Can you have a UK and Irish passport

Annasopra

My cousins are considering getting UK passports. Can they both a UK and an Irish one?

The_Chap

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

My cousins are considering getting UK passports. Can they both a UK and an Irish one?

Providing they are eligible yes, check here

https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports

armaghlad

Yes

Mint Sauce

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

My cousins are considering getting UK passports. Can they both a UK and an Irish one?

I can hold a UK as its my place of birth, and have previously held one.

I currently hold an Irish one as both my parents were born here.

Am pretty sure can hold both at the same time as a duel national, but would not be 100% sure, and would be curious my self.

The_Chap

Mint Sauce wrote: »

I can hold a UK as its my place of birth, and have previously held one.

I currently hold an Irish one as both my parents were born here.

Am pretty sure can hold both as a duel national, but would not be 100% sure, and would be curious my self.

You can have two, my daughter has a uk one and an Irish one

darrenking

I currently hold both OP.

Annasopra

Doh They are English considering getting Irish passports!

RossieMan

Loads of people getting Irish passports that are English as it will allow them to work within the EU if GB end up leaving.

Bit of a joke really.

GerardKeating

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

My cousins are considering getting UK passports. Can they both a UK and an Irish one?

At present, both Ireland and the UK allow/permit dual citizenship, so if a person is eligible for both, they can have both.

Some countries (Australia, China and Singapore for example) do not permit this, gaining a second citizenship revokes the birth citizenship.

Some Countries (Philippines for example) permit Dual Citizenship, but not Dual "Allegiance", which mean if one if born with dual citizenship, they recognise it, but it one acquires a second citizenship dual to naturalization, ones loses Philippines Citizenship.

Most Irish, whose parents were born before 1937 were entitled to UK Citizenship, but this changed 20/30 years ago, but this changed 20/30 years ago.

coylemj

If you were born in the 26 counties then you need to have been born before we became a republic in 1948 in order to qualify for a UK passport. That's how Terry Wogan (b. 1938) was able to get a UK passport in order to become 'Sir Terry' when they offered him a knighthood. The original assumption was that it would be an honorary award so like Bob Geldoff (b. 1951), he wouldn't be entitled to use the title.

Anyone born in NI is entitled to a UK and/or an Irish passport.

GerardKeating

coylemj wrote: »

If you were born in the 26 counties then you need to have been born before we became a republic in 1948 in order to qualify for a UK passport. That's how Terry Wogan (b. 1938) was able to get a UK passport in order to become 'Sir Terry' when they offered him a knighthood. The original assumption was that it would be an honorary award so like Bob Geldoff (b. 1951), he wouldn't be entitled to use the title.

I think you had to claim that before 31 December 1982, they changed the rules then.

coylemj wrote: »

Anyone born in NI is entitled to a UK and/or an Irish passport.

Also residence in NI also count if one want to naturalise Irish, some non-EU citizens resident in the North are applying for Irish rather than UK citizenship, seem to be cheaper and easier.

Mint Sauce

The_Chap wrote: »

Providing they are eligible yes, check here

https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports

On a side topic, is there an equivalent Irish Website to Gov.uk?

coylemj

Mint Sauce wrote: »

On a side topic, is there an equivalent Irish Website to Gov.uk?

http://www.gov.ie/

Andrea B.

Recall some discussion years back wrt to which countries would support you if required, could be nullified or diluted by having more than one passport......

wokingvoter

I have both
Having a UK passport means you can enter loads more countries without needing a visa

coylemj

wokingvoter wrote: »

I have both
Having a UK passport means you can enter loads more countries without needing a visa

I've no doubt that there are some, probably old British empire countries but in general, most countries apply the same rules for entry to people from all EU countries equally so to say that there are 'loads' of countries that admit UK passport holders without a visa but at the same time require people from other EU countries to have one is probably a bit of an exaggeration.

The big attraction of having a UK passport up to a few years ago was that it enabled you to travel to the US without having to apply for a visa but since we were admitted to the visa waiver program, there isn't really much benefit in having one.

