How to apply for Irish citizenship and a passport

Route 1: your parent was born in Ireland

You’re already an Irish citizen, so you only need a passport. Most people living abroad apply online with Passport Online.

1. Gather your documentsYour full birth certificate, your Irish-born parent’s full birth certificate, proof of your name and address, and photo ID. The document list has the details.
2. Apply onlineFill out the form on Passport Online and pay. It takes about 10 minutes, and you need a digital photo, a debit or credit card, an email address and a printer.
3. Get your identity verifiedPrint the identity verification form at the end. A witness who lives in the same country as you signs it. Witnesses come from an approved list, such as a doctor, teacher, police officer, solicitor, pharmacist or bank manager.
4. Post your documentsSend the signed form and your original documents to the Passport Service. The processing time only starts once they arrive.
5. Wait for your passportFirst-time online applications currently take about 20 working days, plus postage time. Don’t book travel until the passport arrives.

Route 2: your grandparent was born in Ireland

This route also applies if your parent was already an Irish citizen when you were born but wasn’t born in Ireland.

1. Gather every document firstFor you, your parent and your Irish-born grandparent. Incomplete applications are sent back without being looked at. See the document list.
2. Apply online and payComplete the form on the Foreign Births Register website and pay the fee. The form is online only.
3. Print the form and get it witnessedThe witness must know you personally, mustn’t be a relative, and must be currently working in an approved profession. They sign the form, sign two of your four photos, certify a copy of your photo ID and use their official stamp on the form. If they don’t have a stamp, include their business card.
4. Post everythingSend the form and all the original documents to the address printed on your form. Use recorded post, because receipt isn’t confirmed. There’s no office to visit.
5. WaitApplications are dealt with in strict date order and currently take about 12 months. Your original documents come back by recorded post at the end.
6. Apply for your passportOnce you’re on the register, you’re an Irish citizen. Apply for a passport using your Foreign Birth Registration certificate, as in route 1.

Official fees

On top of these come the certificates you order. Each one costs roughly £12 to £15 in the UK, or €20 in Ireland. See where to order certificates.

If you aren’t accepted, the Passport Service refunds the passport fee. The Foreign Births Register has a review process if you think a decision is wrong.

How long it takes, start to finish

• Route 1 (parent): a few weeks to order certificates, then about 20 working days for the passport, plus postage.
• Route 2 (grandparent): a few weeks to a few months to gather documents, about 12 months on the Foreign Births Register, then about 20 working days for the passport.

These are the official averages. They aren’t guarantees, and they change.