Citizenship and Naturalisation

You are eligible to citizenship through naturalisation if you have lived in Ireland for five years out of the previous nine years. This is reduced to three years for those who are living in Ireland as the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen, or have been granted refugee status.

It’s also possible to get Irish citizenship through birth, descent and association.

Our Irish immigration solicitors deal with all types of Irish citizenship applications. We can advise whether you are eligible to Irish citizenship. If so, we can manage the process on your behalf.

Call us on 01 901 1355, email info@rnlsolicitors.ie or fill in the Free Online Enquiry Form. You can also request a call back and we will contact you at a convenient time.

We can be contacted outside of Irish office working hours and can communicate with you via phone, email and WhatsApp.

How to get citizenship through naturalisation

You can get Irish citizenship through naturalisation if you have been legally resident in Ireland for five years out of the previous nine years. You must have been living in Ireland for at least one year before the application. Being ‘resident’ in Ireland means that you have not left the country for more than six weeks in a year, unless it was for an emergency.

The rules are different if:

• Your spouse or civil partner is an Irish citizen
• You are a refugee
• You are a child whose parent has become an Irish citizen through naturalisation

Your spouse/civil partner is an Irish resident

If you are married to an Irish citizen, or you are in a civil partnership with an Irish citizen, then you are entitled to claim Irish citizenship through naturalisation if:

• You have been married/in a civil partnership for three years; and
• You have lived on the isle of Ireland for three years out of the previous five years; and
• You live with your spouse or civil partner

You are a refugee

If you have been granted refugee status in Ireland, then you are entitled to claim Irish citizenship through naturalisation after three years of residency.

Your parent has become an Irish citizen through naturalisation

If a child’s parent has become an Irish citizen through naturalisation, that child is generally eligible for citizenship after three years of residency in Ireland.

Proving reckonable residence

All applicants must prove that they meet residency requirements, which will be three or five years of residency in Ireland depending on your situation.

If you are not a citizen of the EEA, UK or Switzerland, you must also use the online residency calculator to prove that you have enough ‘reckonable residence’. You must be able to show that you have:

• 1,095 days of reckonable residence (or 1,096 if there was a leap year); and
• 365 days of continuous residence (or 366 if there was a leap year) immediately before making the application

For non-EEA/UK/Swiss citizens, not all time spent in Ireland counts towards reckonable residence. The following will be excluded from your calculation:

• Time spent on a student visa (unless you are making an application as a young adult)
• Time spent as a trainee accountant
• Time spent in Ireland illegally (undocumented)
• Time spent on the Third Level Graduate Scheme
• Time spent while applying for international protection

If you are aged between 18 and 23, you might count as a ‘young adult’. If so, you might be able to use your parent’s reckonable residence and your Stamp 2/2A permissions to count towards your reckonable residence.

Other ways to get Irish citizenship

There are other ways to get Irish citizenship, including by:

• Birth
• Descent
• Assocation

Irish citizenship by birth

Before 1 January 2005, everyone born on the island of Ireland was an Irish citizen by birth. Parents born in Ireland could also pass their citizenship on to their children. This means that you are automatically an Irish citizen if you or your parent were born on the island of Ireland before 2005.

Irish citizenship by descent

If your parent was born outside of Ireland but was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth (or was entitled to Irish citizenship), then you can claim Irish citizenship by descent. This also applies if your grandparent was born in Ireland and your parent was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth (or was entitled to Irish citizenship).

Irish citizenship by association

If you have a strong link to Ireland – such as a great-grandparent who was an Irish citizen – then you could claim Irish citizenship by association. Usually, you must have lived in Ireland for at least three years. These applications are accepted at the discretion of the Minister for Justice.

Read about Irish citizenship by association in more detail.

Are you eligible to Irish citizenship?

There are many benefits to becoming an Irish citizen. An Irish passport provides unrestricted access to the European Union and the ability to travel to over 100 countries without a visa. However, the rules regarding eligibility can be confusing. That’s where out immigration solicitors can help. We can confirm whether you are entitled to Irish citizenship. If you are, then we can manage the entire process for you. This includes preparing your application, gathering the necessary documents and liaising with the Immigration Service Delivery.

We are highly experienced immigration solicitors and deal with all types of citizenship applications, including those based on:

• Naturalisation
• Marriage or civil partnership
• Refugee status
• Child of a naturalised parent
• Descent
• Association

We make the process as simple and as straightforward as possible. When you choose RNL Solicitors, you can be confident that your application is in safe hands.

We can be contacted outside of Irish office working hours and can communicate with you via phone, email and WhatsApp.

Call us on 01 901 1355, email info@rnlsolicitors.ie or fill in the Free Online Enquiry Form. You can also request a call back and we will contact you at a convenient time.

Irish citizenship – quick facts:

How can I become an Irish citizen?

You can become an Irish citizen through:

• Birth
• Descent – meaning an Irish parent or grandparent
• Association
• Naturalisation

What does naturalisation mean?

Naturalisation means that you have lived in a particular country for an extended period of time, making you entitled to become a citizen of that country.

How long do I have to live in Ireland before I can get citizenship?

You have to live in Ireland for five years before you become eligible to apply for citizenship. This is reduced to three years for those who are married/in a civil partnership with an Irish citizen, have refugee status, and who have a naturalised parent.

Does Ireland allow dual citizenship?

Yes, Ireland allows dual citizenship. So long as your current country of citizenship allows dual citizenship, then you can hold two passports at the same time.

Do I have to prove reckonable residence to get Irish citizenship?

You only have to prove that you have enough reckonable residence if you are from outside the EEA, UK or Switzerland. Otherwise, you simply have to show that you have been living in Ireland for five years (or three years if you fall under one of the exemptions).

What are the requirements for Irish citizenship through naturalisation?

To get Irish citizenship through naturalisation, you must:

• Be 18 or over (applications for minors must be completed by a parent or guardian)
• Be of good character
• Intend to continue living in Ireland
• Make a declaration of fidelity to the Irish State at an official citizenship ceremony
• Meet the residency requirements, which will be three or five years of residency in Ireland depending on your situation
• Have been married to/in a civil partnership with an Irish citizen for three years, if applying on this basis

Do you want to become an Irish citizen?

Call us on 01 901 1355, email info@rnlsolicitors.ie or fill in the Free Online Enquiry Form. You can also request a call back and we will contact you at a convenient time.