Applying for Irish Citizenship from the UK
Following on from the UK’s departure from the EU, Irish passport applications have risen in demand exponentially, with a surge in applications from UK nationals.
Eligibility
You may be eligible for an Irish Passport if you have a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who is or was an Irish citizen. Even if you or your parent(s) were not born on the island of Ireland, you may still be eligible to apply if one of your grandparents were born on the island of Ireland.
First you will need to prove your entitlement to Irish citizenship by way descent and apply for Foreign Birth Registration. Once approved, applicants can then apply for an Irish passport.
Documents
When applying, you will need to prove your links to Ireland, and your entitlement to Irish citizenship. Therefore, you will need to provide documents relating to your Irish parent or grandparent. This includes passport IDs, birth and marriage certificates, and death certificates where relevant.
Advantages
Holding Irish citizenship will mean you are considered as an EU citizen, and can still enjoy the benefits of EU citizenship. This means you will be able to travel, work and study freely in any of the member states of the EU, opening up a wider range of opportunities. It also means you will be able to travel through EU airports with greater ease and shorter queue times!
Holding an Irish passport will not affect your British citizenship. As British citizens can enjoy dual nationality, which means you can be a dual national of the UK and Ireland.
Process & Timescales
To start the process, you will need to contact the Irish Embassy and request the application form. Applications are usually processed within 365 days, however this may vary according to the individual circumstances of case.
If you are interested in applying for Irish citizenship, we can assist you with the application and guide you throughout the process. For further information, please get in touch with a member of our immigration team today.
Annie Khan
Solicitor