How to Apply for Irish Citizenship

Many people choose Ireland for its natural beauty, friendly people and history.

People choose to apply for Irish citizenship for a variety of reasons. Some have ancestral ties to Ireland, others marry an Irish citizen and desire to obtain citizenship for themselves, and still others move to Ireland and never want to leave. In 2010, 6,300 people obtained Irish citizenship. There are four paths to Irish citizenship--birth, descent, marriage and naturalization. If you decide to apply for Irish citizenship, there are several things to consider when making your application. Obtaining the correct information will allow you to choose the correct path to Irish citizenship.

Instructions

Citizenship by Naturalization

1. Apply for and receive a Class D visa that allows you to stay in the country longer than the Class C visa, which is good only for 90 days. The Class C visa will not be extended while you are in the country. If you make the decision to live in Ireland on a longer basis, you must leave the country and apply for a Class D visa. This application can be filled out online at the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website at inis.gove.ie and contains instructions for required documents and information.

2. Apply for and receive permission to work in Ireland if you are interested in employment. This process is separate from the visa application and approval. Work permits are issued through the Department of Enterprise, Technology and Innovation. The proper form to use is the New Employment Permit Application, which can be obtained online at the DETI website at deti.ie.

3. Move to Ireland and live there for five years. This is the first requirement to obtain Irish citizenship. You must live in Ireland continuously for the last year before your application for naturalization.

4. Register with the local Garda National Immigration Bureau. Contact your local Garda station in order to do this. A listing of Garda stations is available at the Garda website at garda.ie. This is required for anyone who is not a citizen of a European Union country and who plans to stay in Ireland for more than three months.

5. Fill out and submit the Application by a Person of Full Age for Naturalisation as an Irish Citizen, which is available at the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website at inis.gov.ie.

Citizenship by Marriage

1. Apply for and receive a Class D visa, which allows you to stay in the country longer than the Class C visa which is good only for 90 days. The Class C visa will not be extended while you are in the country. If you make the decision to live in Ireland on a longer basis, you must leave the country and apply for a Class D visa. This application can be filled out online at the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website at inis.gove.ie and contains instructions for required documents and information. Even though you are married to an Irish citizen, you still need to follow this procedure to be allowed to reside in Ireland.

2. Apply for and receive permission to work in Ireland if you are interested in employment. This process is separate from the visa application and approval. Work permits are issued through the Department of Enterprise, Technology and Innovation. The proper form to use is the New Employment Permit Application, which can be obtained online at the DETI website at deti.ie. (See Reference 4.) Marriage to an Irish citizen does not automatically grant you this permission.

3. Move to Ireland and live there for three years while married to your Irish spouse. This is the first requirement to obtain Irish citizenship. You must live in Ireland continuously for the last year before your application for naturalization.

4. Register with the local Garda National Immigration Bureau. Contact your local Garda station in order to do this. A listing of Garda stations is available at the Garda website at garda.ie. (See Reference 5.) This is required for anyone who is not a citizen of a European Union country and who plans to stay in Ireland for more than three months.

5. Fill out and submit the Application by a Person of Full Age for Naturalisation as an Irish Citizen available at the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website at inis.gov.ie. (See Reference 6.) This is necessary even though you are married to an Irish citizen. Marriage does not automatically grant you citizenship.

Citizenship by Descent

1. Determine if one or both of your parents were Irish citizens when you were born. If so, you are automatically an Irish citizen also. This applies even if you were not born in Ireland.

2. Determine if any of your grandparents were Irish citizens when you were born. If your grandparents were Irish citizens, but your parents were not born in Ireland, you can become an Irish citizen. You must register your birth in the Foreign Births Register. Contact your local Irish Embassy to complete this process. You will receive a certificate of this registration as proof of citizenship. You can then use the certificate to apply for an Irish passport. The registry process takes approximately 12 to 15 months to complete.

3. Determine if you were adopted by parents who were Irish citizens. Adoption by Irish parents automatically secures your Irish citizenship.

Tips & Warnings

• It is not necessary to surrender your original citizenship in order to become a citizen of Ireland. Ireland recognizes dual citizenship.

• Contact the nearest Irish Embassy for additional guidance, forms and clarification of policies and procedures for becoming an Irish citizen.

• Refrain from any illegals acts or behavior that can result in your deportation from Ireland and the denial of your application for naturalization.

References

• Irish Central: More People Become Irish Citizens Than Ever Before
• Global Visas: Irish Citizenship
• Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service: Welcome to our AVATS Online Application Facility
• Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation: Employent Permits Section
• An Garda Siochana: Stations
• Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service: Application By a Person of Full Age for Naturalisation as an Irish Citizen

Resources

• Citizens Information: Irish Citizenship Through Birth Descent
• Embassy of Ireland: USA: Consulates in the U.S.