EU, UK & visitors3 min readReviewed

Irish citizenship through a grandparent

If a grandparent was born on the island of Ireland, you can become an Irish citizen by registering on the Foreign Births Register, even if your parents never had Irish passports. It costs €278 and takes about 12 months. If a parent was born in Ireland, you don't need to register at all: you're already Irish.

Check my family Read the guide
1 grandparent
Born on the island of Ireland is enough, even if your parents never had Irish passports
€278 adults
To register, or €153 for under 18s, including return post
12 months
About how long a complete application takes, in strict date order
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The short answer

  • A parent born in Ireland? You’re already Irish. Apply for a passport.
  • A grandparent born in Ireland? Register on the Foreign Births Register: €278, about 12 months.
  • A parent who became Irish by registering or naturalising before you were born? You can register too.
  • Only a great-grandparent? Only if your parent was registered before you were born.
  • You’re Irish from the day you’re registered, then you can apply for a passport.

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Descent check

Whether you’re Irish already, can register, and what to send.

Who is it for?
Closest Irish link, born outside Ireland yourself

    What to send

        From the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Foreign Birth Registration pages and Citizens Information. Nothing you enter is sent or saved. Born in Ireland yourself? Different rules apply.

        Who is Irish, and who can register

        “Born in Ireland” here means born on the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland included. Everyone below was born outside Ireland.

        Your link Your position
        A parent born in Ireland, an Irish citizen when you were born Already Irish. No registration: apply for a passport
        A grandparent born in Ireland Can register on the Foreign Births Register
        A parent on the register, or naturalised, before your birth Can register
        A parent who became Irish after your birth Can’t register through them
        A great-grandparent, and your parent wasn’t registered before your birth No right to citizenship

        So citizenship can pass down the generations only if each generation registers before the next is born.

        If you were born in Ireland yourself, different rules apply.

        What to send

        Everything is an original, unless it’s a certified copy, and it’s all posted back to you at the end.

        For you:

        • your civil birth certificate, the version showing your parents’ names;
        • a certified copy of your photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence;
        • 2 original proofs of address, or for a child, a letter from their school or doctor;
        • 4 passport photos, 2 of them signed by your witness;
        • marriage or name-change documents, if your name changed.

        For your Irish parent, even when you apply through a grandparent:

        • their civil birth certificate, and marriage certificate if their name changed;
        • a certified copy of their photo ID, or their death certificate;
        • their Foreign Birth Registration or naturalisation certificate, if that’s how they became Irish.

        For your Irish-born grandparent:

        • their Irish civil birth certificate (a baptismal certificate if they were born before 1864), and marriage certificate if their name changed;
        • a certified copy of their photo ID, or their death certificate.

        Brothers and sisters applying together can send one set of family documents, with a letter saying they’re for both applications.

        How to apply

        1. Gather every document first: incomplete applications are sent back.
        2. Apply online at fbr.dfa.ie and pay: €278, or €153 for under 18s.
        3. Print the form and sign it in front of your witness: someone who knows you, isn’t a relative and works in a listed profession, such as a Garda, doctor, teacher, solicitor or accountant. They stamp the form, sign 2 photos and certify your ID copy.
        4. Post it with your documents to the address on the form, by recorded post: the office doesn’t acknowledge receipt.
        5. Wait about 12 months. You’ll be contacted if anything else is needed.
        6. When your Foreign Birth Registration certificate arrives, apply for a first Irish passport on Passport Online.

        Living in Ireland while you wait

        Registering doesn’t depend on where you live. But you only become Irish on the day you’re registered, so if you live here on an immigration permission, keep it valid until then. If you’ve lived here for years, naturalisation is another route to citizenship.

        Common mix-ups

        Common questions

        Can I get Irish citizenship through my grandparent?

        Yes, if your grandparent was born on the island of Ireland and you were born outside Ireland. You become an Irish citizen by registering on the Foreign Births Register, run by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

        My parent was born in Ireland. Do I need to register?

        No. If a parent was born on the island of Ireland and was an Irish citizen when you were born, you're automatically Irish. Apply for an Irish passport as a first-time applicant, with your parent's Irish birth certificate.

        Can I get citizenship through a great-grandparent?

        Only if your parent was on the Foreign Births Register before you were born. Otherwise there's no right to citizenship through great-grandparents, cousins, aunts or uncles. You can apply for citizenship based on Irish associations, but the Minister decides, and these cases take over 30 months.

        My grandparent was born in Northern Ireland. Does that count?

        Yes. The Department of Foreign Affairs says a grandparent born on the island of Ireland, which includes Northern Ireland.

        Neither of my parents has an Irish passport. Can I still apply?

        Yes. The Department of Foreign Affairs says anyone with a grandparent born on the island of Ireland can apply, whether or not their parents hold Irish passports.

        How long does Foreign Birth Registration take?

        About 12 months for a complete application, processed in strict date order. Expectant parents, and people who are or would be stateless, can ask the Customer Service Hub about an urgent request.

        When do I become Irish?

        From the date you're entered on the register, not from your birth. That matters for your children: those born after you're registered can register through you, but those born before can't.

        Can I apply for an Irish passport at the same time?

        No. You can only apply for a passport once you're on the register, using your Foreign Birth Registration certificate.

        My grandparent was born before 1864. What do I send?

        Irish civil birth registration began in 1864, so the Department accepts a baptismal certificate instead.

        What if my application is refused?

        If you sent all the correct documents, you can appeal by letter within 6 weeks of the refusal.

        Sources

        All sources checked on 4 Oct 2026.

        1. Born abroadDepartment of Foreign Affairs
        2. Registering a foreign birthDepartment of Foreign Affairs
        3. Irish citizenship through birth or descentCitizens Information
        4. The Foreign Births RegisterCitizens Information
        5. Applications based on Irish descent or Irish associationsImmigration Service Delivery
        6. Adult (18+) passport applications, documentsDepartment of Foreign Affairs
        Guidance, not advice. This guide explains the published rules in plain English. Rules and processing differ by case, so always check the current official instructions before you apply. On Path is not affiliated with Immigration Service Delivery or the Department of Justice.

        Check your family link.

        Already Irish, able to register, or not, and what to send.

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