Applying for an Irish Passport, and why you need to do it now!

Since Britain left the European Union, officially at the end of 2020, applications for Irish passports have soared. 

I had put off organising my application for years, as it seemed like such a steep hill to climb. Equally, I may have been naive about the reality of Brexit in our lives, and it’s only since having a burning desire to move abroad, that I’ve been given the push to sort it out. 

With millions of applications sent for passports and Foreign Birth Registrations (FRB), I also had a sneaking suspicion that regulations could start to be implemented. As it happens, only a week after posting my application via Royal Mail to the Foreign Births Registration Office in Dublin, the Irish Independent posted an article calling for a reconsideration of how foreign nationals can apply, suggesting the need for a citizenship test.

“Irish passports are the envy of the world – so here’s why we should introduce a citizenship test” - Irish Independent

Although it could take a few years to make any official changes, I suggest the time to apply is now. If this is the sentiment shared by many other Irish, they certainly have an incentive to revise how foreign nationals apply for an Irish passport. So act quickly!

The application process may seem complicated, and certainly, it remains costly and takes a long time, but it’s far simpler than you would think. In the running up to getting this sorted, I went between official government websites and online blogs, never finding a concise summary of what I needed.

As I have applied for citizenship through my biological grandparents, I can only share my experience with that process. Below I have listed everything you will need to get your FBR signed, sealed, and delivered!

Irish Parent

If one of your parents is Irish, and born on the island of Ireland, you can skip the Foreign Birth Registration and apply for a passport immediately, as you would for a British passport. 

Irish Grandparent 

If you're applying through grandparents, you’ll need Irish Citizenship first.

This is called Registering a Foreign Birth. Alongside all the documents you need for the application, you have to register yourself.

In the form, you need to select the first option: 

As the daughter/son of an Irish citizen, your mum/dad will have automatic citizenship. As stated, the question relates to how your parent acquired citizenship, so you apply through them, and their parent (your grandparent). 

This form is the essential document that goes with your application, you need to ensure it's all filled out correctly. The fee is roughly £250, and you can't make any changes once it's paid for. 

It's important to mention that you need your finalised application sent within 5 months after registering, so I did it last when I had everything else ready. You will print this and send it alongside everything else. It will also need signing from your witness (I'll go into this later).

Below, is the checklist I made for all the documents you will need!

Documents relating to the applicant (unless stated, originals must be submitted):

• Completed, signed and witnessed application form (see list of witnesses at 1 above)

• 4 colour photographs (2 of which to be witnessed) – do not attach these to the application form

• Photocopy of current state-issued photographic ID document (i.e. passport, drivers licence, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by application form witness

• Original civil birth certificate (showing parental details)

• Original civil marriage certificate (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)

• 2 separate original proofs of address
  

Documents relating to the Irish citizen parent (unless stated, originals must be submitted):

• Photocopy of current state-issued photographic ID document (i.e. passport, drivers licence, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by a professional from the list of witnesses OR original civil death certificate (if applicable)

• Original civil marriage certificate of Irish citizen parent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)

• Original civil birth certificate of Irish citizen parent (showing parental details)
  

Documents relating to the grandparent born in Ireland (unless stated, originals must be submitted):

• Original civil marriage certificate of Irish born grandparent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)

• Photocopy of current state-issued photographic ID document (i.e. passport, drivers licence, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by a professional from the list of witnesses OR original civil death certificate (if applicable)

• Original civil birth certificate of Irish born grandparent (showing parental details)

Getting hold of documents

- If you are missing any certificates, all you need to do is apply through the council to which the person was born/married/deceased. So for example, I bought my parent's marriage certificate from Birmingham City Council. I paid extra for a speedy service, and it arrived the next day.

Once you have all these together, you will need a witness to sign:

- The Application form 

- All photocopy of ID's

- 2 of your 4 photographs (just signed at the back, individually) You include all 4 photographs in the application.

Witnesses can include

Teachers, Doctors, Lawyers, etc etc any official person who can accredit their practice. They must be known to the family, but not too closely, like a family member. Mine was a solicitor and she added her practice number to each signing.

Once everything is together, you send all your documents to the address in Dublin, with your registration number written on the front. Once you pay for your online form, all these details are handed to you.

Help from local Irish Centres

Irish centres are wonderful charities created as a base for Irish Citizens (or other), and that includes any help with passports. I went through The London Irish Centre in Camden, who talked me through the entire process and checked over my application before I sent it off.

Jeff is the guy who goes through applications (but you can also call them quite easily).

You can book free meetings with them and they can walk through everything with you, and look at everything before you send it off. This is helpful to avoid getting a rejection if there's an error because that will add even more time.

In my situation, there were a couple of things that I needed to explain in a cover letter, which Jeff said could be helpful to have alongside your application. In there I included details such as, my grandpa's age meant his only official form of ID was a buss pass, and that I left a digit out on my phone number. Any mistakes or flags that you think may need addressing, you can write into a cover letter.

Processing time

Luckily for new applicants, the foreign office in Dublin has hired a new wave of people to help manage the increased applications. Where the initial waiting time was up to 2 years, they now predict around 9 months. I predict processing time for my application will take up to a year.

Once your application is processed, you will be given a certificate, and you can apply for an Irish passport, which takes about 6 weeks. 

If you have found this summary helpful, it would be lovely to hear from you!