Irish Citizenship — Irish-born Parent
Ireland
Citizenship
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See if you're a match →This pathway is for people born outside Ireland who may already be Irish citizens because a parent was an Irish citizen and was born on the island of Ireland. It usually requires proof of the parent's Irish birth, the parent's citizenship at the applicant's birth, and the parent-child link.
- Type
- Citizenship by descent
- Family line
- People with a documented family line to Ireland
- Core records
- Civil records linking each generation
- What to know
- Usually a strong right if the facts and records line up
Summary
If you were born outside Ireland and one of your parents was an Irish citizen who was born on the island of Ireland, you are usually already an Irish citizen.
That parent can have been born in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. In this situation, you normally do not register on the Foreign Births Register; you gather the records and apply for an Irish passport.
Eligibility
You may be a fit if:
- You were born outside the island of Ireland.
- Your parent was born on the island of Ireland.
- That parent was an Irish citizen when you were born.
- You can document the parent-child link.
- You can get the parent's Irish or Northern Irish birth certificate.
The timing matters. If the parent only became Irish after you were born, this route does not make you Irish from birth.
What This Route Allows
This route can help confirm that you are already an Irish citizen by descent. Once documented, you can usually apply directly for an Irish passport.
What This Route Is Not
This is not Foreign Birth Registration. FBR is usually for people claiming through an Irish-born grandparent, or through an Irish parent who was Irish but not born on the island of Ireland.
Next Steps
- Confirm which parent was born on the island of Ireland.
- Get that parent's long-form Irish or Northern Irish birth certificate.
- Confirm that parent was Irish when you were born.
- Gather your own birth certificate and any marriage or name-change records needed to connect the documents.
- Apply for an Irish passport using the passport process for first-time applicants.