# Irish citizenship by descent and the Foreign Births Register | Visas and permits | Moving to Ireland > If you have an Irish-born parent or grandparent, you may already be entitled to Irish citizenship, and with it an EU passport, without ever living in… Source: https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/irish-citizenship-by-descent/ Visas and permits · Step 5 of 7 # Irish citizenship by descent and the Foreign Births Register 4 min read · Updated 13 September 2026 If you have an Irish-born parent or grandparent, you may already be entitled to Irish citizenship, and with it an EU passport, without ever living in Ireland. The mechanism for most people is the Foreign Births Register (FBR), run by the Department of Foreign Affairs. This guide explains who qualifies, what documents you need, what it costs, how long it takes and what happens afterwards, with figures as published by the Department in September 2026. ## Who is automatically a citizen You are an Irish citizen from birth, with no application needed, if one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth and was born on the island of Ireland. In that case you skip the FBR entirely and apply straight for a passport, using your own birth certificate and your parent's Irish birth certificate as proof. ## Who qualifies through the Foreign Births Register If you were born outside Ireland, you can become an Irish citizen by registering on the FBR if either: - One of your **grandparents was born in Ireland**, or - One of your **parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth** but was not born in Ireland, for example because they had themselves registered on the FBR or naturalised before you were born. Timing matters. Citizenship through the FBR takes effect from the date of registration, not from birth. That means if your parent registered on the FBR only after you were born, you cannot claim through them; you would need to rely on an Irish-born grandparent instead. It also means that if you register now and later have children, they will be entitled to register too, but only if you were on the register before they were born. Expectant parents should say so clearly on the application, and the Department advises contacting its customer service hub if the birth may come before the application is processed. ## Documents you will need The application is started online, then printed, signed in front of an approved witness and posted with original civil documents. The witness can be, for example, a solicitor, notary, peace commissioner, doctor, teacher, accountant, engineer, vet, bank manager or elected representative. As a guide, an adult applying through an Irish-born grandparent needs:
PersonDocuments (originals unless stated)
You, the applicantSigned and witnessed application form; civil birth certificate showing parents' details; marriage certificate or change of name document if applicable; certified copy of current photo ID; 2 separate original proofs of address; 4 colour photographs, 2 of them witnessed
Your Irish citizen parentCivil birth certificate showing their parents' details; marriage certificate or change of name document if applicable; certified copy of current photo ID, or civil death certificate if deceased
Your Irish-born grandparentCivil birth certificate showing their parents' details; marriage certificate or change of name document if applicable; certified copy of current photo ID, or civil death certificate if deceased
Church records and photocopies are not accepted in place of civil certificates. Irish civil birth, marriage and death records can be ordered from the General Register Office or through the HSE's civil registration service if you do not hold them. Incomplete applications are returned, and all originals are sent back to you at the end of the process. ## Fees and processing time
ApplicantRegistration and certificatePostage and handlingTotal
Aged 18 or over€270€8 (non-refundable)€278
Under 18€145€8 (non-refundable)€153
Payment is made online when you submit the form. Applications are processed in strict date order and, as of September 2026, the Department says a completed FBR application takes **approximately 12 months**. Post is not acknowledged, so send your documents by recorded delivery. If more documentation is needed the Department will contact you, and the clock only really starts once the file is complete. ## After registration: your first Irish passport Once your name is entered on the register you are an Irish citizen and receive an FBR certificate. You can then apply for a passport through Passport Online, which accepts first-time adult applications from almost anywhere in the world. A standard 32-page adult passport costs **€75**. First-time applications cannot be expedited because every document is verified, and processing only begins once your supporting documents, including the FBR certificate, arrive, so allow several weeks on top of the online turnaround. Check the Passport Service's current turnaround times page before booking travel. ## Other routes for people with Irish links If your Irish connection is more distant than a grandparent, the FBR is not open to you, but the Minister for Justice can grant naturalisation on the basis of "Irish associations", usually meaning descent or adoption, at their discretion. People born on the island of Ireland before 1 January 2005 are Irish citizens automatically; those born later depend on their parents' status at the time of birth. Northern Ireland-born people are entitled to Irish citizenship on the same basis as anyone born in the Republic. ## ★ Useful links - [Department of Foreign Affairs: Registering a foreign birth](https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/) - [Passport Online](https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/passports/passport-online/) - [Passport Service turnaround times](https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/passports/turnaround-times/) - [Citizens Information: citizenship through birth or descent](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/irish-citizenship/irish-citizenship-through-birth-or-descent/) - [Passport application tracking](https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/passports/tracking/) ![](https://www.movingtoireland.co/apple-touch-icon.png) You have read 26% of this guide ## Keep reading in the Moving to Ireland app The rest of **Irish citizenship by descent and the Foreign Births Register** — about 3 minutes more — is in the app, free to download, alongside 98 other guides and a checklist built around your own move. Still to come in this guide - Documents you will need - Fees and processing time - After registration: your first Irish passport - Other routes for people with Irish links [Download free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261) iPhone and iPad · no account needed ## More on visas and permits [All 7 guides in this section](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/) - ### [Critical Skills Employment Permit: who qualifies and how to apply](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/critical-skills-employment-permit/) The Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) is Ireland's flagship work permit for skilled non-EEA professionals. 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It cuts the link between your right to live here and a single employer… 4 min read Keep going ## Get the full visa roadmap in the app Moving to Ireland turns 99 guides into a personal checklist. Tell it your passport, whether you have moved yet, and who is coming with you, and it lays out every step in order — from the visa to the bins. - Step-by-step checklist - Tailored to your passport - Pre-move & post-move - Family & pet sections [![Download Moving to Ireland on the App Store](https://www.movingtoireland.co/images/app-store-badge.svg)](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261) ★★★★★ 4.9 on the App Store [![Expats who settled in Ireland, two five-star App Store reviews, and the Moving to Ireland app showing its relocation checklist](https://www.movingtoireland.co/images/app-social-proof.webp)](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261)