This segment will discuss how many generations back it is possible to claim Irish citizenship, and will also explore generational limits.

To qualify and be able to apply for Irish citizenship by descent you must have a parent or a grandparent, or, in rarer cases, a great-grandparent, who had/has Irish citizenship.

In respect of claiming Irish citizenship by descent through a parent or grandparent, the following must apply:

  • You were born outside of Ireland, your parent (also born outside of Ireland) was an Irish citizen, or entitled to be an Irish citizen, at the time of your birth.
  • You have an Irish-born grandparent.

 

If you meet this criteria, you can make a citizenship by descent application, and in order to do this you need to apply through the Foreign Birth Register (FBR). The FBR contains all the details of Irish descendants born outside of Ireland. Once your details have been entered into the FBR, Irish citizenship status is offical and you can then apply for an Irish passport.

It is important to note that if you are expecting a child, in order for the child to qualify and be able to claim Irish citizenship, you must apply and have your details recorded in the FBR before your child is born.

You can apply with siblings or possibly otheer relations, and if you intend to apply with a sibling/s, then you can send all applications in the same envelope. It is also useful to note is that in these cases you can use the same documentation for the relevant Irish ancestor.
If this is your intention, it is advised to also send an accompanying letter explaining so, to avoid any potential issue which may result in delay and the department seeking further clarification.

Applications for Foreign Birth Registration are managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, and can take up to to 9 months to process.
It is also important to state that Irish embassies and consulates abroad do not process applications. If you live outside of Ireland, in the U.S., Canada, Australia or Great Britain, for example, you must complete the online application form and send a printed copy, along with all required documents, photos, and checklist, to the PO Box address in Ireland, which will be marked withiin the application.

Can I Qualify through Great Grandparents

In terms of great grandparent Irish ancestor, it is only possible to claim Irish citizenship through a great-grandparent Irish ancestor if:

  • Your great-grandparent was Irish-born.
  • Your parent obtained thei Irish citizenship because they had a grandparent who was an Irish citizen.
  • Your parent had Irish citizenship at the time of your birth.
  • If between 17 July 1956 and 1 July 1986, your parent was registered on the FBR, and if you were born after 1986, your parent was registered in the Foreign Births Register at the time of your birth.

 

If you do not meet these conditions then you cannot make an application by descent.

With that said, there may still be the possibility to apply for Irish citizenship through a great-grandparent through association, which falls under the category of naturalization.
Section 16 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 recognizes a person is of Irish associations if:

  • he or she is related by blood, affinity or adoption to, or is the civil partner of, a person who is an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen, or
  • he or she was related by blood, affinity or adoption to, or was the civil partner of, a person who is deceased and who, at the time of his or her death, was an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen.

 

In order to qualify for Irish citizenship by association you need to be 18 or over; you need to meet the residency requirements (known as “reckonable residence”), which means 3 years or more of legal residence in Ireland; you plan to live in Ireland or you have an Irish citizen spouse/civil partner and intend to reside in Ireland. Lastly, you must be of “good character”, which means an absence of any criminal convictions.

Many applicants do not live in Ireland and therefore do not meet the residency criteria. In these cases, to be able to pursue Irish citizenship by association you must evidence strong connections to Ireland. Demonstrating meaningful links to Ireland will include examples such as having family who live there, regular trips to Ireland for work or other, being a member of an Irish association or cultural society, and any future plans to live in Ireland.

The important point to make in relation to applications based on association is that it is Irish Minister for Justice within the Department of Justice who has absolute authority to make the final decision. The Irish Minister has total discretion to waive, or not, the eligibility requirements; and, subsequently, to grant or deny applications.
With this considered, if you are considering making an application based on association, it is important to be aware of the necessity to prove strong ties to Ireland.

This segment has addressed how far back you can claim Irish citizenship by descent, and has also discussed generational limits.
If you would like to apply for Irish citizenship, and are interested in finding out more about our services and how we can help, you can contact us directly and one of our friendly advisors will be in touch to respond to your questions.