There are a number of ways a child can claim Irish citizenship:
- Automatically an Irish citizen
A child will automatically be an Irish citizen if:
- They were born on the island of Ireland before 2005
- They were born abroad to an Irish citizen parent who was born on the island of Ireland before 2005
- They were born in Ireland and their parent was living in Ireland for 3 of the 4 years immediately prior to their child’s birth
- They have been adopted by an Irish citizen
In these cases the child may simply apply for an Irish passport from the Irish Passport Office.
- Eligible for Irish citizenship but application required
A child under 16 may be eligible to apply for Irish citizenship if:
- One of their parents has already been granted Irish citizenship through naturalisation;
- They are of Irish descent or have Irish associations, and have a period of reckonable residence in Ireland (usually at least 3 years); or
- They were born in Ireland after 1 January 2005 and have since accumulated 3 years of reckonable residence in Ireland
‘Reckonable’ residence means time spent in Ireland on an immigration stamp which can be counted towards a citizenship application – not all types of immigration stamp are reckonable.
In these cases, the child’s parent, guardian or a person acting ‘in loco parentis’ must apply for Naturalisation on their child’s behalf to the Department of Justice. If the application is granted the child will then be an Irish citizen entitled to apply for an Irish passport.
A child may also be eligible for Irish citizenship if:
- They have a grandparent who was born on the island of Ireland; or
- They have a parent who, though born abroad, was an Irish citizen at the time of their child’s birth
In this case, the child’s parent or guardian can submit a Foreign Birth Registration application on their child’s behalf to the Department of Foreign Affairs. If the application is granted the child’s name will be entered onto the Register of Foreign Births, and they will then be an Irish citizen eligible to apply for an Irish passport.
If you would like more information on the above or would like our assistance with a citizenship or passport application for your child, please do not hesitate to contact our highly experienced team of immigration professionals at 01 873 5012 or info@mcgrathmullan.ie and we would be glad to assist you.