Becoming an Irish citizen through naturalisation https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/irish-citizenshi...

B e c o m i n g a n I r i s h c i � z e n t h ro u g h
n a t u ra l i s a � o n
• What is naturalisa�on?
• Ci�zenship for a spouse of an Irish ci�zen
• Check that you qualify
• Apply online
• Documenta�on
• What happens a�er I apply?
• Ci�zenship ceremonies
• Cer�fica�on fees
• What can I do if I lose my cer�ficate of naturalisa�on?
• Further informa�on and contacts

W h a t i s n a t u r a l i s a � o n?
Naturalisa�on is when you become a ci�zen of another country, usually because you have been
living there for a number of years. To apply for naturalisa�on in Ireland, you must be physically
resident in Ireland for a certain length of �me.

You can also read about:

• Ci�zenship by birth or descent

• Ci�zenship through the Foreign Births Register

All applica�ons to become a naturalised Irish ci�zen are decided by Immigra�on Service Delivery
(ISD) on behalf of the Minister for Jus�ce. The Minister has absolute discre�on as to whether or
not to grant naturalisa�on. The Minister considers a range of informa�on available to decide on
an applica�on for naturalisa�on.

You apply online for Irish ci�zenship. If you have already submi�ed a paper form, you can
con�nue to submit documenta�on by post.

Paper forms con�nue to be available to those who cannot access an online service. To request a
paper form contact ci�zenshipinfo@jus�ce.ie

There is an applica�on fee of €175. If your applica�on is successful, you may have to pay a
further fee of up to €950 (see ‘Cer�fica�on fees’ below for excep�ons to this fee).

C i � z e n s h i p fo r a s p o u s e o f a n I r i s h c i � z e n
If you are married to, or in a civil partnership with, an Irish ci�zen, you can apply to become an
Irish ci�zen by naturalisa�on. You can apply if you live in Ireland or Northern Ireland and meet the
following condi�ons:

• You are 18 or over

• You have been married for 3 years or more.
• You have lived on the island of Ireland for 3 out of the 5 years before you make your
applica�on (see ‘Calcula�ng reckonable residence’ below). You must have lived in Ireland or
Northern Ireland con�nuously for 12 months before the date of your applica�on.

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• You intend to live in Ireland a�er you have become an Irish ci�zen
• You live with your spouse
• You are of ‘good character’ (see ‘Check that you qualify’ below)

C h e c k t h a t yo u q u a l i f y
To become an Irish ci�zen through naturalisa�on, you must meet the condi�ons that are set out
in the Irish Na�onality and Ci�zenship Act 1956 as amended (pdf). These are:

A ge

You must be 18 years or older.

You can apply on behalf of a child if:

• The child was born in Ireland a�er 1 January 2005 and did not qualify for ci�zenship by
birth
• The child is of Irish descent or Irish associa�ons
• The parent of the child is a ci�zen by naturalisa�on

C h a ra c te r

You must be ‘of good character’. There is no exhaus�ve legal defini�on of what ‘good character’
means.

The Garda Síochána (Ireland's na�onal police) provides a report about your background. As part of
this, the Minister receives informa�on about the following:

• Your criminal record

• Driving offences you may have commi�ed
• Ongoing inves�ga�ons against you
• Pending criminal cases (that haven’t been heard in court yet)
• Cau�ons or other warnings you have received from the Gardaí
• Certain civil cases (for example, if you were subject to a barring order)

You are asked on the applica�on form to declare any of the above and you are given the
opportunity to explain the circumstances that led to the Garda or court ac�on. Before a decision
is made on your ci�zenship applica�on, you will get an invita�on to complete an e-ve�ng
applica�on so that the informa�on on your character is as up to date as possible.

If you are applying for your child who is over 14, they must demonstrate ‘good character’. The
‘good character’ test also applies if your child is under 14 and has been charged with, or convicted
of, a serious violent or sexual crime.

Residence in the State

You must have lived in the State for a certain length of �me. The specific requirements are that
you:

• Have a period of 365 days (1 year) con�nuous reckonable residence in the State
immediately before the date of your applica�on for naturalisa�on and
• During the 8 years before that, have had a total reckonable residence in the State of 1,460

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days (4 years)

You can spend 70 days outside of Ireland in the year immediately before your applica�on.

An addi�onal period of up to 30 days may be allowed if you le� Ireland due to excep�onal
circumstances, for example, health reasons, family circumstances, employment or study. You
should explain this in your applica�on.

Altogether you must have 1,825 days (5 years) reckonable residence out of the last 9 years.

The residency rules for children are different. You can find out more about the residency rules
when applying for Irish ci�zenship for a child.

Some other categories of applicant can apply a�er 3 years residence (see ‘The Minister’s power to
waive condi�ons’ below).

Calcula�ng reckonable residence

Reckonable residence means residence in Ireland that counts towards becoming eligible to apply
for naturalisa�on. If your applica�on is based on your marriage or civil partnership with an Irish
ci�zen, you can count legal residence in Northern Ireland too.

