Foreign Births Registration - Guidelines for Applicants Resident in the USA

You are automatically an Irish citizen if one of your parents was an Irish citizen who was born in Ireland.

You can become an Irish citizen if one of your grandparents was born in Ireland, or you can become an Irish citizen if one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, but was not born in Ireland. If you're eligible, you can register your birth on the Foreign Births Register.

The steps below will help you with your application.

Eligibility

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.

Supporting Documents

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. So make sure you have these documents to hand before you start:

You will need:

Your details

• Original Long form Civil Birth Certificate
• Original Civil Marriage Certificate (if married) - Church certificates are NOT acceptable
• Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate ( if remarried)
• Deed poll (if you’ve changed your name)
• Certified/Notarized Copy of the photograph page of current passport or state issued identity document (e.g. Driver's Licence)
• 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)

• Original Long form Civil Birth Certificate
• Original Civil Marriage Certificate (if married) - Church certificates are NOT acceptable
• Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate ( if remarried)
• Certified/Notarized Copy of the photograph page of current passport or state issued identity document (e.g. Driver's Licence)
• Original Death Certificate if Deceased

• Deed poll (if they ever changed their name)

• Declaration of Alienage (if they ever renounced their Irish citizenship)

You may also need:

Depending on the circumstances under which you’re claiming Irish citizenship, you may also need:

Your Irish-born grandparent’s details

• Original Long form Civil Birth Certificate
• Original Civil Marriage Certificate (if married) - Church certificates are NOT acceptable
• Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate ( if remarried
• Certified/Notarized Copy of the photograph page of current passport or state issued identity document (e.g. Driver's Licence)
• Original Death Certificate if Deceased

• Deed poll (if they ever changed their name)

• Declaration of Alienage (if they ever renounced their Irish citizenship)

Your parent’s Naturalisation Certificate

• Date of their naturalisation
• Number of their naturalisation certificate

Your parent’s Foreign Births Registration Certificate

• 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)

Your parent’s Post-Nuptial Declaration

• Date on which their Post Nuptial Declaration was granted
• Number of their Post Nuptial Declaration Certificate

Your parent’s adoption details

• Date of their adoption

Further documentation

We may ask you to submit more documents to support your application.

Authentication

We may check the authenticity of all documentation you submit as part of your application.

Getting replacement documents

We need original documents (not photocopies) to process your application. If you don’t have the original certificates, you can get replacements from the General Register Office (GRO) Ireland.

To obtain Birth, Marriage or Death Certificates in the USA, please contact the relevant State Register Office or visit www.vitalchek.com

Checklist

When you submit and print your online application form, a checklist of the documents you need will also print out. You need to:

• Make sure you’ve included all the documents on the checklist in your application
• Sign and date the checklist
• Post it to us with your application form and supporting documentation

Remember…

If you haven’t included all the necessary documents, your application will be returned to you.

Witnesses

Witnesses

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

Who can be a witness?

The witness must be from one of the following professions only and:
(a) Must be currently residing and practicing in the USA
(b) Must not be related in any way to the Applicant
(c) Must either know you personally or know a third party who knows you personally

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

Your witness needs to:

• Fully complete Section E of your application form - 'Certificate of Identity'
• Sign your two passport-sized photographs (if under 18, parent must also sign the photographs)
• Witness you signing Section D of your application form
• Indicate on the form specifically whether they personally know you, or otherwise that you have been identified by a third party known to them.
• Provide a business/work address and contact number. Private addresses for witnessed are not accepted.

Remember…

If your application hasn’t been properly witnessed, it will be returned to you.

Photos

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.

Fees

• Adult aged 18 years or over: €270.00
• Person under the age of 18: €145.00

Application fees must be paid in Euro, by credit card. The fees above include return postage from Ireland.

When you print your online application form, you will be provided with space to insert your credit card details.

Please ensure that you enter these details as otherwise your application may be delayed.

Apply Online

Information on how to apply for Irish citizenship via descent (Foreign Birth Registration).

Applications for Foreign Births Registration from residents of the states of Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia and the Caribbean Islands are processed in Ireland.

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. All original documents will be returned at the end of the process.

Please note that citizenship applications are not accepted at the Embassy of Ireland in Washington D.C.

