Wikiprocedure

Ireland - Apply to become an Irish Citizen by Naturalisation

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ProcedureEdit

You must use the current versions of the application forms on the INIS website.

The current application forms are:

  • Form 8 (pdf) for a person aged 18 or over

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Form%208%20Ver%204.1%20Oct%202012.pdf/Files/Form%208%20Ver%204.1%20Oct%202012.pdf

  • Form 9 (pdf) for the minor child of a naturalised


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Required DocumentsEdit

List down the documents required for successfully completing the procedure.

e.g.
1. Proof of child birth from the Hospital.

Office Locations & ContactsEdit

Please list down the office locations that can be approached for applying. External links can also be used for specifying office locations.


EligibilityEdit

If you wish to become an Irish citizen through naturalisation, you must:

  • Be 18 years or older (you must be married if you are under the age of 18) or,
  • Be a minor born in the State (from 1 January 2005) and
  • Be of good character - the Garda Sochna (Ireland's national police) will be asked to provide a report about your background. Any criminal record or ongoing proceedings will be taken into consideration by the Minister for Justice and Equality in deciding whether or not to grant naturalisation. Details of any proceedings, criminal or civil, in the State or elsewhere, should be disclosed in the application form, and
  • Have had a period of 365 days^ (1 year) continuous reckonable residence in the State immediately before the date of your application for naturalisation and, during the 8 years preceding that, have had a total reckonable residence in the State amounting to 1,460 days* (4 years). Altogether you must have 5 years (5 x 365 days*) reckonable residence out of the last 9 years - see calculating reckonable residence below, and
  • Intend in good faith to continue to reside in the State after naturalisation and
  • Make a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State, and undertake to observe the laws of the State and respect its democratic values (see below for the point in the process at which this is required).

^You must add 1 day for any period which includes 29 February.

Normally, when you apply for naturalisation you must be supporting yourself and your dependants while living in Ireland - see 'Self supporting' below.

The Minister for Justice and Equality has power to waive one or more of the conditions for naturalisation in the following circumstances:

  • If you are of Irish descent or of Irish associations or are a parent or guardian applying on behalf of a minor child of Irish descent or Irish associations
  • If you have an entitlement to Irish citizenship if you were born on the island of Ireland
  • If you are a naturalised parent applying on behalf of a minor child
  • If you are the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen 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 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees) or a stateless person (under the 1954 UN Convention regarding Stateless Persons).

In the case of a refugee, stateless person or a person of Irish associations, the Minister will normally waive 2 of the 5 years' reckonable residence requirement.


FeesEdit

Explain the fees structure which is required for obtaining the certificate/document.


ValidityEdit

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever


Documents to UseEdit

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links


Sample DocumentsEdit

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.


Processing TimeEdit

Please explain processing time taken in obtaining the document/certificate.


Related VideosEdit

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. 	
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.



InstructionsEdit

In order to apply for naturalisation in Ireland, you must have been physically resident in Ireland for a certain length of time.

All applications to become a naturalised Irish citizen are decided by the Minister for Justice and Equality. This Minister has absolute discretion as to whether or not to grant naturalisation. There are strict rules about applying for naturalisation as an Irish citizen and these rules are set out below.

You must use the current versions of the application forms on the INIS website - see 'How to apply' below. Since November 2011 there is an application fee of 175 - see 'Rates' below.

The Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 allows for civil partners to receive treatment equal to married couples in citizenship matters. It allows certificates of naturalisation to be presented at formal citizenship ceremonies.

RulesEdit

If you wish to become an Irish citizen through naturalisation, you must be eligible for naturalisation.

Calculating reckonable residenceEdit

Reckonable residence means periods of residence taken into account when examining an application for naturalisation. Certain periods of residence may be excluded from the reckoning when calculating periods of residence in the State. These are periods when your presence in the State was not properly documented or (in certain cases) periods covered by a permission to remain that was for study purposes (that is, you were on a student visa) or while having a claim for asylum examined.

