Getting Irish dual citizenship

[zico]

Has anyone tried getting dual citizenship through descent (Irish grandmother) and if so, are there any recommended companies/websites, and conversely, any dodgy ones to be avoided?

[Padders72]

Has anyone tried getting dual citizenship through descent (Irish grandmother) and if so, are there any recommended companies/websites, and conversely, any dodgy ones to be avoided?

Yes, mine is in the process of being sorted. I have been waiting nearly a year so don't expect quick results. Don't use a third party, go onto the Irish Government website and do it that way. Last time I looked the fee was up to around £280. They don't make it easy as something like 65m people qualify worldwide.

[zico]

Thanks for quick reply. Any hints & tips on what to do, and what to avoid? I've found the Birth Register online for my grandmother using "www.irishgenealogy.ie" - which is a free service.

Also, when you get dual citizenship, do you know if your spouse/partner gets any rights (e.g. able to stay more than 3 months in EU)?

[Padders72]

Thanks for quick reply. Any hints & tips on what to do, and what to avoid? I've found the Birth Register online for my grandmother using "www.irishgenealogy.ie" - which is a free service.

Also, when you get dual citizenship, do you know if your spouse/partner gets any rights (e.g. able to stay more than 3 months in EU)?

No there are no additional rights for a spouse or kids, when you qualify through a grandparent it applies only to you, and your status doesn't confer any rights on your descendants. You will need original birth certificates and other paperwork inc death certs if applicable for the relative you are using as the qualification. It is not trivial at all, you'll need witnessed photos etc.

[GrahamPlatt]

Thanks for quick reply. Any hints & tips on what to do, and what to avoid? I've found the Birth Register online for my grandmother using "www.irishgenealogy.ie" - which is a free service.

Also, when you get dual citizenship, do you know if your spouse/partner gets any rights (e.g. able to stay more than 3 months in EU)?

No there are no additional rights for a spouse or kids, when you qualify through a grandparent it applies only to you, and your status doesn't confer any rights on your descendants. You will need original birth certificates and other paperwork inc death certs if applicable for the relative you are using as the qualification. It is not trivial at all, you'll need witnessed photos etc.

However, if you then go and actually live in Ireland (or elsewhere in the EU, as is then your right), your spouse and children can join you and apply independently.

[1nvest]

It is not trivial at all, you'll need witnessed photos etc.

Seem to recall when I applied for my first adult age UK passport that also required witnessed photo's ...etc. Also recall other younger ages being called up for a interview as part of the UK passport application process. So guess its no/little different when applying for a Irish passport.

[torata]

Thanks for quick reply. Any hints & tips on what to do, and what to avoid? I've found the Birth Register online for my grandmother using "www.irishgenealogy.ie" - which is a free service.

Also, when you get dual citizenship, do you know if your spouse/partner gets any rights (e.g. able to stay more than 3 months in EU)?

No there are no additional rights for a spouse or kids, when you qualify through a grandparent it applies only to you, and your status doesn't confer any rights on your descendants. You will need original birth certificates and other paperwork inc death certs if applicable for the relative you are using as the qualification. It is not trivial at all, you'll need witnessed photos etc.

Having gone through the process a few years back, I would say that it's very straightforward and I was amazed how easy it is to acquire all the documentation you need via online applications.

torata

[Padders72]

It is not trivial at all, you'll need witnessed photos etc.

Seem to recall when I applied for my first adult age UK passport that also required witnessed photo's ...etc. Also recall other younger ages being called up for a interview as part of the UK passport application process. So guess its no/little different when applying for a Irish passport.

That maybe so but the citizenship process discussed above is separate to a passport application, which is relatively swift abd painless in comparison. You get a much easier ride of you have a irish parent or were born in Ireland and are thus automatically Irish. The complications start when you want to be grandfathered in, so to speak.

[dspp]

Has anyone tried getting dual citizenship through descent (Irish grandmother) and if so, are there any recommended companies/websites, and conversely, any dodgy ones to be avoided?

Two close friends have done this recently, both grandmothered. Both grandmothers dead. As the others have said it is just a matter of going through the records & requesting copies of birth certificates to get the proof of citzenship and everything works incredibly smoothly. It took both of them about 6-months from start to finish, then the passport stage at the end was just another month. They did it all themselves, no need to use any paid website services.

No short term advantage seems to accrue to partners. Let me know if you can find anything different as I would like a pleasant surprise

regards, dspp

[Sobraon]

I believe DIRECTIVE 2004/38/EC applies here.
My understanding : basically Spouses and ‘family member’ of EU citizens get freedom of movement. So to my reading there are very significant additional rights for spouses and kids where one partner is an EU citizen.

[1nvest]

Wondering about the implications of the likes of dual citizenship inheritance (etc.) tax(es), more so now that the UK and Ireland (EU) are potentially diverging.

