How to Apply for Irish Citizenship?

How to Apply for Irish Citizenship?

There are multiple options for applying for Irish citizenship . You can apply for Irish citizenship through lineage, marriage, completing the legal period of residence required for citizenship in Ireland, and seeking asylum.

Until 1 January 2005, every individual born in Ireland was automatically considered a citizen, but with the amendments made to the Irish Constitution, today not every person born in Ireland is given Irish citizenship and a passport.

Below is a list of individuals who can apply for Irish citizenship.

  • Those who have resided legally in Ireland for 5 years out of the last 9 years prior to applying for Irish citizenship
  • Those whose asylum application has been approved by the Irish Ministry of Justice
  • Those who have at least 1 parent with Irish citizenship
  • Those who are married to an Irish citizen

Applications for Irish citizenship are made to the Irish Ministry of Justice at https://www.irishimmigration.ie/ . The Irish Ministry of Justice is the sole authority that decides on Irish citizenship applications.

Applicants for Irish citizenship through lineage must have at least one parent who is an Irish citizen or who has the right to live in Ireland without any restrictions on the length of residence within the borders of Ireland. In addition, applicants for Irish citizenship are eligible for Irish citizenship if at least one of their parents has resided in Ireland for at least 3 of the last 4 years up to the year immediately preceding the applicant’s birth. Individuals who have died with one parent as an Irish citizen are also eligible to apply for citizenship.

Individuals who will apply for Irish citizenship through residence must have resided legally in Ireland for at least 5 years out of the last 9 years under a visa and residence permit.

One of the requirements for becoming an Irish citizen through marriage is to have been married to an Irish citizen for at least 3 years.

Ireland allows dual citizenship, meaning people can hold citizenship of another country while also being Irish citizens.

What are the requirements for applying for Irish citizenship for adults?

The requirements for applying for Irish citizenship for adults are listed below.

  • Be 18 years of age or older (Individuals under 18 years of age can only apply if they are married.)
  • To apply for Irish citizenship, you must have completed the required period of residence.
  • Planning to live and reside in Ireland
  • Not having a criminal record
  • Pledge allegiance by attending an Irish citizenship ceremony

For adults, Form 8 must be completed online at https://www.irishimmigration.ie/ , which is an application form for Irish citizenship .

What are the requirements for applying for Irish citizenship through marriage?

In order to apply for Irish citizenship through marriage, you must meet the requirements set by the Irish Department of Justice and Equality.

The requirements for applying for Irish citizenship through marriage, as determined by the Irish Ministry of Justice, are listed below:

  • Have been married or in a civil partnership with an Irish citizen for at least 3 years
  • Living together in marriage for at least 3 years
  • Be 18 years of age or older

Additionally, individuals applying for Irish citizenship through marriage must have resided legally in Ireland for at least 3 years in the last 5 years.

Applicants must enter and reside lawfully in Ireland with a valid visa. Non-EU and EEA citizens must keep their immigration records up to date at all times whilst living in Ireland.

What are the requirements for applying for Irish citizenship through residence permit?

Among the requirements for applying for Irish citizenship through residence permit is to have “continuously resided in Ireland for at least 5 years within the last 9 years” based on 1 day before the application for Irish citizenship is made. People who want to obtain citizenship from Ireland must have resided in Ireland legally for at least 1825 days within the last 3285 days. They must have resided in Ireland continuously for the last 365 days before applying for Irish citizenship.

The full conditions for Irish citizenship by residence are listed below.

  • Have immigration and residence permits issued by the Irish Department of Justice
  • Be a legal resident of Ireland
  • Have completed the required period of residence to apply for Irish citizenship

Applicants must calculate the number of days they have resided in Ireland based on the date stamped in their passport at http://www.inis.gov.ie/ and a screenshot should be taken to attach to their Irish citizenship application file.

What are the Exceptions to Irish Citizenship?

There are exceptions to Irish citizenship. The Irish Ministry of Justice grants Irish citizenship to people who do not meet the citizenship requirements under certain conditions. It is possible to have Irish citizenship without the need for residence or marriage.

Below are listed the exceptions to the Irish citizenship requirements.