EEA nationals: The time that a EEA or Swiss citizen has spent in the State is reckonable for naturalisation purposes as EEA and Swiss citizens are not required to have residence permits or documents under the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) (No. 2) Regulations 2006 (pdf). The European Economic Area (EEA) comprises the EU member states, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Non-EEA nationals: If you are not an EEA or Swiss citizen, any time when you did not have permission to remain in the State will not be counted as reckonable residence. Registration with the Garda National Immigration Bureau is the evidence of legal residence which meets the residency requirements for naturalisation. The following periods of residence will not be reckoned if the permission to remain:

  • Was for the purposes of study (that is, you were on a student visa) whether or not that study involved you being employed during any of the period of study, or
  • Was granted as you were on a working holiday authorisation, or
  • Was granted while your claim for asylum was being examined, if the claim was not granted.

Before you send in your application you can use the online residency calculator on the INIS website to check if you meet the naturalisation residency conditions.

Self supportingEdit

In general, apart from refugees and stateless persons, applicants for naturalisation must prove they can support themselves and their families while living in Ireland. If you can show that you have not received State support in the 3 years before your application, this will generally meet the Minister for Justice and Equality's requirement that you have been supporting yourself and your dependants and that you will continue to do so.

How your application for Naturalisation is processedEdit

You will normally be informed within a week whether your application has passed the initial processing stage. If your application passes the initial stage, it is then processed further along with all other applications that are on hand. You will be given a reference number and you should quote this number when making queries either by phone or in writing. You do not have to pay any fee at this stage as you will be asked to pay if and when your application is approved.

For incorrect or incomplete applications, the process is longer, but you can keep it as short as possible by replying quickly to any queries. If further documentation or clarification is needed, you will be asked for it once processing of your application has begun.

You will be informed by registered post as soon as a decision has been made on your application. From June 2012 onwards, it is expected that around 70% of new applications will be processed within 6 months.

Certificate of NaturalisationEdit

If your application is approved, the letter notifying you of this decision will contain instructions regarding the final procedures that must be completed before the certificate of naturalisation can be issued. When you submit the required documentation and certification fee, you will be invited to a citizenship ceremony at which you will be granted your certificate of naturalisation.

You are an Irish citizen from the date of issue of the certificate and you can apply to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for an Irish passport any time after that date. The certificate of naturalisation is written in Irish. The English version is Form 11 in the schedule of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Regulations 2011.

Revoking citizenshipEdit

The Minister for Justice and Equality can revoke your certificate of naturalisation if:

  • You obtained it through fraud, misrepresentation or concealment of material facts or circumstances
  • You have, through an overt act, failed in your duty of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State
  • You were ordinarily resident outside Ireland (other than in public service) for a continuous period of 7 years and, without a reasonable excuse, did not register your name and a declaration of your intention to retain Irish citizenship with an Irish diplomatic mission or consular office or with the Minister for Justice and Equality on an annual basis
  • You are also, under the law of a country at war with the State, a citizen of that country
  • You have, by any other voluntary act other than marriage or registration of civil partnership, acquired citizenship of another country.

Before revoking your certificate of naturalisation, the Minister for Justice and Equality will inform you in advance, stating the reasons why the certificate is being revoked and your right to apply to the Minister for an inquiry into the reasons for the revocation. If you apply for an inquiry into a decision to revoke your certificate of naturalisation, the Minister will refer your case to a Committee of Inquiry, which will report its findings to the Minister. A notice of the revocation of your certificate of naturalisation will be published in Iris Oifigiil (Ireland's official State Gazette).



Required InformationEdit

  • Full name
  • Date of Birth as recorded on your Birth Certificate
  • Gender
  • Place and country in which you were born as recorded on your Birth Certificate
  • Number on your Naturalisation Certificate. This is in the format Number/Year
  • Date you were naturalised as recorded on your Naturalisation Certificate
  • Person Identity Number
  • Present Nationality
  • Residential address



Need for the DocumentEdit

Naturalisation in Ireland means the process whereby a foreign national living in Ireland may apply to become an Irish citizen.


Information which might helpEdit

Enter other informations which might help.

Other uses of the Document/CertificateEdit

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External LinksEdit

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OthersEdit

More information which might help people.


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