Born abroad
If you were born outside Ireland, you may be entitled to Irish citizenship.
Born outside Ireland?
You are automatically an Irish citizen if one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth and was born on the island of Ireland. You don’t need to apply to become an Irish citizen in this case.
You can become an Irish citizen if:
- One of your grandparents was born on the island of Ireland, or;
- One of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, even though they were not born on the island of Ireland.
In these cases, you can become an Irish citizen through Foreign Birth Registration.
Once a person is entered onto the Foreign Births Register they are an Irish citizen and entitled to apply for an Irish passport.
Registering your birth
To register your birth on the Foreign Births Register, you must:
- Follow our How to Register a Foreign Birth guide
- Complete your application form online
- Print out a copy of your application form and make a payment online
- Send us your form, supporting documentation, photos and 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.
Submit a query regarding Foreign Birth Registration.