The_Chap

Having access to 2 embassies rather than one is a fairly big benefit

wokingvoter

coylemj wrote: »

I've no doubt that there are some, probably old British empire countries but in general, most countries apply the same rules for entry to people from all EU countries equally so to say that there are 'loads' of countries that admit UK passport holders without a visa but at the same time require people from other EU countries to have one is probably a bit of an exaggeration.

The big attraction of having a UK passport up to a few years ago was that it enabled you to travel to the US without having to apply for a visa but since we were admitted to the visa waiver program, there isn't really much benefit in having one.

No actually. I can't post links but there's a "league" table out there of countries whose passports allow you to travel to more destinations without a visa and UK and Sweden are the top of the League like Leicester City and Pakistan and Afghanistan are the Aston Villa of the league
Google "best passports " and check it out

coylemj

The_Chap wrote: »

Having access to 2 embassies rather than one is a fairly big benefit

If there's no local Irish embassy, the British officials will help you out and if you're in a really remote corner of the world, any EU embassy will probably come to your aid. I can't see that having two passports will be of any benefit if you're really stuck and in need of consular assistance.

coylemj

wokingvoter wrote: »

No actually. I can't post links but there's a "league" table out there of countries whose passports allow you to travel to more destinations without a visa and UK and Sweden are the top of the League like Leicester City and Pakistan and Afghanistan are the Aston Villa of the league
Google "best passports " and check it out

There's completely conflicting data out there - a crowd called Henley & Partners quoted by the UK Telegraph says that the German passport is top dog at 177 countries (will admit without a visa) with the UK coming in at 175 while the website you're looking at has the UK at the top of the table with 147 countries....

https://www.passportindex.org/byRank.php
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/The-worlds-most-powerful-passports/

Dandelion6

GerardKeating wrote: »

Also residence in NI also count if one want to naturalise Irish, some non-EU citizens resident in the North are applying for Irish rather than UK citizenship, seem to be cheaper and easier.

NI residence only counts if you're applying as the spouse of an Irish citizen. If you're applying on the basis of five years' residency it has to be in the Irish state.

Fred Swanson

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LegallyAbroad

Any EU citizen in a non-EU country where his/her own national state has no representation is entitled to protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities of any other EU state.
EU citizens are entitled to protection under the same conditions as the nationals of that country.

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/citizen/consular-protection/index_en.htm

Having a British passport is of no help in terms of consular assistance, either there's an Irish embassy/Consulate in the country (Which there is in every EU MS) and you can get assistance there, or there isn't, in which case the Brits with treat you like a Brit.

The Irish and British Diplomatic corps have a very good working relationship, and for Irish citizens stuck abroad, the Brits are the natural port of call.

LegallyAbroad

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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In your hypothetical, the Irish citizen would simply contact themselves the UK/EU embassies in Kiev or if they contacted the embassy in Prague (Ireland has an Honorary Consul in Kiev, too) they'd contact the British embassy in Kiev.

rsh118

Just saw someone saying that the German one gets you into more places which is true, but it was one added benefit in that as long as each child going down the generations is recorded in the foreign births register, they are considered a German citizen. And this goes on forever!

Dead handy if you are making a life overseas and want the great great grandchildren to have access to the EU.

LegallyAbroad

rsh118 wrote: »

Just saw someone saying that the German one gets you into more places which is true, but it was one added benefit in that as long as each child going down the generations is recorded in the foreign births register, they are considered a German citizen. And this goes on forever!

Dead handy if you are making a life overseas and want the great great grandchildren to have access to the EU.

Irish citizenship transfer in the exact same way. As long as the parent is on the FBR before the birth of their child, Irish citizenship transfer, by virtue of the fact that the new born child is born to an Irish citizen.

