Dual Citizenship

You do not need to give up your current citizenship when you become a citizen of Ireland.

Some countries do not allow their citizens to claim citizenship of another country. If you are a citizen of a country which prohibits dual nationality, and you become a citizen of Ireland, the other country may refuse to recognise your Irish citizenship, or they may consider you as having lost your original citizenship. We would strongly advise you to check with the authorities of your country of citizenship what their rules are with regard to dual or multiple citizenship.

Entitlement to Citizenship Through Descent

If you were born outside of Ireland, and one or both of your parents were born in Ireland, then you are automatically an Irish citizen from birth, and you do not need to apply for Foreign Births Registration. You can apply directly to the Irish Passport Office in London for an Irish passport. Their telephone number is 0207 225 7700, and their email address is passportlondon@dfa.ie.

If you have a grandparent who was born in Ireland, but both you and your parents were born outside of the island of Ireland, you can claim Irish citizenship through your Irish-born grandparent. This process is known as Foreign Births Registration (FBR).

If your parent has already become an Irish citizen through FBR (or any other means) before you were born, you are entitled to claim Irish citizenship through them.

If your parent became an Irish citizen through FBR before 1st July 1986, you can claim Irish citizenship through that parent, even if you were born before they became an Irish citizen. This only applies if you were born after 17 July 1956.

For information about how to go about applying for Irish citizenship through descent (also known as FBR, FBE, Foreign Births Registration, or Foreign Births Entry) from within the United Kingdom, please click here.

• To download the application form for Irish citizenship through descent for under-18 year olds, please click here.
• To download the application form for Irish citizenship through descent for over-18 year olds, please click here.
• We strongly advise that you read through our explanatory notes before making your application.

You may also contact the Citizenship Section of the Embassy of Ireland on 0207 2012 517 between 9.30am to 12 noon, Monday to Friday, or you can email us at fbrlondon@dfa.ie.

Currently, applications for Foreign Births Registration take approximately 6 months to process.

In order to obtain birth, death, and marriage certificates for each generation, you may need to contact the relevant civil Registrar Office covering the area where the event took place. A list of Registrar's Offices that you may find useful is given at the bottom of this page.

If you are resident in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, please apply to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. For information about Irish citizenship in general, please click here.

Replacement Foreign Births Registration Certificates

A FBR certificate is a most important document that confirms when and where you became an Irish citizen, and must be kept safe and secure place, seperate from your Irish passport. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin and Irish Embassies abroad are increasingly concerned about the growing number of foreign born Irish citizens who are seeking replacements for certificates that have been lost or stolen.

If you are certain that your certificate has been lost or stolen, you should print off and complete this form and return it to the Citizenship Section of the Embassy in London.

Retaining Irish Citizenship

If you are a Naturalised Irish citizen, and you wish to complete a form to declare your intention to retain Irish citizenship (Form 14), you can find this form here. Please complete this form, and submit it with a photocopy of your current Irish passport, and a photocopy your Irish citizenship documentation.

Renouncing Irish Citizenship

If you wish to renounce Irish citizenship, you should complete Form 15. Please read the associated notes carefully before completing this form.