Need further convincing? Here are four more reasons to consider pursuing Irish citizenship through Foreign Birth Registration. Perhaps the most notable is the relatively quick processing time for complete and accurate applications compared with similar programs elsewhere in Europe.
Notably, the Irish citizenship-by-descent process often moves much faster than similar European programs.
Complete and accurate applications are estimated to take approximately 12 months after the online application is submitted and the Irish government receives your required application documents in the mail. (Estimated processing time as of March 2026)
For some perspective, Italy typically takes 1–2 years to review their citizenship-by-descent applications, while Germany can take 2–3 years.
For Ireland’s Foreign Birth Registration, the cost of applying for each individual adult applicant is €278 – this converts to around $330 (as of February 2026), which we believe is very modest.
Other governments often charge much higher application fees for similar programs. For some context, the United Kingdom’s application fee for an ancestry visa – yes, just a visa, not citizenship, is £682, which converts to over $900 (Fees as of February 2026).
Make it a Family Affair! Each eligible applicant must pay their own application fee and complete their own online application. However, eligible siblings that reside in the same country can choose to mail their required application documents together and use a single set of supporting documents for their mutual parent and Irish-born grandparent.
Sharing these documents can reduce costs and turn the process into a meaningful family experience. If you choose to work with paid assistance, please note that many firms bill each applicant separately, even when much of the work overlaps. Fees for European citizenship-by-descent services can reach thousands of dollars per applicant, though pricing varies by firm and scope.
Claiming your Irish citizenship through the Foreign Births Register can create a powerful generational legacy, but there is an important timing detail to keep in mind. If your Irish citizenship application through the Foreign Birth Registration process is successful, based on your Irish-born grandparent, your future children may also be eligible to apply for Irish citizenship. This can extend your family’s direct connection to Ireland and the European Union for another generation.
Under current Irish law, you must become an Irish citizen through Foreign Birth Registration before your child is born in order for them to be eligible to apply for Irish citizenship through the same pathway.
Under current Irish law, if you complete the Foreign Birth Registration process successfully and become an Irish citizen after your child’s birth, they will not be eligible.
