Becoming Irish

Andy From Sligo

sorry if this in wrong thread - I hadnt a clue what to put it in be it politics or legal or what so I will put it in here and if mod's want to move it to a more suitable group that is fine with me...

In July this year I will have been living in Ireland for 27 years. I would have left Britain when I was aged 26 - so I will be on this earth more in Ireland than I was in Britain. Over the years I have been thinking about becoming an Irish Citizen (yes please I would like to become one of you if you will allow me to join your club )

over the years I have contemplated it a few times , I checked when it used to be Irish punts and it was well over a thousand pounds back then .. and I couldnt afford it. and I have checked a year or 2 back and I think it was around a thousand euro or that mark and I still cannot afford it these days if its around that price now (its a lot of money to shell out, money that I simply dont have) - not only would it be nice and make sense to become an Irish citizen I also feel with 2 Irish born children, and a wife born to both Irish parents I think it would be logical too - not only that but when it comes to Elections I can only vote in Dail and Local elections - no Referendums or vote for Irish president, and cannot get Irish or dual nationality passport either.

Can i please ask has anyone here on boards in the last year or so has transitioned from British citizenship to Irish citizenship and how did it go? - how much did you have to pay? did you have to pay? did you ever find out about any grants or any financial help available to become an Irish citizen? - did it all go smoothly?, how was your experience of it ? was there loads of forms to fill in? what was the ceremony like is it nerve wracking or laid back? - was it like time consuming or lot of red tape or anything that needs to be taking into account when becoming an Irish citizen ?

see I still have it in the back of my mind and (bar the money) I reckon its something I would still like to do one day I plan to stay in Ireland until the day I die , I don't have any plans of moving back to the UK ever and being resident there ever again (and haven't wanted to for the past 27 years so I doubt if i ever will now)

Tom Mann Centuria

I haven't done it, but you're still going to need over a thousand euro to complete the process, so I won't be doing it anytime soon.

175 euro to apply, additional 950 euro if your application is successful.

The Backwards Man

No offence Andy, but by the amount of blethering you do I was convinced you were a born and bred Sligo man.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Do you gain much by being a citizen particularly if you are English? The English can vote here. Except referenda.

retro:electro

You lied to us Andy.

Andy From Sligo

The Backwards Man wrote: »

No offence Andy, but by the amount of blethering you do I was convinced you were a born and bred Sligo man.

- 27 years living in Ireland and the first time I have heard the word blethering, thats a new one on me .. or was it supposed to be blathering?

dxhound2005

The Backwards Man wrote: »

No offence Andy, but by the amount of blethering you do I was convinced you were a born and bred Sligo man.

I believe he was accused on another thread of being from Cavan.

Andy From Sligo

retro:electro wrote: »

You lied to us Andy.

Andy in Sligo .. Andy from Sligo - still sort of the same thing

degsie

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Do you gain much by being a citizen particularly if you are English? The English can vote here. Except referenda.

Who said op was 'English'?

The Backwards Man

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

- 27 years living in Ireland and the first time I have heard the word blethering, thats a new one on me .. or was it supposed to be blathering?

Na, it's a nicer word than blathering Andy.

bobmalooka

Be handy to have an eu passport post brexit I guess.

I know an english couple who gained citizenship last year, they were annoyed at the cost and felt the admin was excessive but ultimately the benefits outweighed all that in their view.

I guess it’s a case of whether your willing to pay up

Lucy8080

Once Brexit happens, Andy, you are getting strip searched every time you go through Knock.

A thousand Euro doesn't sound so bad now,does it?

Andy From Sligo

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Do you gain much by being a citizen particularly if you are English? The English can vote here. Except referenda.

cannot vote for president, cannot vote in referendum , cannot get Irish passport, have to apply for British passport even though resident in Ireland - I dare say there are most probably other pluses maybe?, even ones I haven't heard of.

I could call myself Irish as well LOL - I know you cannot take a horse out of a stable , put it in a pig sty and call it a pig and it will still be a horse (or a stallion in my circumstance lol) haha but I would be technically officially Irish (on paper)

Apparently my great grandmother was Irish (who's great grandmother wasnt LOL)

Andy From Sligo

Lucy8080 wrote: »

Once Brexit happens, Andy, you are getting strip searched every time you go through Knock.

