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Every person born in Ireland is an Irish citizen. This
includes persons born in an Irish ship or aircraft,
regardless of its location.
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Any person, either of whose parents was born in Ireland,
is an Irish citizen.
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A person with one grandparent born in Ireland may claim
Irish citizenship through foreign birth registration. This
can be a painstaking process and requires conclusive
documentary proof that the applicant is indeed the
grandchild of the person born in Ireland. Applications
should be made through the local Irish Consulate or Embassy.
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Irish citizens may hold dual citizenship. However, the
Department of Justice advises that persons wishing to attain
multiple citizenship should check with the authorities in
the other states involved.
Naturalisation:
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Applications for naturalisation should be made to the
Department of Justice.
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The following conditions must obtain before the Minister
will confer citizenship:
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The applicant must be resident in the State
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The applicant must be 18 years of age or older.
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The applicant must have resided in the State legally for
five
of the nine years preceding the application. The last
year of this period must have been one of continuous
residence.
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The applicant must satisfy the Minister that they are
of good character.
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The applicant must satisfy the Minister that they
intend to reside in Ireland after naturalisation.
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A legible photo copy and
the original
of the following documents must be submitted with the
application form:
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Upon approval a fee of £500 is payable and the
applicant must make a formal declaration of fidelity to the
nation and loyalty to the State in open court before a
Judge of the District Court.
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Persons studying in Ireland may not make an application,
however, time spent studying in the State may possibly
count towards the five-year naturalisation criterion, if
the applicant subsequently finds employment and settles in
the State.
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Applicants are reminded that permission to remain in the
state and employment permits (if applicable) should be kept
up to date during the period that the application is being
considered.
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It should be borne in mind that the Minister for Justice
grants naturalisation at his or her "absolute discretion"
and it takes upwards of 18 to 24 months after application
is made for a decision to be reached. Currently the
process is taking an average of 19 months.
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