Foreign Birth Registration

yasmina

Long question .. grateful for your thoughts.

I was born in London in 1974 and moved home to Ireland with my Irish born parents when I was 6 months old.
For what was a good reason at the time I got a British passport in 1995.
I moved back to the UK in 1999 and married a Scot who was born in England.
We had 2 children in Scotland in 2007 and 2008 who both have British passports.
We've recently relocated home to Ireland.
(You can see where this is going ...)
I got an Irish Passport in 2015 through my parents, but I don't recall having to do a 'Foreign Birth Registration' in order to get it. I don't believe my parents would have ever done this for me in the past either.

Basically, I'm applying for Irish passports for my children and I'm trying to figure out if they need to have 'Foreign Birth Registration' before I can apply ?

The line that is confusing me on the website is:

"If your parent became an Irish citizen through Foreign Birth Registration or Naturalisation prior to your birth and you were born outside Ireland, you can apply for Foreign Birth Registration."

The dfa site mentions that it currently takes 6 months for Foreign Birth Registration so I'm hoping I don't need this, but I think I probably do.

Under His Eye

No need for FBR in this case.

It is immaterial in this case when you got your first Irish Passport. You were already an Irish Citizen from birth.

Peregrinus

I think FRB is needed.

Yasmina is an Irish citizen from birth, as you say. But, remember, the passport being applied for is not for Yasmina, but for her child. The child has a grandparent born in Ireland and a parent (Yasmina herself) who is an Irish citizen from birth, but was born outside Ireland. And the child was born outside Ireland.

In short, the foreign-born child is claiming through a parent who was herself foreign-born. In these circumstances the child's birth needs to be registered in the Foreign Births Register in order for the child to take up citizenship.

yasmina

Peregrinus wrote: »

I think FRB is needed.


In short, the foreign-born child is claiming through a parent who was herself foreign-born. In these circumstances the child's birth needs to be registered in the Foreign Births Register in order for the child to take up citizenship.

Yes, this is what I also think.

I'm just confused about the part where it mentions how I became a citizen 'through Foreign Birth Registration or Naturalisation' when I don't think either of those apply to me?

Thanks for your replies both

Peregrinus

yasmina wrote: »

Yes, this is what I also think.

I'm just confused about the part where it mentions how I became a citizen 'through Foreign Birth Registration or Naturalisation' when I don't think either of those apply to me?

Thanks for your replies both

It doesn't say that you, Yasmina, became a citizen through FBR or naturisation. It says that if someone is applying on the basis of a parent who became a citizen through etc etc etc then this is what happens. But as that is not your child's situation, this sentence is not relevant to your child.

Your child will in fact be applying on the basis of having a grandparent born in Ireland, and that is the section of the webpage you need to read.

yasmina

Peregrinus wrote: »

It doesn't say that you, Yasmina, became a citizen through FBR or naturisation. It says that if someone is applying on the basis of a parent who became a citizen through etc etc etc then this is what happens. But as that is not your child's situation, this sentence is not relevant to your child.

Your child will in fact be applying on the basis of having a grandparent born in Ireland, and that is the section of the webpage you need to read.

Ah, ok. I think the penny's dropped.
I am technically irrelevant in this - it's the grandparent(s) that count, and in that case I do need FBRs for the children.

And it seems that I did not need FBR because although I was born outside Ireland, my parents were both born in Ireland.

Thanks for your help.

Bill Willis

If any one can help thanks. I am trying to fill in the online form for my son.
I have my lrish passport, due to my mother being born in Ireland. When trying to fill in the foreign birth registration online for my son, on my details it asks me for date of foreigne reg./The FBR number and office issued wich i dont know anything about. It will then skip his grandparants details wich Im sure is the important part.

matthewsemple

Bill Willis wrote: »

If any one can help thanks. I am trying to fill in the online form for my son.
I have my lrish passport, due to my mother being born in Ireland. When trying to fill in the foreign birth registration online for my son, on my details it asks me for date of foreigne reg./The FBR number and office issued wich i dont know anything about. It will then skip his grandparants details wich Im sure is the important part.

I think you have answered the earlier questions incorrectly on the form.

There are three routes:

1. Child of Irish citizen - can apply directly for a passport (no FBR)
2. Grandchild - must use FBR and prove link to grandparent
3. Great-Grandchild - use FBR BUT only if parent had FBR at time of birth.

I have done 2 & 3 for me and my daughter. But you are doing 1 & 2, however from the sounds of it you have answered the questions incorrectly and the form thinks you are doing no.3.

Go back and answer for your son as if he is applying for FBR via his grandparents. You won't be asked for FBR number but you will be asked for details of parent (you) and a grandparent (your parent).

Within the section for minors you will find the following in the notes:

1. Minor applicant applying on the basis of an Irish born Grandparent
2. Minor applicant whose parent is an Irish citizen through Naturalisation
3. Minor applicant whose parent is an Irish citizen through entry on the Foreign Births Register

You are doing the first option for your child. You have answered the questions as if you are doing 2 or 3.

When you get to the form the first question asks:
Please indicate the citizenship category to which the applicant’s parent belongs
Important: Please note that this question relates to how the PARENT acquired Irish citizenship

You need to answer:
"Born abroad to a parent born in Ireland"

However, I think you have chosen:
"Foreign births registration"

Change that and it should work.

Boulevardier

I have a slightly different FBR question.

I am an Irish citizen and I was born abroad. I am due to retire soon.

I need copies of my FBR birth certs as soon as possible because the pension authorities need to have them.

I cannot get through to the relevant section of Foreign Affairs. The section's chat line is closed, and an email address I was given, fbrclarification@dfa.ie is not replying to my emails.

Is anyone else having this problem, and has anyone managed to get through to that section?

Peregrinus

Try the old-fashioned way:

Department of Foreign Affairs
FBR/Citizenship Unit
Iveagh House
80 St Stephen’s Green
Dublin 2
D02 VY53

matthewsemple

The Foreign Births Registration section is currently operating from Balbriggan. The address is here but there is no caller office open to the public:

dfa.ie/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/

Boulevardier

Does anyone know why they are so inaccessible? I consider it an insult to the public.

yenom

Boulevardier wrote: »

I have a slightly different FBR question.

I am an Irish citizen and I was born abroad. I am due to retire soon.

I need copies of my FBR birth certs as soon as possible because the pension authorities need to have them.

I cannot get through to the relevant section of Foreign Affairs. The section's chat line is closed, and an email address I was given, fbrclarification@dfa.ie is not replying to my emails.

Is anyone else having this problem, and has anyone managed to get through to that section?

Get onto a TD or Senator, they can make what's called representation.