Speedwell

My husband was born in NI. I'm an American citizen and we initially applied for him to get a US green card after we married in 2012. The process took several months. During that time we had to file our US taxes, and since you must file as married if you are in fact married on Dec 31 of the tax year (US citizen or "resident for tax purposes"), we found we could save thousands of dollars filing joint rather than separately. In order to do this, we needed to send original documents to the tax office to get him a tax number so we could file. The only documents they would accept were ones he did not have... except for his passport. Ooops, he had to retain his passport to undergo interviews and the medical in London when he was called in. What to do, what to do... oh, right, he's an Irish citizen! He applied for the Irish passport and received it, and we sent it to the tax office. Done and dusted.

rsh118

LegallyAbroad wrote: »

Irish citizenship transfer in the exact same way. As long as the parent is on the FBR before the birth of their child, Irish citizenship transfer, by virtue of the fact that the new born child is born to an Irish citizen.

I totally thought it ended at having a grand parent! That has enlightened me.

Fred Swanson

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rsh118

And they are grand to have a passport? Mad! I thought they just got the cool certificates for their walls.

Fred Swanson

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LegallyAbroad

In reality, it rarely goes past great-grandchildren, as the parent must be registered before the child is born, from grandchild onward. The only people who tend to go to the hassle and cost of registering on the FBR are people who have genuine links to Ireland.

Then again, there's few Irish-Americans in Boston that are more than an Irish born grand parent away from Ireland, to be honest.

Victor

GerardKeating wrote: »

Also residence in NI also count if one want to naturalise Irish, some non-EU citizens resident in the North are applying for Irish rather than UK citizenship, seem to be cheaper and easier.

On what basis?

Andrea B. wrote: »

Recall some discussion years back wrt to which countries would support you if required, could be nullified or diluted by having more than one passport......

If you have country A and country B passports and get arrested in country B, then country B will treat you as an ordinary citizen of country B, not as a citizen of country A.

davdd

I am an Irish national born in the United Kingdom to Irish parents in 1991 who were living and working in the UK at this time. My belief is that I am a natural born UK citizen by birth given that my parents had the ride to settle in the UK at my time of birth because Irish citizens are automatically given the right to settle in the UK.

Is this belief correct and can I therefore successfully apply for a UK passport?

wolf99

@davdd I *think* you'd be referring to the whole "British subject" thing which applies to people that where Irish citizens before 1984 and are automatically allowed British citizenship as are - I think - their children if they're born there. However the children are British citizens, not British subjects. There have been no new British subjects since pre-1984.

There is a lot of info on this on the UK and Irish respective citizenship websites.


One thing I am a little unclear on for myself, if applying for citizenship what do you actually get when it is granted to prove citizenship has been attained?? I understand that a acquiring passport comes separately (more paperwork & fees :mad:) but how does one prove ones citizenship without one?


PS: Just noted a €950 "Certification fee" on top of the €175 naturalisation application fee! Fecking bureaucrat paper-pushers.

davdd

No, the allowance for "British subject" is a different clause entirely and only applies to Irish citizens who made a claim to remain British subject as of 31 December 1948. British subject status isn't normally passed on to children if the child is born after 1 January 1983.

But for children born between 1 January 1983 and 2006 citizenship can be granted jus soli as long as the parent of the child was a) a British citizen at the time of birth or b) had the right to settle in the UK at the time of the child's birth.

Since my parents weren't British citizens, but as Irish citizens who are automatically given the right to abode, my parents technically had the right to abode when I was born and their UK address and occupations are reflected on my birth cert.

I think I'm right on the law, I'm just wondering if anyone can confirm this from experience before I spend 100 GBP on a new passport.

See below info taken from the UK gov website:

If you were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983
You don’t automatically get British citizenship if you were born in the UK.

If you were born on or after 1 January 1983, you’ll be a British citizen if your mother or father was either:

a British citizen when you were born
‘settled’ in the UK when you were born


In the UK, citizens are sent their national insurance number before their 16th birthday, sort of like a PPS or social security, which is used on tax stuff but you can still apply for one as an adult. Other than a Passport or NIN I'm not sure how else you proves it

Dandelion6

wolf99 wrote: »

One thing I am a little unclear on for myself, if applying for citizenship what do you actually get when it is granted to prove citizenship has been attained??