Queries

Correspondence with the Foreign Births Registration office should be by post, email or telephone only:

Foreign Births Registration
Consular Section
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
80. St. Stephen's Green
Dublin 2
Ireland
D02 VY53

Phone 011 353 (0)1 408 2555 (10am-1pm GMT)

FAQs

Q: What does it mean to be an Irish citizen?

A: Being an Irish citizen means that you are formally recognised as a national of Ireland and a citizen of the European Union. It gives you certain rights, including the right to carry an Irish passport, live and work in Ireland and the EU, and receive consular help from Irish embassies and consulates abroad.

Q: Do I need to renounce my American citizenship to become an Irish citizen?

A: No, you do not need to renounce American citizenship to become an Irish citizen. You can be a dual citizen of Ireland and America.

Q: How can I obtain a birth, marriage or death certificate from Ireland?

A: Contact the General Register Office at www.certificates.ie (Republic of Ireland) or www.nidirect.gov.uk (Northern Ireland)

Q: How can I obtain a birth, marriage or death certificate in the USA?

A: Contact the relevant State Register Office or visit www.vitalchek.com

Q: I cannot locate my Irish born grandparent’s original long form birth certificate. What can I do?

A: If you cannot locate your grandparent’s Irish birth certificate, you must have a letter from the issuing authority stating that there is no record and also submit the baptismal certificate.

Q: What documents are accepted as proof of address?

A: If over 18 years – You must submit three separate documents showing proof of residence such as, a phone bill, gas/electricity bill, bank statement, pay slip, college registration, and tax information. Each document must be six months within date.

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. Each document must be six months within date.

Q: Can I send photocopies or notarized copies of my original documents to Ireland?

A: Original documents must be submitted in all cases – photocopies, notarized copies or laminates are not accepted. If you haven’t included all the necessary documents, your application will be returned to you.

Q: How much does it cost to register a birth?

A: The fees applicable from residents of the states of Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia and the Caribbean Islands are:

• Adult aged 18 years or over: €270.00
• Person under the age of 18: €145.00

The fees above include return postage from Ireland. Application fees must be paid in Euro, by credit card.

Q: How can I pay the application fee?

A: When you print your online application form, you will be provided with space to insert your credit card details. Please ensure that you enter these details as otherwise your application may be delayed.

Q. I don’t have access to a computer to submit an online Foreign Births Registration application. Can I come into the Embassy of Ireland in Washington D.C. and submit my application there?

A. Applications for Citizenship cannot be submitted at the Embassy of Ireland in Washington D.C.. If you do not have access to a computer we suggest you contact your local public library who may provide you with computer and internet access, or ask a family member/friend to assist.

Q: Where should I send my completed Foreign Births Registration application and supporting documents?

A: Send your application and supporting documents to the address printed on your application form. This will be:

Foreign Births Registration
Consular Section
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
80. St. Stephen's Green
Dublin 2
Ireland
D02 VY53

Q. My siblings submitted a Foreign Births Registration application through the Embassy of Ireland in Washington D.C.. Can I apply through the Embassy?

A. No. All citizenship applications are now dealt with in Ireland. We cannot accept your application, it must be sent directly to the Foreign Births Registration office in Ireland.

Q. My siblings and I are applying for Citizenship through the Foreign Births Registration process. Can we send all our documents together to Ireland?

A. Yes, you can send all your documents in one package for review to Ireland. We recommend that you use a reputable courier service as the Department of Foreign Affairs cannot be held responsible for any documents that may go missing in the mail.

Q: Before sending my application to Ireland, can I come into the Embassy of Ireland in Washington D.C. to check that I have all of the required supporting documentation?

A: All queries relating to supporting documentation for a Foreign Births Registration application must be directed to the Foreign Births Register office in Dublin.

Q: I am traveling to Ireland. Can I submit my application in-person at the Foreign Births Registration office?

A: Correspondence with the Foreign Births Register office should be by post, email or telephone only as the office is not open to members of the public.

Q: Will all of my original documents be returned?

A: Yes, all of your original documents will be returned to you.

Q: I already submitted my Foreign Births Registration application. How can I get a status update on my application?

A: For a status update on your application, please contact the Foreign Births Registration office:

Foreign Births Registration
Consular Section
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
80. St. Stephen's Green
Dublin 2
Ireland
D02 VY53