Foreign Birth Registration (Irish Citizenship by Descent)
🇮🇪 Ireland visas · Ancestry
Back
Foreign Birth Registration (Irish Citizenship by Descent)
Foreign Birth Registration (Irish Citizenship by Descent)
Ireland · Ancestry
What it is
Allows individuals born outside Ireland to claim Irish citizenship through an Irish-born grandparent or an Irish-citizen parent. Once entered on the Foreign Births Register, applicants are Irish citizens and may apply for an Irish passport.
Key facts
- Category
- Ancestry
- Duration
- Permanent citizenship once registered
- Processing time
- 9 months
- Extendable
- No
- Path to permanent residence
- Direct route
- How to apply
- Online
- Health insurance
- Not required
Standard figures for this route. Some applicants pay a reduced fee or none at all, so confirm your own case on the official page.
Fees
- Application fee (adult (270 registration + 8 handling))
- EUR 278
- Application fee (minor)
- EUR 153
Key requirements
- One grandparent born on the island of Ireland, OR
- One parent was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth (even if not born in Ireland)
- Original civil documents proving the chain of descent (birth and marriage certificates)
- Proof of current identity and address
- Application submitted online with documents posted to the FBR office
Facts checked against the official source. Last updated 8 August 2026.