03/09/2019
What do you need to apply for an Irish Irish Passport?
There is useful information on the Department of Foreign Affairs website at the links below:
Born Abroad: Citizenship by Descent – Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a grandparent born in Ireland or if your parent was granted Irish citizenship or was deemed to be an Irish citizen before you were born, then you can apply to register in the Foreign Births Register .. Only children born after 17 July 1956 can claim citizenship in such cases.
EU UK Referendum: FAQs – Citizenship, Passports & residency entitlements
You need the following:
A completed application form.
You cannot apply for an Irish passport online or download a copy of the application form. There are two types of application form:
Use an APS 1E form if you are living in Ireland
Use an APS 2 form if you are living in Northern Ireland
If you normally live outside Ireland but are currently in Ireland, you must still apply for your Irish passport in the country where you live (your country of permanent residence), using an APS 2 form.
An APS 1E forms can be obtained at:
Any Garda station
Local Post office
The Passport Offices in Dublin or Cork
Libraries
or contact the Passport Office by phone or email and the form can be posted to you
An APS 2 forms can be obtained at:
If you live in Northern Ireland, you will find APS 2 passport application forms in many Post Offices
If you live outside Ireland, you can get an APS 2 passport application form from your nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate.
As well as the completed application form you will need:
Four passport photographs, two of which must be signed by a witness as per instructions provided with the application form
Certified copy of your photographic ID such as a driving licence, a current passport, Public Services Card, passport from another country (The person witnessing the application form can certify it)
Proof of use of name, for example, payslip, bank statement, social welfare receipts
Proof of address, for example, utility bill, official correspondence from an Irish State agency.
Appropriate fee
Important:
Commencing in March 2016, all first-time applicants for an adult passport who are resident in Ireland have to supply a photocopy of their Public Services Card for identification purposes. This also applies to adult passport applicants whose last passport was issued prior to January 2005 and has since been reported as lost, stolen or damaged. They no longer need to supply a certified copy of photographic ID or proof of use of name. Proof of address continues to be required.
Additional documentation
The additional documentation you must supply depends on how you obtained your Irish citizenship. If you are replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport issued on or after 1 January 2005 and your new passport will issue in the same name, you do not have to supply the additional documentation.
Born in Ireland – you need to include:
Your birth certificate
Your civil marriage or civil partnership certificate (if you have changed your surname)
Born abroad to an Irish-born parent – you need to include:
Your birth certificate
Your civil marriage or civil partnership certificate (if you have changed your surname)
Your Irish-born parent’s birth certificate
Your parents’ civil marriage certificate (if applicable)
Citizenship through foreign birth registration – you need to include:
Your birth certificate
Your civil marriage or civil partnership certificate (if you have changed your surname)
Your foreign birth registration certificate
Your foreign passport
Please also see Registering a Foreign Birth for more details.
Born abroad and adopted under Irish law – you need to include:Your certificate of entry in the
Register of Intercountry Adoptions (If adopted abroad your adoption must be entered in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions)
Your civil marriage or civil partnership certificate (if you have changed your surname)
Your adoptive Irish parent’s birth certificate or Irish passport
Post-nuptial citizenship – you need to include:
Your post-nuptial certificate
Your birth certificate
Your civil marriage or civil partnership certificate (if you have changed your surname)
Citizenship through naturalisation – you need to include:
Your naturalisation certificate
Your foreign passport
Your birth certificate
Your civil marriage or civil partnership certificate (if you have changed your surname)
If your documents are not in English you must also supply a certified English version, translated by a registered translator. You may also be required to provide further information and/or attend for interview.
Certified copies of births, marriages and deaths certificates can be obtained from the General Register Office
Details correct as of July 2016.
unless you are applying as the spouse of an Irish citizen to whom you have been married for 3 years.
To become an Irish citizen through naturalisation you would have to be living in the Irish State for at least 5 out of the last 9 years.
Naturalization Eligibility for adults
You can apply for Irish citizenship by naturalisation if you:
Are of full age (aged 18 or over, or if aged under 18 you are married) when you apply
Meet the conditions for residence, marriage or other (as described below)
Intend to continue living in the State
Are of good character
Will attend a citizenship ceremony and make the declaration of fidelity
Use Form 8 to make your application.
In some circumstances the Minister for Justice and Equality may approve an application for citizenship, even if all the above conditions are not met, for someone who:
Is of Irish descent or has Irish associations, or
Has been resident abroad in the Irish public service, or
Has been declared to be a refugee or stateless as defined by law
'Irish association' means being related by blood, affinity or adoption to an Irish citizen, including deceased citizens.
Eligibility for minors (children)
A minor (child) is someone aged under 18 who is not married at the time of application. A child cannot apply by themselves. The application must be made by their parent, legal guardian or a person acting on the child's behalf 'in loco parentis'.
