An application for Irish citizenship through Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) can be submitted by any person with a grandparent born in any part of Ireland or by any person whose parent received Irish citizenship prior to the birth of the applicant.

You need to include personal details about yourself and your family in your online application to confirm that you’re entitled to Irish citizenship.

All the information you need can be found on the supporting documentation that you’ll have to submit with your application form.

Once you begin your online application, you have to complete it fully. You can’t save your details and finish it later. So make sure you have these documents to hand before you start:

You will need:

Original documents must be submitted in all cases – photocopies or laminates are not accepted

Your details

• Original Long form Civil Birth Certificate
• Original Civil Marriage Certificate (if married) - Church certificates are NOT acceptable
• Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate (if remarried)
• Deed poll (if you’ve changed your name). Original must be submitted and must have been valid for at least two years. Three documents showing proof of usage in the newly acquired name - e.g. Bank Statements, Utility Bills that are at least two years old - must also accompany the deed poll.
• Certified/Notarized Copy of current passport
• If over 18 years - Three separate documents showing proof of Residence e.g. phone bill, gas/electricity bill.
• If under 18 years – A school report/Doctor’s letter showing proof of residence of applicant and three separate proofs of residence for the applying Irish parent.

Your parent’s details (through whom you’re claiming citizenship)

• Original Long form Civil Birth Certificate 
• Original Civil Marriage Certificate (if married) - Church certificates are NOT acceptable
• Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate (if remarried)
• Declaration of Alienage (if they ever renounced their Irish citizenship)
• Certified/Notarized Copy of current passport
• Original Death Certificate if Deceased
• Deed poll (if they ever changed their name). Original must be submitted and must have been valid for at least two years. Three documents showing proof of usage in the newly acquired name - e.g. Bank Statements, Utility Bills that are at least two years old - must also accompany the deed poll.

Your Irish-born grandparent’s details

• Original Long form Civil Birth Certificate
• Original Civil Marriage Certificate (if married) - Church certificates are NOT acceptable
• Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate ( if remarried)
• Declaration of Alienage (if they ever renounced their Irish citizenship)
• Copy of current passport or indentity document (e.g. Driver's Licence)
• Original Death Certificate if Deceased
• Deed poll (if they ever changed their name). Original must be submitted and must have been valid for at least two years. Three documents showing proof of usage in the newly acquired name - e.g. Bank Statements, Utility Bills that are at least two years old - must also accompany the deed poll.

Your parent’s Naturalisation Certificate

Your parent’s Foreign Births Registration Certificate

Your parent’s Post-Nuptial Declaration

Your parent’s adoption details

If the parent of the applicant acquired Irish Citizenship through one of the above before their child was born, the child may apply for Foreign Birth Registration.

Further documentation

We may ask you to submit more documents to support your application.

Authentication

We may check the authenticity of all documentation you submit as part of your application.

Getting replacement documents

• We need original documents (not photocopies) to process your application.
• If you don't have the original certificates, you can get replacements from the General Register Office (GRO) Ireland or from the Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages from the Australian State or Territory where the event occurred.

Checklist

When you submit and print your online application form, a checklist of the documents you need will also print out. You need to:

• Make sure you’ve included all the original documents on the checklist in your application along with one photocopy
• Sign and date the checklist
• Posting your application - Send your application to the address printed on top right-hand corner of your application form. This will be either a specified Irish Embassy or Consulate, or a PO Box address in Ireland.

Remember…

If you haven’t included all the necessary documents, your application will be returned to you.

Before you send your application form to the relevant office, you must have it witnessed by an appropriate person.

Who can be a witness?

The witness must be from one of the following professions only and:

(a) Must be currently residing and practicing in Australia

(b) The witness must either know you personally or know a third party who knows you personally. The witness cannot be related to the applicant,

Your witness can be one of the following:

• Lawyer
• Commissioner for Oaths / Justice of the Peace
• Police Officer
• Magistrate
• Judge

Your witness needs to:

• Fully complete Section E of your application form - 'Certificate of Identity'
• Sign your two passport-sized photographs (if under 18, parent must also sign the photographs)
• Witness you signing Section D of your application form
• Indicate on the form specifically whether they personally know you, or otherwise that you have been identified by a third party known to them.
• Provide a business/work address and contact number. Private addresses for witnesses are not accepted.

Remember...

If your application hasn't been properly witnessed, it will be returned to you.

You need to submit two passport-sized photographs with your application.

Your witness must sign and date these photographs.

If you're applying on behalf of a minor, you also need to submit two passport-sized photographs of yourself. They should also be signed and dated by you and your witness.

Over 18 years of age

• Registration plus Certificate: €270
• Non-refundable postage fee: €8
• Total: €278

Under 18 years of age

• Registration plus Certificate: €145
• Non-refundable postage fee: €8
• Total: €153

Payment methods

Payment is made by debit/credit card as part of the online application process

We strongly encourage you to gather all the required documents prior to completing the online form – incomplete applications will not be accepted

Begin your online Foreign Births Registration application