A thousand Euro doesn't sound so bad now,does it?

depends if you get a kick out of being stripped searched or not ...

Andy From Sligo

bobmalooka wrote: »

Be handy to have an eu passport post brexit I guess.

I know an english couple who gained citizenship last year, they were annoyed at the cost and felt the admin was excessive but ultimately the benefits outweighed all that in their view.

I guess it’s a case of whether your willing to pay up

thanks, I bet it puts quite a few people off - its a legal process maybe thats why its so expensive?, and the admin costs I suppose

Rhys Essien

One thing is for sure,you pension here will be a lot more that you would get back in England so whatever it costs for that reason it’s worth it alone.

Andy From Sligo

maybe I should do it on my 30th anniversary of living in Ireland and make it a big thing with a party .. and cake .. and lots of guinness (if WW3 dont break out in the meantime and wipe us all out) ... yeah it will give me time to save up as well. - if I cannot save up a thousand euro by the time the 30th anniversary then I may as well shoot myself ... over a thousand though - that would buy a pretty decent secondhand motor car , well a better one than what we have at the moment.

on this hand Irish Citizenship ... but on the other a newer car with less mileage on the clock ... decisions, decisions - why does life have to be so complicated? ...

bobmalooka

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

thanks, I bet it puts quite a few people off - its a legal process maybe thats why its so expensive?, and the admin costs I suppose

Probably a combination of things.
Admin costs, final decision at minister level and to discourage frivolous applications.

Andy From Sligo

bobmalooka wrote: »

Probably a combination of things.
Admin costs, final decision at minister level and to discourage frivolous applications.

true

Andy From Sligo

Rhys Essien wrote: »

One thing is for sure,you pension here will be a lot more that you would get back in England so whatever it costs for that reason it’s worth it alone.

ah right - i never thought about that a few years off until I am a pensioner but its worth keeping that in mind

Rhys Essien

Adam Clayton in U2 swapped his British passport for an Irish one.He said it was safer.:pac:

StupidLikeAFox

If you save around 20e a year from now until you are 99 you will have enough in the bank to pay for it, then the following year the president will give you back 2.5k for your 100 birthday so you will actually be making money!

Andy From Sligo

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

If you save around 20e a year from now until you are 99 you will have enough in the bank to pay for it, then the following year the president will give you back 2.5k for your 100 birthday so you will actually be making money!

I could lie on the form , say that I am 100 now then get the 2.5K and pay for Irish Citizenship ... would that work?

Andy From Sligo

you know you can get grants for making your house warmer (money to pay for insulation etc) I wonder if there a grant around for becoming Irish?

Sickening thing is there are most probably some foreigners in Ireland who haven't even been living in Ireland anywhere near 27 years that have become Irish Citizens .. oh and didnt have to pay a penny / cent .

Think I read back years ago that immigrants outside EU could apply for Irish Citizenship and all cost covered - I think all they had to do was turn up to the ceremony and pledge their allegiance to the state ...

Lucy8080

Go have a chat with your local T.D. Kids born here,wife with Irish parents and you here 27 years, I wouldn't charge you for citizenship.

Maybe s/he will know of any little bit of help you may be entitled to.

Andy From Sligo

Lucy8080 wrote: »

Go have a chat with your local T.D. Kids born here,wife with Irish parents and you here 27 years, I wouldn't charge you for citizenship.

Maybe s/he will know of any little bit of help you may be entitled to.

Thanks, good idea - think of all the opportunities I have wasted when they have come around for votes in the general elections ? - I could have said to them "I will vote for ye if you work it that I can become an Irish Citizen" - so desperate for votes most of them that I reckon it would have worked too ...

ghogie91

I would be looking for them to pay me to live in Sligo

Andy From Sligo

ghogie91 wrote: »

I would be looking for them to pay me to live in Sligo

- says someone from Athlone ..

