Become an Irish citizen by naturalisation

The information on this page is for guidance only. Read the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts for a complete description of citizenship by naturalisation.

You may be eligible to apply for Irish citizenship by naturalisation if you are living in the State or if you are living on the island of Ireland and married to an Irish citizen. You may also be eligible to apply for Irish citizenship if you are of Irish descent or have Irish associations* or have been resident abroad in the Irish public service or have been declared to be a refugee or stateless as defined by law.

If your application is approved you will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony where you will make a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State. You do not become an Irish citizen until you have made your declaration.

* Under Sections 15, 15A and 15B applicants are required to have one year’s continuous residence in the State immediately prior to the date of application. This requirement is specific to the year prior to the date of application. However applicants can be absent from the State during this period for up to 70 days either as one period or an aggregate of periods. An additional period of 30 days absence from the State due to exceptional circumstances may also be considered e.g. exceptional circumstances relating to the applicant or a family member in the context of health requirements, employment, study and/or voluntary service abroad. Determining whether circumstances are accepted as exceptional is at the discretion of the Minister.

During the 8 years immediately preceding that period applicants must have a total residence in the State of 4 years. It must be clear to the Minister by any objective assessment that this jurisdiction has been the primary residence of the applicant for that period.
Citizenship Division advises all applicants to provide as much information as possible in support of their application, bearing in mind also that each application will be assessed on its own merits.

The Minister can only make a decision once an application is received and processed and the specific circumstances of the case are assessed in light of the relevant statutory provisions in place at that time.

Application form
Citizenship applications can now be made online.

Definition
A ‘dependant young adult‘ is someone who depends on their parents for accommodation and general living expenses.

Application form
Citizenship applications can now be made online.

Definition
A minor (child) is someone aged under 18 who is not married at the time of application. A child cannot make the application by themselves. The application must be made by their parent, legal guardian or a person acting on the child’s behalf ‘in loco parentis’.

Other important information
Non EU/EEA and non-Swiss children aged 16 or over must register with GNIB Local Regional Registration Office (outside Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow) or ISD Burgh Quay Immigration Registration Office (in Dublin, Kildare, Meath or Wicklow) and keep their registration up-to-date.

Section 16 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended gives the Minister the absolute discretion to waive the statutory conditions in certain circumstances, including where the applicant is of Irish descent or Irish associations (defined as related through blood, affinity or adoption to a person who is or is entitled to be an Irish citizen). The fact that the Act provides for the use of discretion should not be taken that it is policy to do so on the sole basis of Irish descent or Irish associations.

Please see our Citizenship Guidance Document available on our website to view the documents to upload as proof of residence.

Make sure you keep your immigration registration up-to-date (with no gaps) during your residence. If not, your application for citizenship could be deemed ineligible.

Time gaps between stamps or permissions, could mean you were in the State illegally.

To apply for citizenship by naturalisation based on residence, you must prove that you have been resident in the State for at least 5 years (1825 or 1826 days) out of the last 9 years.

This includes 1 year (365 or 366 days) of continuous residence immediately before the date you apply. UK, EU/EEA and Swiss nationals do not need to use the residence calculator.

Applicants will be required to reach a score of 150 points in each of the years proof of residency is required.

In some circumstances, we may ask you for extra documents or information to prove your residence over certain periods of time.

View the documents to upload as proof of residence.

Non EU/EEA and non-Swiss nationals should use the naturalisation residency calculator. On the calculator enter the dates for each of the periods of permissions granted.

Applicants will be required to reach a score of 150 points in each of the years proof of residency is required. In addition, you must submit three proofs of residence in the 3 months prior to the date of application for both applicant and spouse/civil partner and each document must show the date, your and spouse/civil partner name and address.

In some circumstances, we may ask you for extra documents or information to prove your residence over certain periods of time.

Read the full list of required documents on the application form. You must also upload certified translations of these documents if they are not in the English language.

You should check that your civil partnership can be recognised by the Irish State before you apply for citizenship. Civil Partnership Orders determine which foreign civil partnerships are recognised. These orders are issued periodically.

View the documents to upload as proof of residence.

Make sure you keep your immigration registration up-to-date (with no gaps) during your residence.

Applicants will be required to reach a score of 150 points in each of the years proof of residency is required.

In some circumstances, we may ask you for extra documents or information to prove your residence over certain periods of time.

View the documents to upload as proof of residence.

Currently it takes 19 months approximately for a straightforward application to be processed from the date it is received to the date a decision is made. However, processing times can vary depending on circumstances.

We may also contact you to ask for more information or documents.

When processing is complete, we will prepare a submission on your application for decision by the Minister for Justice. There is no guarantee your application will be successful even if you meet all conditions required by law. The Minister has absolute discretion for granting citizenship.

We will advise you of the Minister’s decision and the reasons your application was refused. There is no appeal process and you will not get a refund of any fees.

You can re-apply for citizenship by naturalisation at any time. When doing so, you should pay careful attention to the reasons your previous application was refused.

Successful applicants who are children (minors) do not attend a citizenship ceremony. They will receive their Certificate of Naturalisation by post.

We will send you an email advising you of the Minister’s proposal to grant you a Certificate of Naturalisation subject to the completion of the naturalisation process.

A day of Citizenship ceremonies are held periodically through the year. Please do not contact us regarding ceremony invitations as we are not in a position to confirm invitations. You will receive an invitation to your ceremony by post/e-mail before it is scheduled to occur.

Your certificate of naturalisation will be issued by registered post in the weeks following the ceremony.

After you become an Irish citizen, you can apply for a passport via the Department of Foreign Affairs.

This guidance document provides guidance regarding the identity documents and residency proofs which should be submitted to support your application for naturalisation.