order a certified, long-form birth certificate online and have it mailed anywhere in the world. It’s also possible to order it by phone. Records go back to January 1, 1864.
This may be the easiest part of the whole process. I found the Irish records office very helpful, easy to navigate, and quick to get my documents to me.
Do you need an apostille?
An apostille is a certification that the document is authentic, often made by a lawyer or notary. Generally, documents from EU countries or the UK don’t need to be apostilled in your application for Irish citizenship. US documents are usually certified by the records office, and don’t need to be apostilled.
In my own case, I wasn’t asked for an apostille. However, if your documents are from other countries, you may need this extra step. You’ll be informed during the process if this is the case.
Costs
The cost for getting your required documents together can vary quite a bit, depending on exactly what you need and where they’re coming from. Birth certificates from US states vary according to the state, with around $20 USD being a reasonable average, depending on the state, whether it’s a long- or short-form copy, whether there’s anything out of the ordinary about the application. Marriage certificates cost about the same.
In Ireland, birth certificates cost €20 ($23.50 USD) for a certified copy, plus around €3 for postage outside of Ireland.
(Exchange rate valid as of 9/15/2025)
Step-by-step application process
Preparing your application
First, get your required documents together. Be clear on exactly what you need. It varies depending on your connection to Ireland. Use the checklist we gave you above to make sure you have all the birth certificates and marriage certificates you’ll be asked for.
You’ll have to find a witness. They don’t need to be an Irish citizen themselves, but they need to know you and not be related to you. They also need to work in specific professions. Doctors, police officers, teachers, pharmacists, dentists, lawyers, and notaries all qualify, for example.
To register on the FBR, you also need to submit four color photos. Two of them need to be signed by your witness to certify that they look like you. The photos need to conform to the standards for Irish passports.
- It must have been taken within the last six months.
- Digital photos must be at least 715 pixels wide and 951 pixels in height, and be in JPEG format. They must be no larger than 9 MB.
- Printed photos must be at least 35mm (1.37″) by 45mm (1.77″), and no bigger than 38mm (1.49″) x 50mm (1.96″).
- They must be sharp, in focus, and high-resolution.
- There should be no creases or folds.
- It’s not necessary to have a professional take your photos, but it may make it easier to meet the requirements.
Submitting your application
You can apply for Irish citizenship through birth or descent online here, or through naturalization here. For citizenship by association it’s more complex—start here.
Once your application has been submitted, you simply need to wait for your birth to be registered. If your application is approved, you’ll receive a Foreign Birth Registration certificate. This is your proof of Irish citizenship.
Processing and follow-up
Currently, it takes nine months to process applications for the FBR. If you’re applying for citizenship through association, it’s even longer—at least 30 months at the time of writing. There’s no way to track the status of your application. It’s just a matter of waiting.
However, if you hear nothing back after those periods, you can reach out to the Department of Foreign Affairs through online chat or by telephone at +353 1 568 3331.
If you have your paperwork right, your application should be processed smoothly. However, delays may be caused by:
- Missing documents, such as birth certificates.
- Incorrect document formats. For example, sending short-form birth certificates instead of long-form ones.
- Not properly certifying photocopies.
- Sending poor-quality photocopies.
- Name discrepancies. For example, middle names may be missing or spelling may be different from one document to another, like O’Connor vs OConnor, Padraig vs Patrick. So check carefully that everything matches up.
- Translation issues. Documents in any language other than English or Irish need certified translations.
- Witness mistakes. Make sure your witness is in one of the approved professions.
Costs
For an adult, it costs €270 for a Foreign Birth Registration. There’s a nonrefundable postage and handling fee of €8. That’s €278 total, or $326 USD.
For children under the age of 18, it costs €145, plus the same €8 fee. That’s €153, or $180 USD.
Payment is made when you submit your application online via credit or debit card.
(Exchange rate valid as of 9/15/2025).
What happens after approval
Assuming you’ve applied through descent, if your registration on the FDR is accepted, congratulations, you are an Irish citizen! You’ll get a certificate of citizenship, which is included in the application fee.
To get an Irish passport, though, you’ll need to make another, separate application. You’ll need many of the same documents you required to register with the FBR, so keep them safe if you plan to go down this route.
Being a citizen of Ireland allows you to live and work in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It also gives you the right to live and work in the UK indefinitely, and in any of the 27 EU member states.
Ireland allows dual citizenship, so you don’t have to surrender your existing citizenship to become Irish. Also, unlike the US, Ireland doesn’t impose tax obligations on its citizens if they’re not resident in Ireland itself.
Being an Irish citizen doesn’t automatically entitle you to healthcare, a pension, or other benefits. Those are only for residents of Ireland. But I think the ability to live and work in so many different countries, along with a deeper connection to your heritage, makes Irish citizenship well worth applying for.
Becoming an Irish citizen
Like many people, I claimed Irish citizenship by descent to take advantage of the ability to live and work in the EU. But Irish citizenship is more than a convenience; establishing your citizenship helps to create a meaningful bond with your heritage. Even if you never intend to apply for a passport, it’s nice to have your Irish nationality recognized.
Although the application process can sound complicated, it’s really quite easy. You’ll need to be patient, as wait times can be extremely long right now. But the Irish authorities are quite efficient at processing applications, as long as you follow all the rules.
Follow the steps in this guide, and you could be submitting your application for Irish citizenship today. Good luck!
FAQs
Can I get Irish citizenship through my great-grandparents?
Yes, under certain circumstances. If your great-grandparents were born in Ireland, their child (your grandparent) must have been registered on the Foreign Birth Registry to make them an Irish citizen by the time your parent was born. Then, your parent must have also registered on the FBR before you were born. So you need an ‘unbroken chain’ of Irish citizenship in your family.
How long does the Irish citizenship application take?
Currently around nine months through descent, though you may end up waiting a year or even longer. It’s currently over two years for applications by association.
Do I need to give up my current citizenship?
Not if you’re a US citizen—Ireland allows dual citizenship.
What if my Irish ancestor never registered their birth?
If your Irish ancestor was born outside Ireland and didn’t register on the Foreign Birth Registry before you were born, the chain of citizenship is considered broken. You will not be eligible for citizenship.
Can my children automatically get Irish citizenship if I do?
Only if you were born in Ireland. If not, your children may be eligible to inherit your Irish citizenship, but only if you were a citizen before they were born.
Is there an age limit for applying?
No. You can apply on behalf of your children as soon as they’re born.