I believe many Americans who originally paid for dual citizenship are now paying again (modest/large amounts) to relinquish such.

[Padders72]

Wondering about the implications of the likes of dual citizenship inheritance (etc.) tax(es), more so now that the UK and Ireland (EU) are potentially diverging.

I believe many Americans who originally paid for dual citizenship are now paying again (modest/large amounts) to relinquish such.

Yes I can imagine after the last few years many Americans have considered relinquishing their US citizenship

[dspp]

I believe DIRECTIVE 2004/38/EC applies here.
My understanding : basically Spouses and ‘family member’ of EU citizens get freedom of movement. So to my reading there are very significant additional rights for spouses and kids where one partner is an EU citizen.

Thank you.

That Irish civil partnership (or similar elsewhere) might become very relevant to many seeking the option of a route out of the UK into the EU over coming years,
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/b ... tnerships/

I get the feeling that use by UK citizens of the various Anglo-Irish CTA provisions is being tightened up, however it does seem to still leave a very interesting route where one partner is also an Irish citizen,
https://www.migrantproject.ie/immigrati ... -citizens/
http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages//U ... in-Ireland

I am sure we will all become far more aware of these pathways in the years to come .....

regards, dspp

[Lootman]

Wondering about the implications of the likes of dual citizenship inheritance (etc.) tax(es), more so now that the UK and Ireland (EU) are potentially diverging.

I believe many Americans who originally paid for dual citizenship are now paying again (modest/large amounts) to relinquish such.

The US is different because it taxes based on citizenship, and not just residency. So an American moving overseas still has US tax obligations.

Whereas every country in Europe taxes based on residency only, and so it is easy to lose a tax obligation. In the UK you can have no UK income tax liability in as little as one year overseas. So there is not the same imperative to shed UK citizenship for tax purposes. And the UK is tolerant of dual citizenship and passports, so again no problem there.

[scrumpyjack]

or you can buy Malta citizenship

No inheritance tax
No estate duty
No wealth tax
No municipal taxes
No property ownership tax

You don't even need to live there

[Lootman]

or you can buy Malta citizenship

No inheritance tax
No estate duty
No wealth tax
No municipal taxes
No property ownership tax

You don't even need to live there

A number of central American countries offer something similar. I believe that citizenship can be bought there for as little as USD 10,000.

One interesting quirk to that is that the citizenship can be made in any name you want. This opens up the possibility of literally vanishing and reinventing yourself incognito! I think I might be Hector Jesus Suarez in Costa Rica, what do you think?

[scrumpyjack]

or you can buy Malta citizenship

No inheritance tax
No estate duty
No wealth tax
No municipal taxes
No property ownership tax

You don't even need to live there

A number of central American countries offer something similar. I believe that citizenship can be bought there for as little as USD 10,000.

One interesting quirk to that is that the citizenship can be made in any name you want. This opens up the possibility of literally vanishing and reinventing yourself incognito! I think I might be Hector Jesus Suarez in Costa Rica, what do you think?

Maltese citizenship gives EU citizenship. Maybe call yourself Robert Vesco for Costa Rica? He bought the government there as I recall in the early 70s but then found governments don't stay bought.

[zico]

Thanks for quick reply. Any hints & tips on what to do, and what to avoid? I've found the Birth Register online for my grandmother using "www.irishgenealogy.ie" - which is a free service.

Also, when you get dual citizenship, do you know if your spouse/partner gets any rights (e.g. able to stay more than 3 months in EU)?

No there are no additional rights for a spouse or kids, when you qualify through a grandparent it applies only to you, and your status doesn't confer any rights on your descendants. You will need original birth certificates and other paperwork inc death certs if applicable for the relative you are using as the qualification. It is not trivial at all, you'll need witnessed photos etc.

Having gone through the process a few years back, I would say that it's very straightforward and I was amazed how easy it is to acquire all the documentation you need via online applications.

torata

Which online sources did you use to get the required documentation?

[pochisoldi]

No there are no additional rights for a spouse or kids, when you qualify through a grandparent it applies only to you, and your status doesn't confer any rights on your descendants. You will need original birth certificates and other paperwork inc death certs if applicable for the relative you are using as the qualification. It is not trivial at all, you'll need witnessed photos etc.

Having gone through the process a few years back, I would say that it's very straightforward and I was amazed how easy it is to acquire all the documentation you need via online applications.

torata

Which online sources did you use to get the required documentation?

England and Wales documents (birth, marriage, death): GRO website https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
Irish documents (birth, marriage, death): HSE website: http://www.hse.ie/ or more directly: https://www2.hse.ie/services/births-dea ... cates.html (Yes it is www2, www won't work, I've already checked so you don't have to...)

For Scotland and NI, google is your friend.

[zico]

That's great, thanks. Can you just order certificates of anyone you want to without needing to prove identity?
Would have thought there's a fraud/counterfeiting risk there.