No., actually I will refrain from dissing Athlone because i was down there a couple of weeks back and went to the theater there and then had a drink in Ireland's oldest pub .. very nice place actually

ghogie91

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

- says someone from Athlone ..

No., actually I will refrain from dissing Athlone because i was down there a couple of weeks back and went to the theater there and then had a drink in Ireland's oldest pub .. very nice place actually

Hahaha I was waiting to see did you cop that :pac::pac:

Ah shur its a grand little place in small doses

misstearheus

Am impressed that you know what blathering is Andy! Do you know what it means if someone tells you they are mithered! (Kinda pronounced like my-third.)

Banter aside, - this post is probably worth all the money in the World to our Andy!

The Backwards Man wrote: »

No offence Andy, but by the amount of blethering you do I was convinced you were a born and bred Sligo man.

PTH2009

It worked for Ed Sheeran

Even Obama is a bit Irish

CiniO

Andy

175 application
950 when they grant you citizenship
80 passport
45 document certification (solicitor, commissioner for oaths, etc).

That's €1250

To be honest it's just over 3 weeks full time work on minimum wage.
It doesn't sound excessive for obtaining Irish citizenship to me.

Even if someone is not able to work, 1250 is definitely obtainable sum.

Peregrinus

The fee is substantial, but it;'s supposedly based on the cost-recover principle. Citizenship applications are scrutinised carefully, and the costs of the whole operation - wages, premises, the lot - are supposed to be covered by the fees it charges. There is probably some degree of cross-subsidy from the successful applicants to the unsuccessful.

Whether it's worth it, obviously, is a decision that people have to make for themselves. Since the number of naturalisations has been going up year by year, presumably there are a lot of people who do think it's worth it.

Graces7

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

I haven't done it, but you're still going to need over a thousand euro to complete the process, so I won't be doing it anytime soon.

175 euro to apply, additional 950 euro if your application is successful.

YOU MEAN YOU HAVE TO....PAY!

Outrageous! Gobsmacked here!

In the words of someone famous,,YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!!!

Peregrinus

Why would you expect not to have to pay?

Graces7

CiniO wrote: »

Andy

175 application
950 when they grant you citizenship
80 passport
45 document certification (solicitor, commissioner for oaths, etc).

That's €1250

To be honest it's just over 3 weeks full time work on minimum wage.
It doesn't sound excessive for obtaining Irish citizenship to me.

Even if someone is not able to work, 1250 is definitely obtainable sum.

wondering how you work that out?

Graces7

Rhys Essien wrote: »

One thing is for sure,you pension here will be a lot more that you would get back in England so whatever it costs for that reason it’s worth it alone.

But the lovely Irish gov make it up to scratch

Graces7

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

maybe I should do it on my 30th anniversary of living in Ireland and make it a big thing with a party .. and cake .. and lots of guinness (if WW3 dont break out in the meantime and wipe us all out) ... yeah it will give me time to save up as well. - if I cannot save up a thousand euro by the time the 30th anniversary then I may as well shoot myself ... over a thousand though - that would buy a pretty decent secondhand motor car , well a better one than what we have at the moment.

on this hand Irish Citizenship ... but on the other a newer car with less mileage on the clock ... decisions, decisions - why does life have to be so complicated? ...

Decisions that money brings! I am fine within my pension but luxuries like a new car and irish citizenship? I have abundant Irish ancestry but at this stage of my life. there is only one Citizenship I am going for in hope

Atoms for Peace

I think I'm turning Japanese.

secman

Andy.. join your local Credit Union, put a tenner a week in... after a year, you will have €500 and can then borrow the 1250 but all he time throwing a tenner in... by 30 years here you will be irish and have the Loan being repaid and still have savings... it's a plan Andy.

uck51js9zml2yt

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

you know you can get grants for making your house warmer (money to pay for insulation etc) I wonder if there a grant around for becoming Irish?

Sickening thing is there are most probably some foreigners in Ireland who haven't even been living in Ireland anywhere near 27 years that have become Irish Citizens .. oh and didnt have to pay a penny / cent .

