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:
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:
| Person | Documents (originals unless stated) |
| You, the applicant | Signed 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 parent | Civil 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 grandparent | Civil 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
| Applicant | Registration and certificate | Postage and handling | Total |
| 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.