If you are from outside the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, certain periods of residence are counted
towards the reckonable residence you need to qualify for naturalisa�on. Some examples of
periods that are counted for reckonable residence include:

• Time spent in Ireland on an employment permit (usually with a Stamp 1 Irish Residence
Permit)
• Time spent on a Stamp 4
• Time spent as the dependent of an employment permit or other legal resident (usually with
Stamp 3)
• Time spent as the spouse or partner of a Cri�cal Skills Employment Permit holder or on the
Third Level Graduate Scheme (with Stamp 1G)
• Time spent on a Stamp 5 (Without Condi�on as to Time)

Periods of residence that are not reckonable include:

• Time spent on a student visa (usually with a Stamp 2 or Stamp 2A IRP) unless you are
making an applica�on as a ‘young adult’ (see below)
• Time spent in Ireland while you were undocumented
• Time spent while you were an interna�onal protec�on applicant

You can use the online residency calculator on the Immigra�on Service Delivery website to check
if you meet the naturalisa�on residency condi�ons. You must send a printout from the calculator
with your applica�on (along with other proofs of residence) unless you are a UK, Swiss or EEA
ci�zen, or have refugee status in Ireland.

Registra�on with immigra�on is usually the evidence of legal residence which meets the
residency requirements for naturalisa�on. You can count the �me when your immigra�on
permission was automa�cally extended during COVID-19 as reckonable if you had reckonable
residence immediately before the first extension. For example, if you had a Stamp 4 in March
2020, your Stamp 4 permission was automa�cally extended un�l 31 May 2022. This period
counts as reckonable residence. You must also prove that you were actually resident in Ireland
during this �me (see ‘scorecard system’ in the sec�on ‘Documenta�on’ below).

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Young adults

You can use your parent’s reckonable residence if you are a young adult and do not have the
required reckonable residence yourself.

You are a young adult if:

• You are aged between 18 and 23 when you make your applica�on
• You entered Ireland legally with your family
• You are in school or you went straight from school to third level college in Ireland
• You are dependent on your parents

E E A , U K a n d Sw i s s n a � o n a l s

If you are a ci�zen of an EEA country, Switzerland or the UK, you do not have to enclose a
‘reckonable residence’ calcula�on with your applica�on. You have to show your residence by
using documentary evidence of your history in Ireland. The online applica�on form provides more
informa�on.

The EEA includes the EU and Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein.

If you are a ci�zen of the EEA, Switzerland or the UK, you do not have to register for an Irish
Residence Permit. All periods of residence in Ireland are counted towards naturalisa�on.

T h e M i n s t e r ' s p o w e r t o w a i ve c o n d i � o n s

The Minister for Jus�ce has the power to waive one or more of the condi�ons for naturalisa�on
in the following circumstances:

• If you are of Irish descent or of Irish associa�ons

• If you are a parent or guardian applying on behalf of a minor child of Irish descent or Irish
associa�ons
• If you are a naturalised parent applying on behalf of a minor child
• If you are the spouse or civil partner of an Irish ci�zen or a naturalised person
• If you have been resident abroad in the public service
• If you are recognised as a refugee (under the 1951 Geneva Conven�on rela�ng to the
Status of Refugees) or a stateless person (under the 1954 UN Conven�on regarding
Stateless Persons).

For spouses and civil partners of Irish ci�zens, you can apply for naturalisa�on a�er 3 years of
marriage or civil partnership and 3 years of reckonable residence on the island of Ireland.

A person granted refugee status can apply for ci�zenship through naturalisa�on once they have
3 years of residency. Residency is calculated from the date of arrival in the State. Note: This does
not apply to people who have subsidiary protec�on status.

Future inten�ons

You must intend in good faith to con�nue to reside in the State a�er naturalisa�on. If your
applica�on is successful and you move away from Ireland you should complete Form 5 (pdf),
which states your inten�on to keep your Irish ci�zenship while you are temporarily living abroad.

If your applica�on is approved, you must make a declara�on of fidelity to the na�on and loyalty to

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the State. You must also swear that you will observe the laws of Ireland and respect its
democra�c values. These declara�ons are usually made at a ci�zenship ceremony.

Apply online
You apply online for Irish ci�zenship. If you have already submi�ed a paper form, you can
con�nue to submit documenta�on by post.

Paper forms con�nue to be available to those who cannot access an online service. To request a
paper form contact ci�zenshipinfo@jus�ce.ie

There is an applica�on fee of €175. If your applica�on is successful, you may have to pay a
further fee of up to €950 (see ‘Cer�fica�on fees’ below for excep�ons to this fee).

You do not have to use a solicitor to complete your applica�on. If you decide to use a solicitor,
you may save money by ge�ng quotes from a number of different law firms.

Do c u m e nt a � o n
The suppor�ng documents you need depend on your situa�on. If your documents are in a
language other than English, you must get them translated by a professional transla�ng service.
The Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Associa�on has a list of professional translators.

In all cases, you will need to provide evidence of your iden�ty and na�onality.

