Irish Citizenship by Foreign Birth Registration

1. Apply365-365 days
2. Citizenshipgranted

Country

Ireland

Program

Irish Citizenship by Foreign Birth Registration

Local name

Clárú Breithe Coigríche

Type

Citizenship by Descent

Status

Active

Processing time

365-365 days

Dual citizenship

Allowed

Visa-free countries

116 destinations

Passport rank

#4 (Henley Index)

Irish citizenship through registration on the Foreign Births Register. A person born abroad may register if a grandparent was born on the island of Ireland or if a parent was already an Irish citizen when the person was born. A parent who acquired citizenship through registration must have been registered before the child's birth. Each applicant, including a minor, makes a separate application; citizenship begins on registration.

Application fee

$312

Passport fee

$86

• Police clearance not required
• Medical exam not required

Generational limit

No limit

Ancestor citizenship

Must have been citizen

Ancestor born in country

Required

Method

Online, mail

Apply from abroad

Yes

Application type

Open

Official website

www.ireland.ie

Legal basis

Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, sections 6, 7 and 27, as amended; Foreign Births Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 47/2013)

Adult Foreign Birth Registration costs €278 including certificate and return postage; the under-18 fee is €153. The published processing estimate is approximately 12 months after receipt of the required physical documents. There is no fixed generational ceiling where each generation's parent was already an Irish citizen at the child's birth; the ordinary grandparent route is the direct route described by the Department. Children of Irish-born parents are already citizens and do not use this registration route. Ireland is an EU member but not part of the Schengen Area. Irish citizens have EU free-movement rights. Passport mobility figures use Passport Index's 2026 country page and count visa-free destinations only, not visa-on-arrival or eTA access. How to apply: Online form; mail original supporting documents.

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1. Oct 9, 2026
   • Application fee (USD) 300 312

   changed the visa-free destination count from 185 to 116 to match Passport Index 2026's visa-free-only measure (passportindex.org).