An application for Irish citizenship through Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) can be submitted by any person with a grandparent born in any part of Ireland or by any person whose parent received Irish citizenship prior to the birth of the applicant.

You need to include personal details about yourself and your family in your online application to confirm that you’re entitled to Irish citizenship.

All the information you need can be found on the supporting documentation that you’ll have to submit with your application form.

Once you begin your online application, you have to complete it fully. You can’t save your details and finish it later. Therefore, make sure you have these documents in front of you before you start.

Original civil long form certificates of birth, marriage and death must be submitted with your application in all cases.  We do not accept photocopies, laminates, baptismal certificates, Church marriage certificates or funeral home certificates.  If you do not have the original you can apply for a replacement (see tab 7).

You will need:

Your details

• Civil long form birth certificate
• Civil long form marriage certificate
• Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate (if remarried)
• Original Deed poll valid for at least two years (if you’ve changed your name other than by marriage), plus three official documents showing proof of usage in your new name
• A certified copy of your official photo identification such as your driver's licence, your passport from another country, or your college identification card. The person who witnesses your application form can do this – they should confirm that they have seen the original.
• If over 18 years - Three separate documents showing proof of Residence e.g. phone bill, gas/electricity bill.
• If under 18 years – A school report/Doctor’s letter showing proof of residence of applicant and three separate proofs of residence for the applying Irish parent.

Your parent’s details (through whom you’re claiming citizenship)

• Civil long form birth certificate
• Civil long form marriage certificate (if married)
• Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate (if remarried)
• Original Deed Poll (if they changed their name other than by marriage)
• Declaration of Alienage (if they ever renounced their Irish citizenship)
• Copy of current passport or other official photo ID e.g. driving licence, health card; or
• Death Certificate if Deceased

You will also need, depending on how your parent acquired Irish citizenship, one of the following.  You need to show that your parent was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth:

Your Irish-born grandparent’s details

Your parent is automatically an Irish citizen if one of their parents was born in Ireland.

• Civil long form birth certificate
• Civil long form marriage certificate (if married)
• Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate (if remarried)
• Deed poll (if they changed their name other than by marriage)
• Declaration of Alienage (if they ever renounced their Irish citizenship)
• Copy of current passport or other official photo ID e.g. driving licence, health card; or
• Death Certificate if Deceased

Your parent’s Naturalisation Certificate

Your parent needs to have been naturalised before your birth.

• Date of their naturalisation
• Number of their naturalisation certificate
• Include the original certificate with your application, and
• An original letter from the Department of Justice and Equality acknowledging receipt of their declaration of intention to retain Irish citizenship

Your parent’s Foreign Births Registration Certificate

Your parent needs to have been entered in the Foreign Births Register before your birth.

• Date on which their birth was registered on the Foreign Births Register
• Office from which their registration was issued
• Foreign Births Entry Number (found on the certificate)
• Include the original certificate with your application

Your parent’s Post-Nuptial Declaration

Your parent needs to have been granted their Post Nuptial Declaration before your birth.

• Date on which their Post Nuptial Declaration was granted
• Number of their Post Nuptial Declaration Certificate 
• Include the original certificate with your application

Your parent’s Irish adoption certificate  

• Date of their adoption in Ireland
• Include the original certificate with your application

If your parent was adopted abroad by an Irish citizen, their certificate of entry on the Irish Register of Foreign Adoptions which must have taken place before you were born.

You will need to show that your parent’s adoptive parent (your grandparent) was an Irish citizen at the time of the adoption, and that your parent was an Irish citizen at the time that you were born.

• Date of their certificate of entry on the Irish Register of Foreign Adoptions (must be before you were born)
• Include the original certificate with your application
• Include supporting documents to show that your grandparent was an Irish citizen at the time of the adoption, as per the categories above.

Extra Documentation

We may ask you for further information, or to submit more documents to support your application. 

Any queries

If you have any questions that aren’t addressed here, please contact the Embassy.

Checklist

When you submit and print your online application form, a checklist of the documents you need will also print out. Make sure you’ve included all the documents on the checklist in your application – any omissions will delay your application. Sign and date the checklist and include it with your application.

Before you send your application form, you must have it witnessed by an appropriate person.

Who can be a witness?

The witness must be from one of the following professions and:

(a) Must be currently residing and practicing in Canada, Jamaica or the Bahamas, depending on where you are resident

(b) Must not be related in any way to the Applicant

(c) Must either know you personally or be introduced to you by a third party who knows you personally

• Member of the Clergy
• Medical Doctor
• School Principal
• Bank Manager
• Solicitor/Lawyer
• Police Officer
• Magistrate/Judge

Your witness needs to:

• Witness you signing Section D of your application form and your photos (including the minor’s photos for under 18s)
• Fully complete, sign and stamp Section E of your application form - 'Certificate of Identity'
• Delete as applicable whether they personally know you, or that you have been introduced by a third party known to them (we do not insist that they have known you for two years).
• Sign and date your two passport-sized photos (if under 18, two passport-sized photos for the minor and two for the parent/guardian)
• Provide a business/work address and contact number. Private addresses and cell phones for witnesses are not accepted.

If the witness does not have an official seal/stamp, please submit their business card/ a copy of their membership card for their profession’s governing body/ other confirmation from their profession’s governing body that they are a practising member of their profession. 

Remember...

If your application hasn't been properly witnessed, it will delay your application.

You need to submit two passport-sized photographs with your application.

Your witness must sign and date these photographs.

If you're applying on behalf of a minor, you also need to submit two passport-sized photographs of yourself. They should also be signed and dated by you and your witness.

Over 18 years of age

• Registration plus Certificate: €270
• Non-refundable postage and handling fee: €8
• Total: €278

Under 18 years of age

• Registration plus Certificate: €145
• Non-refundable postage and handling fee: €8
• Total: €153

Payment methods

Payment is made by debit/credit card as part of the online application process.

Begin your online Foreign Births Registration application

Applicants will be provided with a postal address in Ireland to which to forward their applications and supporting documentation upon completion of their online application. Please note that citizenship applications can no longer be accepted in person at Embassy Vancouver. 

Queries

Any queries in relation to your FBR application should be submitted via email only

Did you apply for FBR before 1 July 2016?

If you submitted your application for citizenship online before 1 July 2016, please contact the Embassy directly, quoting your 10-digit application reference number.