Irish citizenship

  • What is Irish citizenship and who can become an Irish citizen?

  • You are not automatically an Irish citizen if you were born on the island of Ireland. You may be entitled to Irish citizenship if your parent(s) or grandparents were Irish. You may be entitled to Irish citizenship if you were born outside of Ireland, but you may need to register your birth.

  • Naturalisation is the process through which a foreign national can become an Irish citizen. Find out more about who is eligible to become an Irish citizen through naturalisation and how to apply.

  • If your grandparents were born in Ireland, but you were born abroad, your birth must be registered in the Foreign Births Register to claim Irish citizenship. This document explains how to do this.