If you have an Irish parent or grandparent born on the island of Ireland, then you are entitled to Irish Citizenship, but the route to obtaining an Irish passport varies and can be rather complex. A genealogist can help locate the historic documentation you will need for these applications.
It is important to note that the route to obtaining an Irish passport varies depending on whether or your ancestral link is through a parent OR a grandparent. This article sets out some of the terminology and requirements involved.
Firstly, it’s important to note the distinction between citizenship and passport applications. You need to firstly be a citizen of a country before then applying for a passport. This is where the FBR (Foreign Birth Register) comes in and normally applies to people whose link to Ireland is through a grandparent. This is explained further below.
If one or both of your parents was born anywhere on the island of Ireland, then you are automatically considered an Irish citizen. In order to apply for an Irish passport, you will need to supply a number of genealogical records such as your parent’s birth certificate, baptismal record, marriage record, etc. A genealogist does this on a day-to-day basis so can help you quickly and accurately navigate the various record sets and obtain the documents you need to supplement your Irish passport application.
If, however, you want to apply for an Irish passport on the basis of having an Irish grandparent, you firstly need to be registered on the Foreign Birth Register. Unlike your parents, you are not automatically considered an Irish citizen as your parents were not born on the island of Ireland. Instead, they were born outside of Ireland but one or more of their parents was born in Ireland. The Foreign Birth Register is like a standard birth registry – once confirmed, you will obtain a certificate confirming that you had a foreign birth. This certificate confirms your citizenship and is the first step on the way to obtaining your Irish passport.
In order to apply to the FBR, you will need to supply a variety of records for you, your parent and grandparent. For example, if your mother’s mother was born in Ireland, then you will need to provide all birth, death and marriage records for you, your mother and your grandmother, alongside some additional requirements as detailed on here.
Irish records can be obtained from a variety of sources but can often be a difficult and protracted process to source. This is where a genealogist can help, as they are highly experienced and familiar with this type of research.
Common questions I get asked regarding Irish Citizenship by Descent:
What documents are needed for Irish citizenship? This varies depending on whether you are applying via a parent or grandparent. It’s important to fully understand which route are taking firstly and seek advice if you are unsure.
What records do I need to obtain ahead of my FBR application? You will need a combination of ‘BMD’ records, that is birth, marriage and death records (where applicable) about you, your parent and your Irish-born grandparent. You will also various supplementary bits of evidence including notary-signed photographs. The full list of requirements is available at https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/. A genealogist can help with obtaining the birth, marriage and death records.
Why is the difference between Civil Records and Church Records? Civil Records refer to governmental registration of births, deaths and marriages. In most countries today, when someone is born, their birth must be registered with the government in order to obtain a Birth Certificate. Similarly, we register for Marriage Certificates and Death Certificates. This process only began in Ireland in 1864, however, many local churches kept their own records of births (in this case, baptism) records, deaths and marriages prior to that. Church Records are considered a suitable replacement for where Civil Records are not available.
My grandmother/grandfather’s birth wasn’t registered. What can I do about this? This is a common scenario in Irish genealogy. The best thing is to try and locate a baptism record next, or any supplementary records that help prove their Irish birth and their link to you. Sometimes a combination of records is required. In some cases, it’s advisable to apply for Late Registration of your grandparent’s birth. The documents for this are similar to what’s needed for the FBR. Irish genealogists are familiar with helping prepare these types of applications.
My grandparent was born before Ireland’s Civil Birth Registration began in 1864, so there is not birth certificate for them. The FBR understands this scenario and are happy to accept a baptismal certificate in lieu of a birth certificate. As above, a genealogist can help with this search, as it will sometimes be complex.
I’ve been searching www.IrishGenealogy.ie for my grandparents records, but I cannot find them all. Why are they not there? Not all Irish civil and church records are available online. In some cases, these records are only obtainable by visiting libraries and archives and finding originals to make copies of. A genealogist can make this visits for you if you are not able to come to Ireland yourself.
None of my parents or grandparents were born in Ireland, but my great-grandparent was. Can I apply for citizenship and/or a passport? Unfortunately, you probably aren’t entitled to Irish citizenship in this case. There are some exceptions, such as if your parent became a citizen via the FBR before you born, but in these cases you are better off consulting a member of the legal profession as opposed to a genealogist.
How long does it take to get registered on the FBR? This varies and it’s best to start the process as soon as possible. Sometimes it can take weeks or months to gather all the documentation needed. When you eventually apply, turnaround times are currently sitting at approximately one year, but this is changing all the time. Sometimes, the FBR will review your application, and request further documents or information, so that can extend the timeline. For this reason, it’s best to submit the most complete and through application possible. If you are unsure about some of the BMD records you’ve obtained, consulting a genealogist before you apply the FBR can be beneficial for pre-empting any potential queries on your application.
I’m an automatic citizen / I’ve gotten my FBR registration. How long will my passport application take? As with the FBR, this timeline varies, but it’s generally shorter than the FBR. However, if you have applied to the FBR, you might need for some of your documents to be returned to you firstly, before then submitting those to the Passport Office as part of your passport application.
My parent or grandparent was born in Northern Ireland. Can I still apply to the FBR and/or for an Irish passport? Yes, you can apply provided you have a parent or grandparent who was born anywhere on the island of Ireland.
