Ireland
Grandparent Born in Northern Ireland? You Can Still Use Irish Foreign Birth Registration
Short answer: yes. Ireland says an application through Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) can be made by any person with a grandparent born on the island of Ireland. Source: ireland.ie, Registering a foreign birth The island includes Northern Ireland.
What the official sources say
If your grandparent was born on the island of Ireland, and both your parent and you were born outside Ireland, you can apply for entry on the Foreign Births Register. You can apply even if neither of your parents has an Irish passport. Source: ireland.ie
Citizens Information, the Irish state's public information service, explains that people born in Northern Ireland before January 1, 2005 are entitled to claim Irish citizenship, meaning they can choose to be Irish citizens. Source: Citizens Information Its table of who qualifies says the grandchild, born outside the island of Ireland, of someone born on the island of Ireland on or before December 31, 2004 is entitled to Irish citizenship but must first register in the Foreign Births Register. Source: Citizens Information
The grandparent's documents Ireland asks for
- original civil birth certificate showing parental details
- original civil marriage certificate or other change-of-name document, if applicable
- a certified photocopy of current state-issued photo ID, or an original civil death certificate
Source: ireland.ie If your grandparent was born before 1864, when Irish civil birth registration began, Ireland accepts a baptismal certificate instead. Source: ireland.ie
Getting a Northern Ireland birth certificate
Northern Ireland birth certificates come from the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI) and are available from 1864 to the present. You can order online with a credit or debit card. Source: nidirect You'll need:
- the person's full name
- date and place of birth (district, or street and town)
- parents' names, including the mother's maiden name
- the mother's address at the time of the birth
A certificate can't be sent if you don't give the full details. Source: nidirect
One certificate costs £15; extra copies of the same certificate ordered at the same time cost £8 each, and a priority certificate costs £20. The fee includes a £7 search fee that's kept even if the record isn't found. Source: nidirect, Ordering certificates Certificates sent outside the UK go by untracked international standard post and may take up to four weeks from the date of issue. Source: nidirect You can also order by phone on +44 300 200 7890 from outside the UK, or by post. Source: nidirect
If you're not sure of the details, GRONI's online records have a free name search; viewing full registration details costs credits (£0.50 each). Source: nidirect, GRONI online
How long FBR takes
Ireland says it takes approximately 12 months to process a completed FBR application. Source: ireland.ie See our FBR documents checklist for everything else you'll need.