  • Being of Irish descent or related by blood to an Irish citizen
  • Having resided abroad for the Irish public service
  • Be designated as a refugee or stateless person under the laws of the Irish State

What are the Irish Citizenship Application Requirements for Dependent Young Adults?

Dependent young adults are individuals who are dependent on their parents for shelter and basic living needs. The Irish citizenship application requirements for dependent young adults are set by the Irish Department of Justice. Below are the requirements that individuals must meet to apply for Irish citizenship for young adults.

  • Being between the ages of 18-23
  • Entering Ireland as a legal member of a family unit
  • Continuing high school or university education in Ireland
  • Being financially dependent on family

In addition, for Irish citizenship applications made up to the age of 16, the residence documents of the parents must also be included in the application file.

What are the requirements for applying for Irish citizenship for children?

Minors who are under the age of 18 and are single at the time of applying for Irish citizenship are considered children. Children cannot apply for Irish citizenship individually. Applications for Irish citizenship for children are made by parents or legal guardians.

Children aged 16 and over who are not citizens of European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss countries must register with the Garda Local Registration Office or Immigration Registration Office and keep their Irish immigration record up to date.

The requirements for applying for Irish citizenship for children are listed below.

  • At least one of the parents must be an Irish citizen
  • Being of Irish descent or related by blood to individuals who are Irish citizens
  • Be born after 1 January 2005 and have resided in Ireland for 5 consecutive years within 9 years

Individuals who will apply for Irish citizenship for their children must fill out different forms depending on the situation they will be applying for. Below are the types of online forms that can be used to apply for citizenship for children.

  • For children with at least one parent who is an Irish citizen; Form 9
  • For minors of Irish origin; Form 10
  • For individuals born after January 1, 2005 and who have completed a 5-year computable residence period; Form 11

What are the Citizenship Application Requirements for Those of Irish Origin?

Citizenship application requirements for those of Irish origin are listed below.

  • Being related by blood to an Irish citizen or being adopted by an Irish citizen
  • Having a family relationship with an Irish citizen
  • Being in a relationship/civil partnership with an Irish citizen
  • Having a blood relationship with an individual who died as an Irish citizen

Following the amendments to the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act in 1956, individuals who are identified as being of Irish descent or are related to Irish citizens through blood ties are also eligible to apply for Irish citizenship.

Before applying for citizenship for those of Irish origin, individuals born outside of Ireland must apply to the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have their foreign birth registered.

What are the requirements for applying for Irish citizenship as a refugee?

People who have sought asylum in Ireland for political, economic, war, persecution or gender-selection reasons and who have refugee status are entitled to apply for Irish citizenship. The requirements for applying for Irish citizenship as a refugee are listed below.

  • The letter from the Irish Ministry of Justice declaring that you are eligible for refugee status must be included in the files.
  • Individuals who have difficulty obtaining a refugee status document and passport should write a letter to the Irish Department of Justice explaining their situation. (In addition, individuals whose passports are held by the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) must explain their situation in their application.)
  • To apply for Irish citizenship as a refugee, you must be over 18 years of age.
  • The Irish immigration record must be kept up to date throughout the period of residence in Ireland.
  • Refugee applicants for Irish citizenship must have 3 different proofs of residence in their application file for each year they reside in Ireland.

It is not necessary to calculate the period of residence in Ireland for asylum applications. In cases where sufficient documentation is not declared, the Irish Ministry of Justice will request additional documentation from individuals to prove their residence.

What are the Required Documents for Irish Citizenship Application?

The documents required for the Irish citizenship application are listed below.

  • Valid passport
  • Birth Certificate
  • Marriage Certificate
  • Past passports (if available)
  • Residence documents
  • Receipt showing payment of Irish citizenship application fee
  • Financial documents
  • Calculating length of stay in Ireland
  • Irish citizenship application form

The documents required for Irish citizenship application may vary depending on the status individuals apply for. The documents listed above are the general documents required for every Irish citizenship application.

Irish citizenship application forms are updated according to the conditions. Individuals should ensure that they have completed the most up-to-date Irish citizenship application form when making their application.

