The UK has voted Brexit. On 23rd June 2016 the UK decided to leave the EU and on 23rd March 2017, Article 50 was triggered.

If at the time of your birth, one of your parents was an Irish citizen (even if they themselves were not born in Ireland), then you can apply for Irish citizenship, and therefore entitled to apply for an Irish passport. Many applications are made through a grandparent who was born in Ireland.

You may also qualify if one of your parents obtained Irish citizenship through naturalisation or foreign birth registration before you were born. In these cases, Irish citizenship can be passed on to the next generation as the parent was an Irish citizen at the time of the applicant’s birth. Citizenship by foreign births registration applies only from the date of registration.

Only Irish citizens may hold an Irish passport, but it is not necessary to have an Irish passport to be an Irish citizen you do not need to have an Irish passport.

You may need to provide additional documentation to demonstrate Irish heritage.

UK passport holders will continue to enjoy the rights of EU citizens including free movement within the EU until the UK exits the EU.

Until then, the entitlement to Irish Passports, including for people born on the island of Ireland, and for those persons who were born outside Ireland but have Irish-born parents or grandparents, will also not change.

EU Passport holders move freely within the EU and are allowed to live anywhere in the European Union. Should the UK leave the EU, this free movement will no longer be possible, however if you were NOT born in Ireland but either of your parents was an Irish citizen (born in Ireland), then you are entitled to Irish citizenship, and therefore entitled to apply for an Irish passport. This is irrespective of where you live, which would enable you access to the benefits of being a part of the EU.

Should you require a Republic of Ireland birth, marriage or death certificate the most effective way to get the ball rolling on this, is for you to order online. Simply click on the relevant link on the right of the page, complete all the relevant fields on the order form and the order will be processed accordingly.