Irish Citizenship by Descent: How a Genealogist Can Help with Your Foreign Births Register (FBR) and Passport Applications
If you have an Irish parent or grandparent born on the island of Ireland, then you are entitled to Irish Citizenship, but the route to obtaining an Irish passport varies and can be rather complex. A genealogist can help locate the historic documentation you will need for these applications.
It is important to note that the route to obtaining an Irish passport varies depending on whether or your ancestral link is through a parent OR a grandparent. This article sets out some of the terminology and requirements involved.
Firstly, it’s important to note the distinction between citizenship and passport applications. You need to firstly be a citizen of a country before then applying for a passport. This is where the FBR (Foreign Birth Register) comes in and normally applies to people whose link to Ireland is through a grandparent. This is explained further below.
If one or both of your parents was born anywhere on the island of Ireland, then you are automatically considered an Irish citizen. In order to apply for an Irish passport, you will need to supply a number of genealogical records such as your parent’s birth certificate, baptismal record, marriage record, etc. A genealogist does this on a day-to-day basis so can help you quickly and accurately navigate the various record sets and obtain the documents you need to supplement your Irish passport application.
If, however, you want to apply for an Irish passport on the basis of having an Irish grandparent, you firstly need to be registered on the Foreign Birth Register. Unlike your parents, you are not automatically considered an Irish citizen as your parents were not born on the island of Ireland. Instead, they were born outside of Ireland but one or more of their parents was born in Ireland. The Foreign Birth Register is like a standard birth registry – once confirmed, you will obtain a certificate confirming that you had a foreign birth. This certificate confirms your citizenship and is the first step on the way to obtaining your Irish passport.
In order to apply to the FBR, you will need to supply a variety of records for you, your parent and grandparent. For example, if your mother’s mother was born in Ireland, then you will need to provide all birth, death and marriage records for you, your mother and your grandmother, alongside some additional requirements as detailed on here.
Irish records can be obtained from a variety of sources but can often be a difficult and protracted process to source. This is where a genealogist can help, as they are highly experienced and familiar with this type of research.
Common questions I get asked regarding Irish Citizenship by Descent:
What documents are needed for Irish citizenship? This varies depending on whether you are applying via a parent or grandparent. It’s important to fully understand which route are taking firstly and seek advice if you are unsure.
What records do I need to obtain ahead of my FBR application? You will need a combination of ‘BMD’ records, that is birth, marriage and death records (where applicable) about you, your parent and your Irish-born grandparent. You will also various supplementary bits of evidence including notary-signed photographs. The full list of requirements is available at https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/. A genealogist can help with obtaining the birth, marriage and death records.
Why is the difference between Civil Records and Church Records? Civil Records refer to governmental registration of births, deaths and marriages. In most countries today, when someone is born, their birth must be registered with the government in order to obtain a Birth Certificate. Similarly, we register for Marriage Certificates and Death Certificates. This process only began in Ireland in 1864, however, many local churches kept their own records of births (in this case, baptism) records, deaths and marriages prior to that. Church Records are considered a suitable replacement for where Civil Records are not available.
My grandmother/grandfather’s birth wasn’t registered. What can I do about this? This is a common scenario in Irish genealogy. The best thing is to try and locate a baptism record next, or any supplementary records that help prove their Irish birth and their link to you. Sometimes a combination of records is required. In some cases, it’s advisable to apply for Late Registration of your grandparent’s birth. The documents for this are similar to what’s needed for the FBR. Irish genealogists are familiar with helping prepare these types of applications.
My grandparent was born before Ireland’s Civil Birth Registration began in 1864, so there is not birth certificate for them. The FBR understands this scenario and are happy to accept a baptismal certificate in lieu of a birth certificate. As above, a genealogist can help with this search, as it will sometimes be complex.
I’ve been searching www.IrishGenealogy.ie for my grandparents records, but I cannot find them all. Why are they not there? Not all Irish civil and church records are available online. In some cases, these records are only obtainable by visiting libraries and archives and finding originals to make copies of. A genealogist can make this visits for you if you are not able to come to Ireland yourself.
None of my parents or grandparents were born in Ireland, but my great-grandparent was. Can I apply for citizenship and/or a passport? Unfortunately, you probably aren’t entitled to Irish citizenship in this case. There are some exceptions, such as if your parent became a citizen via the FBR before you born, but in these cases you are better off consulting a member of the legal profession as opposed to a genealogist.
How long does it take to get registered on the FBR? This varies and it’s best to start the process as soon as possible. Sometimes it can take weeks or months to gather all the documentation needed. When you eventually apply, turnaround times are currently sitting at approximately one year, but this is changing all the time. Sometimes, the FBR will review your application, and request further documents or information, so that can extend the timeline. For this reason, it’s best to submit the most complete and through application possible. If you are unsure about some of the BMD records you’ve obtained, consulting a genealogist before you apply the FBR can be beneficial for pre-empting any potential queries on your application.
I’m an automatic citizen / I’ve gotten my FBR registration. How long will my passport application take? As with the FBR, this timeline varies, but it’s generally shorter than the FBR. However, if you have applied to the FBR, you might need for some of your documents to be returned to you firstly, before then submitting those to the Passport Office as part of your passport application.
My parent or grandparent was born in Northern Ireland. Can I still apply to the FBR and/or for an Irish passport? Yes, you can apply provided you have a parent or grandparent who was born anywhere on the island of Ireland.
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