Think I read back years ago that immigrants outside EU could apply for Irish Citizenship and all cost covered - I think all they had to do was turn up to the ceremony and pledge their allegiance to the state ...

With that misinformation, you should probably consider moving to Bradford.

Andy From Sligo

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

you know you can get grants for making your house warmer (money to pay for insulation etc) I wonder if there a grant around for becoming Irish?

Sickening thing is there are most probably some foreigners in Ireland who haven't even been living in Ireland anywhere near 27 years that have become Irish Citizens .. oh and didnt have to pay a penny / cent .

Think I read back years ago that immigrants outside EU could apply for Irish Citizenship and all cost covered - I think all they had to do was turn up to the ceremony and pledge their allegiance to the state ...

Iris Cold Fullback wrote: »

With that misinformation, you should probably consider moving to Bradford.

which bit am I mis-informed on?

why Bradford?

Peregrinus

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

which bit am I mis-informed on?

It has never been possible for non-EU immigrants to be naturalised at no cost.

That stuff you think you read? If you read that, somebody was lying to you.

professore

My wife is in almost the same boat, except she's an EU citizen. Living here over 20 years and can't vote in any elections except the European Parliament ones. And bizarrely her home country elections, even though she has no clue about the politics there anymore.

When you're raising a family and paying taxes you don't generally have 1250 lying around just for academic purposes... but the pension thing got me thinking...

Graces7

professore wrote: »

My wife is in almost the same boat, except she's an EU citizen. Living here over 20 years and can't vote in any elections except the European Parliament ones. And bizarrely her home country elections, even though she has no clue about the politics there anymore.

When you're raising a family and paying taxes you don't generally have 1250 lying around just for academic purposes... but the pension thing got me thinking...

I am on a basic UK pension. Social Welfare top it up and there are other allowances. Took me a long while to learn that.... see Citizen;s Info online

looksee

I'm here 45 years, never very much interested in 'being' one nationality or another. I have a British passport. They give me an irrationally generous part-pension, considering I only worked there 4 years in my teens/twenties. I have a contributory pension here. And someone at some early stage when I wasn't paying attention gave me voting capabilities for everything. I don't see the point, if I did become Irish there would always be some busybodies who would make snarky remarks about my accent, I would never actually be Irish.

spurious

My partner was seen as an alien in her native country (thank you post-independence Latvia) and was deemed to be stateless. She waited a number of years after applying to be approved for Irish citizenship (they lost her first application) and had to pay the thousand euro - can't remember the exact amount, but ballpark a thousand.

My brother's partner is UK born but has lived here for years. She took Irish citizenship because of Brexit as she works with many EU bodies and it was just going to be easier have an EU passport than be second guessing what way things were going to be in the future. She also had to pay the thousand, but was not waiting as long as my partner.

I attended the citizenship ceremony for my partner. I found it quite moving.

My husband took out Irish citizenship and considers himself Irish, it is a lot more complicated than just getting an Irish passport.

He was watching an Irish/Welsh rugby match on a day and realised he was supporting Ireland and not Wales and he knew he had become Irish, years ago at this stage, people still ask him where he is from through the accent always stayed.

Graces7

mariaalice wrote: »

My husband took out Irish citizenship and considers himself Irish, it is a lot more complicated than just getting an Irish passport.

He was watching an Irish/Welsh rugby match on a day and realised he was supporting Ireland and not Wales and he knew he had become Irish, years ago at this stage, people still ask him where he is from through the accent always stayed.

Surely you cannot in the real sense, "Become Irish"?

I get quizzed often and quote my family names from generations back; Irish. I do find that the more I am quizzed the more posh English my accent becomes

The taking Irish citizenship is surely an admin thing ? You cannot change where and what you were born

Graces7

Graces7 wrote: »

Surely you cannot in the real sense, "Become Irish"?

I get quizzed often and quote my family names from generations back; Irish. I do find that the more I am quizzed the more posh English my accent becomes

The taking Irish citizenship is surely an admin thing ? You cannot change where and what you were born

Why can't you become Irish people are not defined by there accent.

I think you can become Irish by living here, people are not defined by their accent, it more a cultural thing Irishness.