Explainer: Becoming an Irish citizen

- Lived in Ireland or Northern Ireland for 3 out of the 4 years before you were born or
- Have the right to live in Ireland or Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence.
- You should have a reasonable period of legal residence in Ireland (at least 3 years) to show that you have a connection to Ireland.
- Applications based on descent from an Irish citizen going further back than a great-grandparent are generally refused.
- Applications based on being the parent or grandparent of an Irish citizen (by ‘ascent’), or the brother or sister of an Irish citizen are generally refused.
- Applications based on Irish descent or associations can take up to 30 months to process.