Irish citizenship by descent · Foreign Births Register

Claim your Irish citizenship, and your EU passport.

An Irish passport is an EU passport: the right to live, work, and study across all 27 EU countries. If a parent or grandparent was born on the island of Ireland — the Republic or Northern Ireland — a path is very likely open to you. No court, no residency, no trip to Ireland. We'll tell you straight if you qualify, then run the whole case.

Check my eligibility→Your EU passport perks
  • ✓Free assessment
  • ✓Honest even if the answer is no
  • ✓We run the whole case — start to passport
Latest from the blog · Who qualifies

Irish citizenship through a grandparent: who qualifies in 2026

June 10, 2026 · 7 min read
Read the article →
Not sure if your line qualifies?

That's exactly what we're here for.

Tell us where your Irish ancestor was born and how the line runs down to you. We'll read it against the current rules and reply within two business days — with the route that applies, or an honest “no” if none does.

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Free · 2-business-day reply · No credit card

Who qualifies

If Ireland is one or two generations back, the door is open.

Irish citizenship passes down by birth on the island of Ireland — the Republic and Northern Ireland count equally. A grandparent born in Ireland is the route most American families look at first. You don't have to figure out where your case fits. That's our job.

★ Most common path · Foreign Births Register

Through your grandparent born in Ireland

Foreign Births Register · administrative — no court

If a grandparent was born on the island of Ireland, you can become an Irish citizen by entering your birth in the Foreign Births Register — even if your parent never registered. This is the route most American families qualify through.

  • Grandparent born in the Republic or Northern Ireland
  • Administrative process — filed online, by post to Dublin
  • No residency, no language test, no oath, no travel
  • Register before your own children are born, and they qualify too
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Strongest line · Likely already a citizen

Through your parent born in Ireland

Citizen from birth · often straight to passport

If a parent was born on the island of Ireland, you are very likely an Irish citizen already — from the day you were born. Often there's no register step at all: we go straight to documenting your line and applying for your passport.

  • Parent born in the Republic or Northern Ireland
  • Citizen from birth — frequently no FBR step needed
  • Great-grandparent line? It can still work — ask us about the timing rule
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How it works

Three steps. No pressure.

The first contact is free. The eligibility read is candid. If a path exists for you, we'll name it clearly.

01
Share your family line
A few facts answer most questions: your Irish ancestor's name, where on the island they were born, roughly when, and whether anyone in your line has already registered with the Foreign Births Register.
02
We read the law against your case
We map your line under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 — the grandparent rule and, for great-grandparent lines, the registration-timing rule that decides them. Document gaps included.
03
You get a candid written assessment
Within two business days: whether you qualify, which route fits (Foreign Births Register, straight-to-passport, or neither), a realistic timeline, and clear next steps — even if that means this path isn't available for you.
Start with your family story →
The rules, plainly

How Irish citizenship by descent
actually works.

Under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, citizenship passes by descent. If a parent or a grandparent was born on the island of Ireland, you can claim it — the Republic and Northern Ireland count the same.

When you're born outside Ireland, the route is the Foreign Births Register (FBR): a fully administrative process run by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. No residency. No language test. No oath. No trip to Ireland.

The one rule that catches families out is continuity: each generation must be registered before the next is born. A great-grandparent line only works if your parent was entered in the FBR before you were born. We check that first — and tell you straight.

Information current as of June 2026. Updated when the rules change.

What decides a Foreign Births Register case

1
An Irish-born ancestor in your direct line
Parent or grandparent born on the island of Ireland
2
An unbroken, documented chain
Civil birth, marriage and death records linking each generation
3
Registration before the next birth
For great-grandparent lines: the parent must be in the FBR before you were born

Government fees: €278 (adult) / €153 (child). Typical timeline today: about 9–12 months. We handle the rest.

Why Erin Citizenship

Find out if your line qualifies — without the guesswork.

🧭
We classify the case — you don't have to

Most people we hear from aren't sure whether a grandparent or great-grandparent line qualifies. That's fine. Tell us a few family facts; we'll read your line against the law and tell you which route is yours — or that none is. No self-diagnosis required.

