IRELANDCITIZENSHIP BY ANCESTRY OR DESCENT
MIN INVESTMENT
€0-€500,000
PROCESSING TIME
1-5 YEARS
PERMIT TYPE
CITIZENSHIP
FAMILY
SPOUSE, CHILDREN
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SUMMARY
Irish citizenship is the most valuable in the world. It allows visa-free travel to the US and Australia and enables you to stay for as long as you want in the European Union and the UK. The Ireland citizenship by ancestry program is a great way to get a Irish passport.
The Ireland citizenship by Ancestry or Descent is open to individuals with Irish ancestry going back as far as great grandparents. Foreigners normally must have 5 years of residence in Ireland before being able to apply for naturalization.
Ireland accepts dual citizenship, so you won’t have to forfeit your citizenship to apply. We can assist you to become an Irish citizen now and claim your Irish passport.
POPULATION
49,00,000
CAPITAL
Dublin
CURRENCY
Irish Pound
LANGUAGE
Irish/English
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- TYPE: CITIZENSHIP
- VISA-FREE: EU, US
- PROCESS: 1 TO 5 YEARS
IRISH CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT OPTIONS
There are commonly 4 categories in which to qualify for Irish citizenship by ancestry:
- If you or your parent were born on the island of Ireland before 2005, you are an Irish citizen. You can apply for an Irish passport without applying for citizenship.
- If your Irish parent was born outside of Ireland, you will need to register via the Foreign Birth Registration.
- If one of your grandparents was born in Ireland, but neither of your parents was born in Ireland, you may become an Irish citizen. You’ll need to have your birth registered in the Foreign Births Register.
- If one of your great-grandparents was born in Ireland, but none of their descendants were, you can apply for fast-track naturalization after 3 years of residence.
In category 1, you are legally an Irish citizen and can simply visit the nearest Irish consulate to apply for an Irish passport.
Under categories 2 and 3, you will need to register in the Foreign Births Register with the correct documents and wait approximately 12 to 18 months.
Under category 4, you will need to first obtain a resident permit and hold one for at least 3 years to be deemed to have a strong enough connection with Ireland. It takes up to 30 months for a decision through this process. To obtain a resident permit, you are recommended to apply to the Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme (a.k.a. Golden Visa) to gain a 5-year resident permit. This will allow the applicant to further his claim of a strong connection with Ireland and enable less physical presence in Ireland. It’s at the discretion of the Minister to determine whether your physical presence is sufficient relative to your status. The Investor Visa only requires 1 day of residence a year to maintain your residence status, but to apply for naturalization you must spend at least a few months a year in Ireland. To qualify for the Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme, you will need to invest at least €500,000 in the country.
Do you qualify for Irish citizenship?
Take a free eligibility test today! Your eligibility for ancestry-based citizenship will be determined within 48 hours by the internal genealogy team at Global RCG.
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PROCESS
Application Processing Time: 1-5 Years
Stage 1 - Year 1
Gather your documents and proof of ancestry by searching records in your home country and Ireland. If you’re in category 1, simply go to the Irish consulate near you and apply for your Irish passport. If you’re in category 2 or 3, you’ll need to file your request with the Foreign Births Register. If you’re in category 4, you’ll need to obtain a resident permit, preferably under the Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme. The application process takes a few months.
Stage 2 - Year 2
If you’re in category 2 or 3, expect to have your citizenship certificate sent to you after 12 to 18 months. If you’re in category 4, you’ll have to wait 3years before you can petition the Minister for fast-track naturalization.
Stage 3 - Year 4
If you’re in category 4, you can petition the Minister for naturalization after 3 years of legal residence. You must submit all documents proving your Irish ancestry. The approval is expected to take 2.5 years.
CONDITIONS
- A series of requirements must be fulfilled to apply for Ireland citizenship by ancestry programme. Check all the requirements to get Citizenship by descent in Ireland.
Under each category, you must be able to prove your Irish ancestry using the birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates of your ancestors. If you’re in category 4, you’ll also need to: - Provide a Police certificate from the countries you’ve lived in for longer than 6 months since you were 18 years old.
- Financial statements and checks to demonstrate that your income was gained legally.
- Show reckonable residence to demonstrate that you’ve had a non-negligible physical presence in Ireland during the 3 years.
FAMILY
- When you become Irish, your children automatically become Irish citizens with you. Irish citizenship cannot be passed to your parents. Your spouse could qualify for naturalization after you receive your Citizenship Certificate if you’ve been married for at least 3 years and she has lived most of the year in Ireland during those 3 years, with 12 months of continuous residence before her submission.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Do I need to apply for the Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme to gain residence?
No. You can apply to other immigration programs, but you will need to have a job or start a business. If you can’t afford to invest at least €500,000 in Ireland, then you’ll simply have to choose another path. Those that can afford it privilege that path since it offers much more flexibility and strengthens the case for Irish association.
2. What if I have an Irish cousin, uncle, or great-great-grandparent?
None of those are deemed strong enough links to qualify you for fast-track naturalization.
3. Do I need to live and be physically present in Ireland to apply for Citizenship by Ancestry?
If you’re in category 1, 2, or 3, you won’t even need to step foot in Ireland. If you’re in category 4: “An Irish association through a great-grandparent (or a grandparent where that grandparent obtained citizenship through naturalisation) and where there is no, or negligible, reckonable residency would generally be deemed insufficient to warrant recommending the Minister exercise absolute discretion to waive the statutory conditions under Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended and would result in a refusal.”
In simple terms, there is no specific amount of time, but the physical presence cannot be deemed negligible. If you are on a work permit, we suggest at least half of the year. If you are under the Immigrant Investor visa, we suggest at least a few months each year.
Do you qualify for Irish citizenship?
Take a free eligibility test today! Your eligibility for ancestry-based citizenship will be determined within 48 hours by the internal genealogy team at Global RCG.