Ireland citizenship through a grandparent
An Irish-born grandparent is exactly what the Foreign Births Register exists for. Community-reported timelines run 8–10 months to approval, plus 2–3 months for the first passport.
Grandparent must have been born on the island of Ireland (including Northern Ireland).
Citizenship starts at registration — children born before you register do not inherit it, so register before having kids if you want to pass it on.
The witness rules are the #1 gotcha: qualified profession, exact job title, and a real verification call.
Order the grandparent's Irish birth certificate and the full chain of civil certificates.
Skip agencies — the community consensus is the process is designed for DIY.
Keep a document spreadsheet and order slow-jurisdiction records (e.g. NYC) first.
Get a definitive read on your line
Take the free eligibility test — it walks through the exact rules above for your specific ancestor and dates.
Take the free test