📜
We run the whole case

From the eligibility read through finding the Irish civil records, building the document chain, filing the Foreign Births Register submission, and applying for your passport. One point of contact, start to finish.

✋
We say no when it's no

If you qualify, we'll say so. If the line is too distant or the timing breaks it, we'll tell you that clearly and explain what, if anything, might still be available. No false hope.

Free · no credit card

Ready to find out where you stand?

Share your family story on the next page. We read every submission ourselves and reply within two business days — with a straight answer, even if that answer is “no.”

✓Free assessment — no payment required
✓Reply within 2 business days
✓Honest answer, even if the answer is no
✓Your information stays private, never sold
Common questions

Straight answers

My grandparent was born in Ireland but never registered as a citizen — can I still apply?+

Yes. A grandparent born on the island of Ireland qualifies you to enter your birth in the Foreign Births Register — whether or not your parent ever registered. That's the most common route American families use.

We confirm the line with civil records, prepare the submission, and handle it through to your passport.

What about a great-grandparent?+

It comes down to timing. A great-grandparent born in Ireland only passes citizenship down if your parent was entered in the Foreign Births Register before you were born. If that link is missing, the line is broken under Irish law and there's no automatic right through earlier ancestry.

Tell us the dates and we'll tell you straight whether the line holds — before you spend anything.

Does Northern Ireland count?+

Yes. Irish law speaks of the “island of Ireland.” An ancestor born in Belfast, Derry or anywhere in Northern Ireland qualifies exactly the same way as one born in the Republic.

Do I have to travel to Ireland, live there, or speak Irish?+

No. Citizenship by descent is fully administrative — no residency, no language test, no oath, and no consular visit. The application is filed online and sent by post to Dublin.

The one in-person step is signing your form in front of a witness (a U.S. notary works). You do that locally — you never have to leave the country.

How long does it take, and what does the government charge?+

The Foreign Births Register currently runs roughly 9–12 months from a complete file. Government fees are €278 for an adult and €153 for a child, plus the passport fee afterward.

Our fee for running the case is agreed up front, before any work begins — no surprises.

Can I keep my U.S. citizenship?+

Yes. Ireland allows dual citizenship with no restriction, and becoming an Irish citizen by descent does not affect your U.S. citizenship. There's no oath of renunciation and no tax filed simply for holding Irish citizenship.

How much does this cost?+

We work on a flat fee for your case — agreed up front, before any work begins, so there are no surprises. The fee depends on the number of applicants, the complexity of your line, and the records we need to procure (including any Irish civil-record searches).

Tell us your story and we'll quote you a clear price for the full process, on top of the government fees above.

Who actually handles my case?+

We do — from your first eligibility assessment through finding the Irish civil records, building the document file, filing the Foreign Births Register submission, and applying for your Irish passport.

One point of contact, one process, start to finish.

What happens to my information after I submit?+

We read it. We do not sell it or use it for ad retargeting. If you'd prefer we delete your submission after replying, say so in your message and we will.

From the journal

Irish citizenship, explained honestly.

Plain-English guides to the law as it actually stands — the Foreign Births Register, the grandparent rule, and the timing that decides a great-grandparent case.

All articles →
Who qualifies

Irish citizenship through a grandparent: who qualifies in 2026

If a grandparent was born on the island of Ireland, you can almost certainly become an Irish citizen through the Foreign Births Register — even if your parent never registered. Here's how it works.

June 10, 2026 · 7 min readThe rules

Great-grandparent born in Ireland? The timing rule that decides your case

A great-grandparent can pass Irish citizenship down — but only if your parent was entered in the Foreign Births Register before you were born. Here's the continuity rule, and what to do if the line looks broken.

June 8, 2026 · 6 min readGuides

What Irish citizenship by descent costs — and how long it takes in 2026

Government fees, realistic timelines, and what an Irish passport actually unlocks. A straight breakdown of the Foreign Births Register process for Americans.

June 5, 2026 · 6 min read

Find out where you stand —
for free.

Share your family story. We'll reply within two business days with a straight answer — whichever way it goes.

Check my eligibility →

Free · 2-business-day reply · No credit card