In order to apply for Irish citizenship, applicants must provide satisfactory documentation to prove their identity and nationality. In the event of any missing documents, the Irish Ministry of Justice will give applicants 28 days to complete their documents. Applications that are not completed within this period will result in rejection.

Where to Apply for Irish Citizenship?

Applications for Irish citizenship are made to the Irish Ministry of Justice. For Irish citizenship applications, online application forms must first be filled out on the Irish Ministry of Justice’s official website. Individuals who have completely filled out the Irish citizenship application form must submit the requested documents to the Irish Ministry of Justice.

How Long Does It Take to Complete an Irish Citizenship Application?

Applications for Irish citizenship are finalised within 12 months of the application date. Applicants for Irish citizenship have the right to withdraw their applications within this period. No refunds will be made to applicants who withdraw their Irish citizenship applications.

After the Irish citizenship application is processed, the result of the application is notified to the applicant by the Irish Ministry of Justice.

How Does the Irish Citizenship Application Process Work?

The Irish citizenship application process begins with filling out the online application forms. After completing the necessary forms for the Irish citizenship application, individuals must next submit the necessary documents to the Irish Ministry of Justice.

If the Irish Ministry of Justice detects a lack of documentation in Irish citizenship applications that are finalised within 12 months, the Irish citizenship applicant is given 28 days to complete and submit the missing documents.

The Irish Ministry of Justice does not guarantee that the application for Irish citizenship will be approved even if no missing documents are detected.

For approved Irish citizenship applications, an Irish citizenship certificate is issued to adults and an Irish citizenship ceremony is held. There is no Irish citizenship ceremony for children who are minors.

What is the Irish Naturalization Ceremony?

The Irish citizenship ceremony is a ceremony in which individuals pledge their allegiance to the Irish nation and state in order to be accepted as citizens. Following the Irish citizenship ceremony, applicants are issued with an Irish citizenship certificate.

When attending the Irish citizenship ceremony, individuals must meet the following conditions.

  • To obtain an Irish residence permit and citizenship certificate, submit the documents in the citizenship confirmation document sent by the Irish Ministry of Justice (passport, photo, etc.)
  • Paying the Irish citizenship certificate fee

Applicants whose Irish citizenship applications are approved will be sent an invitation to the Irish citizenship ceremony. Applicants must attend the Irish citizenship oath ceremony on the date and time stated on the Irish citizenship ceremony invitation.

Once you become an Irish citizen, you can obtain an Irish passport by applying to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

What to Do If Irish Citizenship Application Is Rejected?

The Irish Ministry of Justice is the only competent authority to notify applicants of Irish citizenship application rejections, along with the reasons. The Irish Ministry of Justice sends applicants a letter explaining the reasons for rejection.

No refunds will be made to applicants who have unsuccessful Irish citizenship applications.

Applicants do not have the right to appeal a decision to reject their Irish citizenship application. However, individuals whose Irish citizenship application has been rejected may re-apply for Irish citizenship afterwards.

How Much Are the Irish Citizenship Application Fees?

The Irish citizenship application fees determined by the Government of the Republic of Ireland for 2021 are given below:

  • Adults: €950
  • For children: €200
  • For spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen: €200
  • For refugees or stateless persons: €0

There is no need to pay any other expenses other than the fees paid to the Irish State. The Irish visa Type D visa application fees are €142 as of 2021.

Which countries can I visit without a visa if I obtain Irish citizenship?

Individuals with Irish citizenship and passports have the right to travel visa-free to 126 countries. Individuals with Irish citizenship have the right to travel visa-free to 126 countries around the world, including European Union countries and European Economic Area member states.

Below is a list of some of the countries you can visit visa-free with an Irish passport once you have acquired Irish citizenship.

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuanian
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Holland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Swedish
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom
  • Canada
  • Japan
  • Peru
  • Mexican
  • Panama
  • Argentina
  • Albania
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Serbia
  • Philippines
  • Indonesia
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Panama
  • Barbados
  • Fiji
  • El Salvador
  • Kenya
  • Hong Kong
  • New Zealand
  • Senegal
  • Uruguay
  • Bahrain
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • South Africa
  • South Korea