Irish citizenship by descent
Last reviewed against the official sources below: October 31, 2026.
| Who qualifies | Children of an Irish citizen; grandchildren of someone born on the island of Ireland |
|---|---|
| Generation limit | Grandparent. No route through a great-grandparent alone |
| Filing authority | Department of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Births Register (apply online) |
| Route type | Automatic (parent born in Ireland) or registration (Foreign Births Register) |
| Processing time | About 9 to 12 months (official pages differ) |
Who qualifies
You are automatically an Irish citizen if one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth and was born on the island of Ireland. You don't need to apply. Source: ireland.ie, Registering a foreign birth
If you were born outside Ireland, you can become an Irish citizen through Foreign Birth Registration if one of your grandparents was born in Ireland, or one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth even though they weren't born in Ireland. Once you're entered on the Foreign Births Register you are an Irish citizen and can apply for an Irish passport. Source: ireland.ie
How far back you can go
The Irish government has said there is no provision to become an Irish citizen solely through a great-grandparent who was an Irish-born citizen. Source: Oireachtas, parliamentary answer, June 25, 2025
Timing breaks: when your parent became Irish
If your parent became Irish through Foreign Birth Registration or naturalisation, you can claim through that parent only if they were already an Irish citizen when you were born. Source: dfa.ie FAQ See children of people registered through the FBR.
Documents (adult, Irish-born grandparent)
Unless stated, originals must be sent: a signed and witnessed application form, your civil birth certificate showing parents, marriage or name-change documents if relevant, a certified copy of your photo ID and 4 colour photos; the same civil birth, marriage and ID (or death certificate) documents for your Irish citizen parent; and the same for your Irish-born grandparent. Source: ireland.ie Printable checklist.
Processing time
ireland.ie gives about 12 months, the dfa.ie FAQ about 9 months, and a Dáil answer on October 1, 2026 gave 12 months. Source: ireland.ie Source: dfa.ie Source: Dáil answer, Oct 1, 2026
Dual citizenship
Ireland allows dual citizenship. Source: Irish Immigration Service
Printable Ireland document checklist Pre-screen for Ireland
Ireland articles
- Irish Citizenship Through a Grandparent: Foreign Birth Registration Basics Ireland
- Can You Get Irish Citizenship Through a Great-Grandparent? Ireland
- How Long Does Irish Foreign Birth Registration Take? Ireland
- Irish Foreign Birth Registration Documents Checklist (Grandparent Route) Ireland
- Irish Passport After Foreign Birth Registration: Documents, Fees and Timeline Ireland
- Grandparent Born in Northern Ireland? You Can Still Use Irish Foreign Birth Registration Ireland
- I Got Irish Citizenship Through Foreign Birth Registration. Can My Children Get It Too? Ireland
Official sources
- ireland.ie: Registering a foreign birth
- dfa.ie: Citizenship by descent FAQs
- Oireachtas answer, June 25, 2025
- Oireachtas answer, Oct 1, 2026
- irishimmigration.ie: Dual citizenship