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Citizenship by descent · Ireland

Irish citizenship by descent.

See who qualifies, the ways to claim, the cost and the documents. Last checked 11 Oct 2026.

Irish citizenship by descent at a glance

In short

If you were born outside Ireland and a parent born on the island of Ireland was Irish when you were born, you are already Irish. If a grandparent was born there, you can apply to the Foreign Births Register and become Irish once you are entered on it.

Who qualifies
Parent or grandparent born on the island of Ireland. A great-grandparent only if your parent was on the Foreign Births Register before you were born
Ways to claim
Already Irish: apply for a passport and Foreign Births Register
Official body
Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
Check if you qualify

Routes

Ways to claim.

Each route has its own steps, cost and documents. The official page has the full rules.

Route

Already Irish: apply for a passport

People born outside Ireland whose parent was born on the island of Ireland and was an Irish citizen when they were born.

Official page

Steps

  • Check that your parent was born on the island of Ireland and was an Irish citizen when you were born.
  • Apply for your first Irish passport online with Passport Online. DFA says nearly all Irish citizens worldwide can. You need a digital photo that meets the photo rules, a bank card, an email address and a printer.
  • Print the identity verification form from the online application. In Ireland, a Garda verifies your identity. Elsewhere the form says which witnesses are accepted.
  • Post your original documents. The online application lists what to send. The list below is for adults living outside Ireland. DFA returns your originals.
Cost
€75 for a standard 10-year adult passport on Passport Online, plus a €15 postal fee if you live outside Ireland.
Time
About 20 working days for a first-time online application. It starts when your documents arrive. Postage is extra (DFA).

Documents

  • The identity verification form, printed from your online application
  • Your full original civil birth certificate, the version with your parents' names
  • Your original civil marriage or civil partnership certificate, if you apply in your married name
  • One proof of address and one proof of name, each dated within 12 months. They must be two different documents. Government letters come first. Utility bills or bank statements can be considered. Add a translation into English or Irish where needed.
  • Photo ID. For example a certified copy of a passport or driving licence from another country. A Garda, solicitor, notary or the issuing authority certifies the copy.
  • Your Irish-born parent's full original civil birth certificate, the version with their parents' names. Baptismal and laminated certificates are not accepted.
  • If your parent's name differs between the two birth certificates: papers that link the names, such as a marriage certificate or divorce decree, certified by a solicitor or the court

"If you were born outside Ireland to a parent born on the island of Ireland, you are already an Irish citizen" (Department of Foreign Affairs: Registering a Foreign Birth)

Route

Foreign Births Register

People born outside Ireland with a grandparent born on the island of Ireland. Also people born outside Ireland whose parent was an Irish citizen when they were born but was not born in Ireland, for example through the register or naturalisation.

Official page

Steps

  • Gather every document first. DFA returns incomplete applications and does not process them.
  • Fill in the application online. There is no paper form. You pay online as you go.
  • Print the form. Have it witnessed by someone who knows you personally and is not a relative. The witness must work in a job on the DFA list, such as a Garda, teacher, doctor, nurse, lawyer, notary or bank manager.
  • The same witness signs two of your four photos, stamps the form and certifies a copy of your photo ID.
  • Post the form, original documents, photos and checklist to the address at the top right of the form. This is an Irish embassy or consulate, or a PO Box in Ireland. DFA advises recorded post.
  • Wait for the decision. DFA posts your original certificates back to you by recorded mail.
  • Once you are entered on the register, you are an Irish citizen. Then you can apply for an Irish passport. You cannot apply for the passport at the same time.
Cost
€278 for adults (18 and over), €153 for under 18s. Both include a non-refundable €8 postage and handling fee.
Time
About 12 months. Applications are handled in strict date order (DFA).

Documents

  • The completed form, signed and witnessed
  • Your original civil birth certificate, showing your parents' names
  • Your original civil marriage certificate or change of name document, if you have one
  • A photocopy of your current photo ID (passport, driving licence or national ID card), certified as a true copy by your witness
  • Two separate original proofs of address
  • Four colour passport-sized photos. The witness signs and dates two of them. Do not attach them to the form.
  • For your Irish citizen parent: their original civil birth certificate showing their parents' names, their original civil marriage certificate or change of name document if any, and a certified copy of their current photo ID (or an original civil death certificate if they have died)
  • If you apply through an Irish-born grandparent: the same three items for your grandparent as well
  • If your parent became Irish through the register, naturalisation or a post-nuptial declaration: their original certificate for that
  • If your grandparent was born before 1864: DFA can accept a baptismal certificate instead of a civil birth certificate
  • The lists for under 18s differ. They add a letter from a school or doctor and papers for the parent or guardian who applies.

"Once a person is entered onto the Foreign Births Register they are an Irish citizen and entitled to apply for an Irish passport." (Department of Foreign Affairs: Registering a Foreign Birth)

Answer a few questions to see which route may fit you.

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FAQ

Common questions.

Can I get Irish citizenship through my grandparent?

Yes, if your grandparent was born on the island of Ireland. You apply to the Foreign Births Register, and you become Irish once you are entered on it.

Can I get Irish citizenship through my great-grandparent?

Only if your parent was on the Foreign Births Register before you were born. Then your parent was Irish when you were born, so you can apply. If your parent registered after your birth, you cannot apply through them.

Do I need the Foreign Births Register if my parent was born in Ireland?

No. If your parent was born in Ireland and was an Irish citizen when you were born, you are already Irish and can apply for a passport.

Does a grandparent born in Northern Ireland count?

DFA's rule says the grandparent must be born on the island of Ireland, and Northern Ireland is on that island. Section 6 of the 1956 Act uses the same words. Citizens Information also says people born in Northern Ireland before 1 January 2005 are entitled to claim Irish citizenship.

How much does the Foreign Births Register cost?

€278 for adults and €153 for under 18s. Both include €8 for postage and handling.

How long does Foreign Birth Registration take?

About 12 months, says the Department of Foreign Affairs. Applications are handled in strict date order.

When do I become Irish if I register?

From the date you are entered on the register, not from your birth. Citizens Information says this. Section 7 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 says the same for people registered after 1 July 1986, and section 27 sets up the register.

Can I apply for a passport at the same time as the Foreign Births Register?

No. You can apply for an Irish passport only once you are an Irish citizen, so after you are entered on the register.

If I register, can my children get Irish citizenship too?

Children born after you are entered on the register can apply. Children born before you registered cannot apply through you, because you were not Irish when they were born.

Other countries

Descent by country.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Last checked 11 Oct 2026.

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