Foreign Births Registration - Guidelines for Applicants Resident in Saudi Arabia

You are automatically an Irish citizen if one of your parents was an Irish citizen who was born in Ireland.

You can become an Irish citizen if one of your grandparents was born in Ireland, or if one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, but was not born in Ireland. If you're eligible, you can register your birth on the Foreign Births Register.

The steps below will help you with your application.

Eligibility

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.

Supporting Documents

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 to provide 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 the supporting 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)
Original Divorce Decree (final) if Divorced and Current Civil Marriage Certificate (if remarried)
Deed poll (if you’ve changed your name)
Copy of current Passport.
If over 18 years - Three separate documents showing proof of Residence in Saudi Arabia e.g. phone bill, 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)
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
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.
Declaration of Alienage (if they ever renounced their Irish citizenship)

Your Irish-born grandparent’s details

Original Long form Civil Birth Certificate
Original Civil Marriage Certificate (if married)
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
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.
Declaration of Alienage (if they ever renounced their Irish citizenship)

You may also need:

Depending on the circumstances, under which you are claiming Irish citizenship, you may also need:

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 methods before their child was born, the child may apply for Foreign Birth Registration.

The documentation required to prove the line of descent in these circumstances is as follows:

(i) All of the documents applicable to the person named in section A of application form

(ii) All of the documents applicable to the person named in Section B of application form

(iii) The original - FBR Certificate/Post Nuptial Citizenship / Naturalisation Certificate/ Foreign Adoption Certificate issued from the Irish Adoption Board for Irish Parent.

(iv) Three proofs of current residence in Saudi Arabia for the parent and proof of residence for the child in Saudi Arabia.

(v) A Declaration of Intention to Retain Irish Citizenship will also be required. This form is accessible on the Department of Justice website.

(vi) The Embassy of Ireland in Riyadh will only accept applications from applicants resident in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman and Yemen.

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, where applicable, the relevant authorities in a foreign country.

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 documents on the checklist with your application
Sign and date the checklist
Take the application form and supporting documentation to the Embassy, or post/courier it to us.

Remember…

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

Witnessing your application

Before you send your application form, 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 Saudi Arabia (or Bahrain, Iraq, Oman or Yemen, if applicable).

(b) Must not be related in any way to the Applicant

Members of the Clergy (We define a member of the Clergy as a person who can officiate at Ceremonies e.g. Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals etc.)
Medical Doctor
Lawyer
Bank Manager
School Principal/Head of Department at University/College
Judge

The witness must either know you personally or know a third party who knows you personally.

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 witnessed are not accepted.

Remember...

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

Photos

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: €270 (SAR 1,620)

Under 18 years of age

Registration: €145 (SAR 870)

Payment methods

Payments to the Embassy must be made in cash in person at the Embassy, or, in cases where an approved Foreign Births Registration Cert is sent to the applicant by courier, the courier company will collect the fee from the applicant in addition to their own delivery fee, and will remit the fee to the Embassy.

Apply

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