The different types of application that can be submitted are:
If one of the minor's parents has already been naturalised (use Form 9)
If the minor is of Irish descent or has Irish associations (use Form 10)
If the minor was born in the State after 1 January 2005, and was not entitled to Irish citizenship at the time of birth, but has since accumulated 5 years' reckonable residence (use Form 11)
Eligibility for dependant young adults who are non-EU/EEA & non-Swiss citizens
A 'dependant young adult' is someone who depends on their parents for accommodation and general living expenses, ie they do not live independently.
You may apply for citizenship as a dependant young adult if you meet the eligibility requirements for an adult application (as above) and you:
Are aged 18-23 when you apply
Entered the State legally as part of a family unit
Are currently attending secondary school in the State, or you went directly from secondary school into third level education in the State
Are continuously dependent on your parents, ie you are not financially independent
Use Form 8 to make your application. If you apply, you should use your parents' calculation of 'reckonable residence' in your application (as below).
Dual citizenship
Under Irish law, you are not required to give up citizenship of another country to become an Irish citizen.
However, some countries do not allow dual citizenship, or place restrictions on it. You should check with the embassies of all countries where you already hold citizenship before applying in Ireland.
2. Application based on residence for non-EU/EEA & non-Swiss nationals
To apply for citizenship by naturalisation based on residence, you must prove that you:
Have been - and are now - legally resident in the State, and
Have built up enough 'reckonable residence' in the State
A: Legal residence
You must prove that you have been legally resident in the State for at least 5 years out of the last 9 years. This includes 1 year of continuous residence immediately before the date you apply.
You can do this by showing your immigration permission stamps.
B: Reckonable residence
You must show that you built up enough reckonable residence in the State to be granted citizenship, specifically:
1825 or 1826 days of reckonable residence based on your accumulated permission stamps
This includes 365 or 366 days (1 year) of continuous residence immediately before the date you apply
Some types of permission stamp cannot be included when adding up your reckonable residence.
How to calculate reckonable residence
Count backwards from the date that you intend to apply for citizenship.
You must show that you have lived in the State legally for at least 1825 or 1826 days over the last 9 years. This includes:
365 days immediately before the date that you apply (or 366 days if it includes 29 February)
Plus 1460 days in the 8 years before the period above (plus 1 day for years that include 29 February)
Use the Naturalisation Residency Calculator to calculate your total time in the State
You must include a print-out of the calculator results (showing your personal reckonable residence) when sending in your application form.
Reckonable residence & registration
Make sure you keep your immigration registration up-to-date (with no gaps) during your residence. If not, your application for citizenship could be refused.
Time gaps between stamps or permissions, could mean you were in the State illegally.
Children aged 16 or over must also register and keep their registration up-to-date.
Note: If you had permission to live in the State but you spent long periods of time abroad, you must explain why or your application may be refused.
3. Application based on residence for UK, EU/EEA & Swiss nationals
To apply for citizenship by naturalisation based on residence, you must prove that you have been resident in the State for at least 5 years (1825 or 1826 days) out of the last 9 years
This includes 1 year (365 or 366 days) of continuous residence immediately before the date you apply.
Do not use the residence calculator to prove your residence in Ireland. You cannot use the calculator because (as a UK, EU/EEA or Swiss national) your passport is not stamped with immigration permission stamps.
Instead, you must send us 3 different documents for each year you claim you were resident here. The type of documents you can and cannot use are listed below.
Documents to use as proof of residence
Note: To apply as a UK, EU/EEA & Swiss national, you must have been a UK, EU/EEA or Swiss national for more than 5 years. If not, you must apply as a non-EU/EEA & non-Swiss national.
4. Application based on marriage or civil partnership to an Irish citizen
You can apply for citizenship by naturalisation if you are married to, or in a civil partnership with, an Irish citizen. To apply, you must meet the eligibility and other requirements listed below.
Eligibility
You must:
Have been married to, or in a civil partnership with, an Irish citizen for 3 years
Have been (and are now) living together in an ongoing marriage/civil partnership of not less than 3 years
Be of full age (18 or over) when you apply
Recognition of civil partnerships registered abroad
You should check that your civil partnership can be recognised by the Irish State before you apply for citizenship.
Civil Partnership Orders determine which foreign civil partnerships are recognised. These orders are issued periodically.
Residence
You must:
Have resided on the island of Ireland for at least 3 years out of the last 5 years, including 1 year of continuous residence immediately before the date you apply
Be now legally resident on the island of Ireland
Documents
Read the full list of required documents on the application form (Form 😎
You must also submit certified translations of these documents if they are not in the English language.
