Ireland Citizenship/first time passport application questions

Ohoopee

Hi everyone. I have lived in Ireland since 2008. In February, I applied for Naturalization and I just got a letter Wend. stating that they proposed to grant my application so long as I sent them the 950 Euro fee, two passport photographs, and my current in date GNIB card. I did so the very next day following all of their instructions. I sent it to them Registered mail so I would know when it was delivered and it arrived at their facility in Tipperary Town on Friday morning.

My first question is...how long does it usually take to receive an invitation to a citizenship ceremony once you submit the 950 Euro fee? My second question is...I know that the next citizenship ceremony is in September...what do you think my chances are of getting invited to the September ceremony with me sending the money in now? And lastly on the subject of Citizenship, if I don't get invited to the September ceremony..I think the next one is in May....will I have to wait until then to apply for my Irish passport or should I receive a document sooner that will allow me to receive a passport. The reason why this is a big deal is because my Grandmother is currently ill...and I might need to leave the country soon.

I also have another question regarding the Irish passport application process. I was reading that I must send my Original Passport from my native country, my original birth certificate (which I find strange since I Had to send it to get my Naturalization), and I also have to send my original Naturalization certificate.....I will get all of these item back won't I? Thanks for the help.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Dandelion6

You should be able to get in for the September ceremony but if not you can probably still travel, especially in you're a non-visa required national. Just carry proof that you sent your GNIB card in and that you had to travel for an emergency.

my original birth certificate (which I find strange since I Had to send it to get my Naturalization)

Different departments and they don't seem to trust each other.

GerardKeating

Ohoopee wrote: »

Hi everyone. I have lived in Ireland since 2008. In February, I applied for Naturalization and I just got a letter Wend. stating that they proposed to grant my application so long as I sent them the 950 Euro fee, two passport photographs, and my current in date GNIB card. I did so the very next day following all of their instructions. I sent it to them Registered mail so I would know when it was delivered and it arrived at their facility in Tipperary Town on Friday morning.

My first question is...how long does it usually take to receive an invitation to a citizenship ceremony once you submit the 950 Euro fee? My second question is...I know that the next citizenship ceremony is in September...what do you think my chances are of getting invited to the September ceremony with me sending the money in now? And lastly on the subject of Citizenship, if I don't get invited to the September ceremony..I think the next one is in May....will I have to wait until then to apply for my Irish passport or should I receive a document sooner that will allow me to receive a passport. The reason why this is a big deal is because my Grandmother is currently ill...and I might need to leave the country soon.

I also have another question regarding the Irish passport application process. I was reading that I must send my Original Passport from my native country, my original birth certificate (which I find strange since I Had to send it to get my Naturalization), and I also have to send my original Naturalization certificate.....I will get all of these item back won't I? Thanks for the help.

Most likely you will make the Sept 19th Ceremony, it's two months out, they tend to time the letters to the schedule of ceremonies.

Everything you send for a passport application you get back, but you will not get your GNIB card back.

You can also apply for "Stamp 6" for your original passport, then you can use it for travel to/from Ireland, assuming your original country permits dual citizenship and/or dual allegiance.

Ohoopee

Thank you all for the replies. I felt sure I would get the documents back...but usually when this is the case, they say so somewhere in the application instructions and they did not in the passport application so I just wanted to be sure. My original country has a strange stance on duel citizenship...they don't actually recognize it but they way they do it....I will still be a citizen of my native country...they just won't recognize my Irish Citizenship...they will consider me a citizen until I denounce. I concern was only due to the fact that with my grandmother, who is my last living grandparent, being ill, that I may have to travel back to my native country and I was concerned about gaining entrance back into Ireland without my GNIB card. Obviously, I hope my grandmother recovers but one never knows. I hope I do get invited to the September ceremony because otherwise, that would be a long time to be without travel documents.

Another question about the citizenship ceremony...is this a formal event that I can bring guests too or are guests not allowed? Is this something a guest would want to attend or is it unceremonial and to the point?

Thanks

GerardKeating

Ohoopee wrote: »

Thank you all for the replies. I felt sure I would get the documents back...but usually when this is the case, they say so somewhere in the application instructions and they did not in the passport application so I just wanted to be sure. My original country has a strange stance on duel citizenship...they don't actually recognize it but they way they do it....I will still be a citizen of my native country...they just won't recognize my Irish Citizenship...they will consider me a citizen until I denounce. I concern was only due to the fact that with my grandmother, who is my last living grandparent, being ill, that I may have to travel back to my native country and I was concerned about gaining entrance back into Ireland without my GNIB card. Obviously, I hope my grandmother recovers but one never knows. I hope I do get invited to the September ceremony because otherwise, that would be a long time to be without travel documents.

Another question about the citizenship ceremony...is this a formal event that I can bring guests too or are guests not allowed? Is this something a guest would want to attend or is it unceremonial and to the point?

Thanks

One is allowed one guest.

Carawaystick

Ohoopee wrote: »

I also have another question regarding the Irish passport application process. I was reading that I must send my Original Passport from my native country, my original birth certificate (which I find strange since I Had to send it to get my Naturalization), and I also have to send my original Naturalization certificate.....I will get all of these item back won't I? Thanks for the help.

You haven't given the passport office your birth cert before, so they need to see it to issue you with an irish passport. Next time they'll only need to see your old Irish passport.

You would have sent your birth cert to the dept of Justice for naturalisation. Data protection rules would prevent them giving that to the Dept of Foreign affairs.

Children have to send in their birth cert along with passport for renewals, ...

Passport send all docs back

ElChe32

If you aren't invited for the September ceremony, there will be another generally 3 months later. INIS try to get 4-5 ceremonies done per year.

Ohoopee

Thanks everyone for the information. I appreciate it. I am still hoping to get into the September Ceremony because three months is still a long time. I was planning on taking a holiday in December or January before I got my approval letter...with a month to wait on the passport and...that is just a long time to be without documents...but this is a once off thing I know...I know this will be the only time I have to go through this so I am trying to be patient...I guess I don't really have a choice.

GerardKeating

Ohoopee wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the information. I appreciate it. I am still hoping to get into the September Ceremony because three months is still a long time. I was planning on taking a holiday in December or January before I got my approval letter...with a month to wait on the passport and...that is just a long time to be without documents...but this is a once off thing I know...I know this will be the only time I have to go through this so I am trying to be patient...I guess I don't really have a choice.

Just to update my earlier post, my wife got her letter about the same time as you, but we waited a week or so to send off the cheque and GNIB card, send it mid July, and today she got invited to the September ceremony.

Ohoopee

Hello, thanks for the upd ate. I have not yet received my invitation letter...but....I sent an email to the INIS office just saying that I wanted to confirm that my documents had been received by their office and wanted to also know if they were satisfied with the documents. I got a reply to my email today saying that my documents had been received and that I was going to be invited to the ceremony on September 19th in Dublin and that " An invitation will be issuing to you by post over the coming weeks." So while I don't have my invitation letter...it does sound like I will make the September ceremony.

hecfran

So, did you get your old passport back? I apply in 2021 and it is getting delayed, and now I have no passport, and I'm very upset about it. There is any phone number to inquire about it? And if the first Irish passport is lost, how could I apply for a new one?

Ohoopee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117817164#Comment_117817164

Sorry to be so long replying. I have not logged in in ages...yes I got my old passport back. It has been several years since I went through all this but I don't remember having any issues...my mother flew over from my former country to attend my citizenship ceremony...thankfully this was before covid and she really enjoyed it...I can't imagine what it would be like now...good luck to you.