How To Get Irish Dual Citizenship With or Without Irish Ancestry

When my DNA test showed I was 94 percent Irish a few years ago, I wasn't surprised. I'd heard countless stories about my heritage for years and knew my mother's family had arrived as part of a large wave of immigrants in the early 1880s. At the same time, some on my father's side had emigrated from Ireland during the Great Famine more than thirty years before that. Still, others came after the turn of the last century.

While my family's past was fascinating, I was much more interested in the future—becoming a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States. Unfortunately, I was one generation removed from gaining Irish citizenship through descent—in other words, through one of my ancestors—but you may find that the path to citizenship is more straightforward! The only answer in my case was to move to Ireland, live there for at least three years, and then apply for citizenship (tempting, but not practical!).

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.

Several websites have information about eligibility requirements and the process for applying for dual citizenship if you're not currently a citizen of or living in Ireland. The website for Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs is an excellent resource for determining first if you're eligible and second how to apply. Another source, Ireland's Citizen Information, provides a chart that illustrates how you might gain Irish citizenship:

Note: You must first register in the Foreign Births Register before applying for dual citizenship.

In general, applications for Irish dual citizenship are not accepted if you use a great-grandparent as your ancestor of descent. The only way to become a citizen through a great-grandparent is if your birth is registered in the Foreign Births Register AND your parent was registered there before you were born.

DNA test results are not accepted as proof of a relationship to becoming an Irish citizen.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR DUAL CITIZENSHIP APPLICATION THROUGH DESCENT

The application for dual citizenship includes an extensive number of documents you will need to attach as part of your application. According to Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs, if you're an adult applying through descent from an Irish-born grandparent, you must gather the following information and documents. More detailed application information is available at Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs website:

YOUR DOCUMENTS (unless stated, originals must be submitted):

· Completed, signed, and witnessed application form (see list of witnesses at 1 above)

· Original civil birth certificate (showing parental details)

· Original civil marriage certificate (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)

· Photocopy of current state-issued ID document (i.e., passport, driver's license, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by application form witness

· Two separate original proofs of address

· Four color photographs (two of which are to be witnessed) – do not attach these to the application form

YOUR IRISH-BORN PARENT'S DOCUMENTS (unless stated, originals must be submitted):

· Original civil birth certificate of Irish citizen parent (showing parental details)

· Original civil marriage certificate of Irish citizen parent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)

· Photocopy of current state-issued ID document (i.e., passport, driver's license, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by a professional from the list of witnesses OR original civil death certificate (if applicable)

YOUR IRISH-BORN GRANDPARENT'S DOCUMENTS (unless stated, originals must be submitted):

· Original civil birth certificate of Irish-born grandparent (showing parental details)

· Original civil marriage certificate of Irish-born grandparent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)

· Photocopy of current state-issued ID document (i.e., passport, driver's license, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by a professional from the list of witnesses OR original civil death certificate (if applicable)

If your search for these required application documents has reached a standstill, consulting with someone familiar with Irish research and records availability may be required.

Working With Legacy Tree Genealogists To Gain Irish Dual Citizenship

A recent client contacted Legacy Tree Genealogists about dual citizenship with Ireland, and the team designed a project to help her become an Irish citizen. While she had been born in England and held a British passport, her family origins dated to at least the 1850s in Ireland. The client was certain that her grandmother Delia was born in County Sligo, Ireland, to a father named Michael. However, her mother's name was unknown at that point. She also knew that her grandmother had a brother named Owen. Her project was assigned to one of our researchers who specializes in Irish research, and the researcher found only one family in all of County Sligo that matched our client's family. Still, enough discrepancies in the ages and family composition required a more detailed search for the client's connection to Ireland. Access to databases in Ireland and the UK allowed us to scour dozens of records that could help us find the client's grandmother.

A nickname and a census record proved crucial in locating the document our client needed for her dual citizenship application. The 1921 England and Wales Census revealed that the client's grandmother was not born in Sligo as initially believed but twelve miles down the road and across the border in County Leitrim. We found a family residing in a household in Leitrim with the exact composition, including a father named Michael, a brother named Owen, and two girls, Bridget and Ann, who were Michael's daughters—but no Delia. Understanding Irish nicknames played a critical role in identifying the correct ancestor for Irish citizenship through descent: Delia is a nickname for Bridget.

Without that specialized knowledge of Irish geography and naming customs, proof of relationship would have been difficult to establish, and the client might have been unable to prove descent to become an Irish citizen.

STEPS TO FINDING YOUR IRISH CONNECTION

If you don't have much information about your grandparents or great-grandparents, information that you need to gain Irish citizenship by descent, the following tips will help you as you gather the information required for your application:

· Identify the townland, or at the very least, the county in Ireland where your ancestor was from to make sure you've got the right family.

· Understand that nicknames are often used in place of given names (as demonstrated in our client's project).

· Remember that while family lore can be valuable, some parts may not be entirely accurate.

· Gather census records and other documents that might help the research.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET IRISH DUAL CITIZENSHIP?

Once you've gathered your documents, the next step is to complete the citizenship application at the DFA's site. Applications may only be completed online.

The cost to apply for dual citizenship varies according to how much each original document costs (up to about $150 total). The application itself is currently 287 Euros (USD 337). Because original documents are sent as part of the application, it is suggested that they be sent via FedEx or another reliable delivery service provider (about $60-$70). In total, your dual citizenship application will set you back about $550-$600.

Local Irish consulates across the United States or your country of origin can be very helpful if you have questions about dual citizenship eligibility. Check Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs website for those in your home country. The following US cities have consulates which all have dedicated websites with helpful information:

• Austin, Texas

• Atlanta, Georgia

• Boston, Massachusetts

• Chicago, Illinois

• New York City, New York

• San Francisco, California

The process for Irish dual citizenship currently can take up to six months to finalize, but in the end, you can call yourself an Irish citizen!

If you'd like help from Legacy Tree Genealogists to find out more about your Irish ancestry, you can fill out a form here to get the ball rolling!