Find out how to make a certified copy/translation of a document
5. Forms & how to apply
To make an application, download and complete the appropriate form.
Each form contains a guide and checklist to help you.
Find the application form you need & download
IMPORTANT: Make sure you use the latest version of each form when applying. If you complete an old form, it will be returned to you and you will have to start again.
Witness & signature
Do not sign the form until it is complete and you are with someone who can act as a witness. Instructions about who can be a witness are on the form.
After the form has been signed and properly witnessed, return it to us together with any supporting documents or other information.
Make sure you read all guidance carefully. If you submit an application that is incorrect or not fully completed, everything will be returned to you and you may have to start again.
6. Fees
Application fee
A fee of €175 applies for each application. There are no exceptions and fees cannot be waived.
We can only accept a bank draft as payment. The bank draft must be:
Drawn on an Irish bank
Made payable to Secretary General, Department of Justice and Equality
We cannot accept personal cheques, postal orders or cash. Fees cannot be refunded , even if your application is refused.
Certification fee
If your application is successful, you must pay a certification fee to receive your Certificate of Naturalisation:
€ 950 = Adult
€ 200 = Child
€ 200 = Widow/widower of an Irish citizen
€ 0 = Recognised refugee or stateless person
We can only accept bank drafts drawn on an Irish bank as payment.
Make the draft payable to Secretary General, Department of Justice and Equality.
Fees must be paid by all applicants (except as shown). There are no exceptions and fees cannot be waived or refunded.
Note: If you are outside the State for longer than 6 weeks after you submit your application, you must notify INIS by letter or email to explain why.
7. After you apply
In general, it takes 6 months for a straightforward application to be processed from the date it is received to the date a decision is made. (Processing times can vary depending on circumstances.)
Your passport will be returned to you when initial processing is complete, usually about 6 weeks after you submit your application. This time period may increase at certain times of the year such as summer and christmas. Please refer to Citizenship - updates and announcements for notice of this.
If you think you will need your passport during the 6 weeks after you apply (eg for travel), postpone your application until you return and then apply.
You can withdraw your application at any time, but you will not get a fee refund.
Note: If you ask for your passport back before initial processing is complete (ie within 6 weeks after you apply), we will put your application on hold and send your passport to you. When ready, you must return your passport to us for initial processing to continue.
Processing
When we receive your application, we will check that you have:
Used the correct (most recent) version of the application form
Paid the application fee
Completed the statutory declarations on each form
Submitted all documents as listed in the form's Guidance Note
If any documents are missing, you may be given up to 28 days to provide them. If you fail to do so, your application may be deemed ineligible or refused.
We will also contact An Garda Síochána and the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB)
We may contact other government departments or external agencies for information or reports about you, if necessary
We may send your passport for official authentication
We may also contact you to ask for more information or documents.
Submission
When processing is complete, we will prepare a submission on your application for decision by the Minister for Justice and Equality.
There is no guarantee your application will be successful even if you meet all conditions required by law. The Minister has absolute discretion for granting citizenship.
8. Decision & next steps
If your application is successful
We will send you a letter with the Minister's decision.
To become a citizen, you must then attend a Citizenship Ceremony and make a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State. You will be given your Certificate of Naturalisation at the ceremony.
To complete your application for citizenship and prepare for the ceremony, you must:
Send some final documentation to us (as listed in your approval letter), eg your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card, passport-sized photos for your Certificate of Naturalisation
Pay the certification fee (as above)
Citizenship ceremony
A day of Citizenship Ceremonies is held periodically through the year. You will receive an invitation to your Citizenship Ceremony about 4 to 5 weeks before it is scheduled to occur.
Successful applicants who are children (minors) do not attend a Citizenship Ceremony. They will receive their Certificate of Naturalisation by post.
Public notice
A notice will be published in the official journal Iris Óifigiúil stating that you have been granted a Certificate of Naturalisation. This notice will include your:
Name
Address
Date of your Certificate of Naturalisation
Whether you are an adult (aged 18 and over) or a minor
These notices are required to be published by law and are mandatory. There are no exemptions.
Passport
After you become an Irish citizen, you can apply for a passport via the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
If your application is refused
We will advise you of the Minister's decision and the reasons your application was refused.
There is no appeal process and you will not get a refund of any fees.
You can re-apply for citizenship by naturalisation at any time. When doing so, you should pay careful attention to the reasons your previous application was refused.
Loss of citizenship
Citizenship by naturalisation can be revoked in some circumstances, eg if you concealed facts or made misrepresentations in your application.
You can also voluntarily renounce your citizenship.
Note: The information on this page is for guidance only. Read the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts for a complete description of citizenship by naturalisation.
Contact
If you have questions, contact us.
Updated: 10 July 2017
Tell us about any issues on this page
Page history