A naturalisation certificate.

mel.b

GerardKeating wrote: »

At present
Some countries (Australia, China and Singapore for example) do not permit this, gaining a second citizenship revokes the birth citizenship.
.

Australia now permits dual citizenship (since 2002) I am Australian, have lived here in Ireland for nearly 9yrs and received my Irish citizenship a few yrs ago.

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Citi/Curr/Dual-citizenship

Hager

My wife, a UK citizen, has lived in Ireland since1999. If she were to apply for Irish citizenship which is the best option, residency or marriage to me? Or does it make any difference? I imagine that the marriage option might be more straightforward with regard to paperwork etc.

Fred Swanson

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Marcusm

davdd wrote: »

No, the allowance for "British subject" is a different clause entirely and only applies to Irish citizens who made a claim to remain British subject as of 31 December 1948. British subject status isn't normally passed on to children if the child is born after 1 January 1983.

But for children born between 1 January 1983 and 2006 citizenship can be granted jus soli as long as the parent of the child was a) a British citizen at the time of birth or b) had the right to settle in the UK at the time of the child's birth.

Since my parents weren't British citizens, but as Irish citizens who are automatically given the right to abode, my parents technically had the right to abode when I was born and their UK address and occupations are reflected on my birth cert.

I think I'm right on the law, I'm just wondering if anyone can confirm this from experience before I spend 100 GBP on a new passport.

See below info taken from the UK gov website:

If you were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983
You don’t automatically get British citizenship if you were born in the UK.

If you were born on or after 1 January 1983, you’ll be a British citizen if your mother or father was either:

a British citizen when you were born
‘settled’ in the UK when you were born


In the UK, citizens are sent their national insurance number before their 16th birthday, sort of like a PPS or social security, which is used on tax stuff but you can still apply for one as an adult. Other than a Passport or NIN I'm not sure how else you proves it

Sectio 1(2) Immigration Act 1971 meant that your parents were settled in the UK on the date they arrived - the phrase is not subject to immigration control. You were born of settled parentscandcarevthuscsutomatically a Brutush citizen. You don't need to be naturalised but if you choose to apply for a passport (nit that you need one), you'll have to provide the necessary certificates (birth and possibly marriage) to evidence your claim.

Dandelion6

Hager wrote: »

My wife, a UK citizen, has lived in Ireland since1999. If she were to apply for Irish citizenship which is the best option, residency or marriage to me? Or does it make any difference? I imagine that the marriage option might be more straightforward with regard to paperwork etc.

The marriage option requires some additional documentation, i.e. statutory declaration from you, certified copy marriage cert, evidence of your joint residence with her for past three years.

The residency option requires that she prove residency in the State for five years rather than three.

marionyoung

can any one tell me if i was born in 1948 in ireland would i qualify for an english passport

who the fug

marionyoung wrote: »

can any one tell me if i was born in 1948 in ireland would i qualify for an english passport

Yes, but contact the British Embassy for the current rules.

Speedwell

marionyoung wrote: »

can any one tell me if i was born in 1948 in ireland would i qualify for an english passport

You must be a British citizen to qualify for a British passport. You may want to start here and read several sections after this point (be aware of the distinction between "British Subject" and "British Citizen"). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_nationality_law_and_the_Republic_of_Ireland#British_Nationality_Act_1948

Also note that you may qualify for British citizenship by descent or in some other way, if the rules apply in your case.

Fred Swanson

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Peregrinus

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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If you were borne in Ireland before 1949 you are a British subject provided that you do not hold the citizenship of any Commonwealth country. "British subject" is a kind of residual catchall for people who have some kind of historic link to British posessions or former British posesssions, but don't actually hold citizenship in any Commonwealth country (with the slightly suprising result that British citizens are not British subjects). I think the category is closed - it's not possible to become a British subject any more - and when all the now-living British subjects die it will disappear altogether.

To be honest, British subject status is not terribly useful. The UK government will give you a passport, and internationally you can avail of UK consular assistance if you need it. But you don't have the automatic right to live or work in the UK and you are not a British citizen (or, for now, an EU citizen). Few, if any, countries will afford visa-free entry to British subjects.