From 20 April 2023, new applicants are only required to provide a cer�fied colour photocopy of
the biometric page of their current passport. Your photocopy must be cer�fied by a solicitor,
commissioner for oaths, peace commissioner or a notary public. The ISD can s�ll ask you to
submit your full passport – it is expected that 10% of applicants will be asked to submit their full
passport.

S c o re c a rd s y s t e m

ISD now uses a ‘scorecard’ system for assessing iden�fica�on and residence history. This means
that you can use a wider variety of documents, and be sure that you have enough evidence to
send with your applica�on.

You must have 150 points in both iden�fica�on and residency. The Ci�zenship Guidance
Document explains how many points you get for different types of documents.

If your applica�on for naturalisa�on is based on your marriage or civil partnership with an Irish
ci�zen, you will have to send documents that show your spouse’s na�onality and also evidence
that you have been married for 3 years.

Some of the documents you need to send must be cer�fied as ‘true copies’ by a solicitor, notary,
commissioner for oaths or a peace commissioner. You can ask a solicitor to cer�fy your
documents when you are making your statutory declara�on (see Step 4 below). These include:

• Your birth cer�ficate

• Your spouse’s birth cer�ficate (if your applica�on is based on marriage to an Irish ci�zen)
• Your marriage cer�ficate or civil partnership cer�ficate (if your applica�on is based on
marriage to an Irish ci�zen)
• Your passport

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You can find a full list of the documents you need to send when you apply.

P ro b l e m s w i t h d o c u m e n t s

If you are unable to include documents that are listed and you have tried to get copies of the
documents but are unable to, you should explain the reason why you cannot include the
documents.

If you are unable to send your birth cer�ficate or marriage cer�ficate, you must use the affidavits
below. An affidavit is only accepted if you can show that you are unable to get your cer�ficate.

• Birth affidavit form

• Marriage affidavit form

What h appens a�er I apply?

Most applica�ons for naturalisa�on are processed within 19 months.

You may be asked to send further documenta�on or clarify some informa�on that you gave in
your applica�on. You will get an applica�on number.

C h a n g e o f a d d re s s

You must tell ISD in wri�ng if you move house. You do this by comple�ng a change of address
form (pdf).

If yo u r a p p l i c a � o n i s s u c c e s s f u l

ISD will no�fy you that your applica�on has been successful. You will be asked to:

• Pay the Cer�fica�on Fee

• Send your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) if you are from a country outside the EEA,
Switzerland and the UK

See the ‘Cer�fica�on fee’ below for informa�on about how much you must pay.

You may also be invited to a�end a ci�zenship ceremony. See ‘ci�zenship ceremonies’ below for
more informa�on. You are not able to apply for an Irish passport un�l you have received your
naturalisa�on cer�ficate.

If yo u r a p p l i c a � o n i s n o t s u c c e s s f u l

If your applica�on is refused, you will be given a reason for the decision. You cannot appeal this
decision.

You can apply again if you wish.

If you think that ISD acted unfairly in how it processed your applica�on, you could apply to the
High Court for a judicial review. You should get legal advice before making an applica�on to
court.

If your refusal was based on na�onal security concerns, you can ask for a decision on the
disclosure of the informa�on relied on for this decision. A Single Person Commi�ee can review

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the informa�on and recommend to the Minister for Jus�ce whether or not some or all of the
informa�on used to make the decision can be released to you.

This is not an appeal of the decision.

C i � z e n s h i p c e re m o n i e s
If you have been approved for naturalisa�on, you are normally invited to a�end a ci�zenship
ceremony. At the ceremony, you make a declara�on of fidelity and loyalty. You then receive your
naturalisa�on cer�ficate.

You can read about what happens at a ci�zenship ceremony, and watch live streams of
ceremonies on the ISD website.

Once you have received your naturalisa�on ci�zenship, you are an Irish ci�zen. You can apply for
an Irish passport.

C e r � fi c a � o n fe e s
The fee for each applica�on for naturalisa�on is €175.

The following are the fees to be paid when the cer�ficate of naturalisa�on is approved.

Applica�on on behalf of a minor €200

Widow, widower or surviving civil partner of Irish ci�zen €200

Refugee, stateless person or programme refugee No charge

Others €950

What can I do if I lose my cer�ficate of naturalisa�on?

If your cer�ficate of naturalisa�on is lost or stolen, you should write to the Ci�zenship Division of
ISD – see ‘Further informa�on and contacts’ below.

You will not get a replacement cer�ficate but instead you will be given a statement confirming
your Irish ci�zenship. There is no fee for this service. If you are applying for an Irish passport, you
will need this statement to accompany your passport applica�on.

Further informa�on and contacts

You can get further informa�on on applying for naturalisa�on in the Ci�zenship Guidance
Document and on the ISD website.

C i � ze n s h i p Di v i s i o n

Department of Jus�ce Office

Rosanna Road
Tipperary Town
Tipperary

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E34 N566
Ireland

Locall: Phone services are currently suspended

Homepage: h�ps://www.irishimmigra�on.ie/ci�zenship/
Email: ci�zenshipinfo@jus�ce.ie

Page edited: 4 December 2023

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