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Ireland citizenship by descent: who qualifies in 2026
If a grandparent was born on the island of Ireland, you can register on the Foreign Births Register and become an Irish citizen. If a parent was born there, you are already Irish and can apply for a passport directly.
- Route
- Foreign Births Register (FBR)
- How far back
- Grandparent born in Ireland (parent born in Ireland means you are already a citizen)
- Language test
- No
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed. You keep your US citizenship.
- Government fee
- €278 for adults, €153 for under-18s
- Typical timeline
- About 12 months (DFA, 2026)
The rules that decide eligibility
- Parent born in Ireland: you are an Irish citizen from birth and can apply for a passport directly.
- Grandparent born in Ireland: you must register on the Foreign Births Register before applying for a passport.
- A parent who was an Irish citizen through the FBR when you were born can also pass citizenship to you, which is how some great-grandchildren qualify.
- Citizenship through the FBR takes effect from the date of registration, not from your birth.
What to watch
- Missing or inconsistent documents are the most common cause of delays beyond the standard turnaround.