Irish Passport
 

I have been told that as I have an Irish grandfather I am eligible for an Irish Passport. Like many others I am trying to hedge my future as Brexit looms, and I want to continue to be recognised as European (even though I live in Hong Kong, for now...).

Anyway, I contacted my sister who is the "gate keeper" of family documents and on asking for a copy of my mother's birth certificate - and on giving the reasons why, she informed me that my grandfather's name does not appear on my mother's birth certificate, and that no one in the family know why this is.

My mother was the eldest of five children, and when you compare them altogether it's abundantly clear to see that they all share the same family features. My only guess on why my grandfather's name does not appear on my Mum's birth certificate is that my Mum was born out of wedlock, and so there is a stigma there, given that this was in about 1922, when times were different.

Is there any other way that I can prove that my grandfather was who he says he was and that I can apply for an Irish passport?

Thanks in advance of any replies,

Richard

Re: Irish Passport
 

Registering a foreign birth

At present, it takes between 9 to 12 months to process a completed Foreign Birth Registration application. However, due to the complex nature of the Foreign Birth Registration, it may take up to 12 months to process an application. If you are an expectant parent applying to be entered on the Foreign Birth Register, you should mark this clearly on your application.

Your birth can be entered on the Foreign Births Register if you are eligible to become an Irish citizen. Find out what you need to do before you begin your online application.

https://www.dfa.ie/citizenship/born-...foreign-birth/Adult applicant applying on the basis of an Irish born Grandparent

Documents relating to the applicant (unless stated, originals must be submitted):

• Completed, signed and witnessed application form (see list of witnesses at 1 above)
• Original civil birth certificate (showing parental details)
• Original civil marriage certificate (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)
• Photocopy of current state-issued ID document (i.e. passport, drivers licence, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by application form witness
• 2 separate original proofs of address
• 4 colour photographs (2 of which to be witnessed) – do not attach these to the application form

Documents relating to the Irish citizen parent (unless stated, originals must be submitted):

• Original civil birth certificate of Irish citizen parent (showing parental details)
• Original civil marriage certificate of Irish citizen parent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)
• Photocopy of current state-issued ID document (i.e. passport, drivers licence, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by a professional from the list of witnesses OR original civil death certificate (if applicable)

Documents relating to the grandparent born in Ireland (unless stated, originals must be submitted):

• Original civil birth certificate of Irish born grandparent (showing parental details)
• Original civil marriage certificate of Irish born grandparent (if applicable) OR other change of name document (if applicable)
• Photocopy of current state-issued ID document (i.e. passport, drivers licence, national identity card) certified as a true copy of the original by a professional from the list of witnesses OR original civil death certificate (if applicable)

Re: Irish Passport
 

I know nothing about legalities on this subject but wondered whether your grandfather is named on any other documents. Did he marry your mothers mother at a later date, is he named on the other children´s birth certificates so that you can prove a link, is he named on your mothers wedding certificate.

Rosemary

Re: Irish Passport
 

Adding an unmarried father to a birth certificate simply wouldn’t have been an option in 1922. Was your mother born in the north or the south?

Re: Irish Passport
 

I have been trying to get my younger sister to provide such information as she is the "gate keeper" of the family documents. For some reason she is replying with one-word answers. I have emailed my elder sister to see if she has any related info, such as the location of the wedding certificate and whether or not my grandad is named on it, which I'm sure he is. I still have one aunt alive and it might be possible for one of my siblings to communicate with her and see what's on her birth certificate. I think it's a simple case of my mum being born out of wedlock, as my daughter was also also my granddaughter. It's not a new practice...

Re: Irish Passport
 

My mother was born in England. My grandfather was from a family of cattle dealers in County Cork, and was sent to England to further the business by selling Irish cattle in England. He obviously met my mother then, and things developed into a new family, although without all of the necessary paperwork we take for granted today.

Re: Irish Passport
 

Re: Irish Passport
 

When applying for a first time adult passport through the foreign birth register, is it necessary to send off your British passport?
I would think that the FBR certificate was enough.

Re: Irish Passport
 

As per the above list a photocopy will suffice.

Re: Irish Passport
 

thanks, that is handy to know, as you never know when you need a passport for ID or other purposes during the passport processing time.

Re: Irish Passport
 

I applied to the Register of Foreign Births in February 2020 and have heard nothing. Anybody else waited this long (18 months) and is it time I should start to pester them ??

Re: Irish Passport
 

It was taking that long before COVID-19 so I dread to think what it would be now.

Re: Irish Passport
 

The Irish passport office website has not been a great experience for me as I started the application online and then had problems drawing the documentation together.

I later found that there had been a cyber attack on the health service computer system and this had affected the Central Register Office computer systems also, which caused further delay. I phoned the register office and they were very helpful although their computer system was still not fully resolved.
All this in the midst of disruption caused due to Covid.

Yes it would do you no harm to attempt to contact them now by phone and email.

Good luck!

Re: Irish Passport
 

Two years two months now and not a dickie bird from the Register of Foreign Births.

Rang their call centre the other day but they can only provide general information and said not to worry as they are only just getting round to looking at applications from about the time I applied!

Re: Irish Passport
 

That sounds about right.

Re: Irish Passport
 

The good news is, they are currently working on January 2020 applications so FBR certificates are slowly coming through now.

You might want to check out this forum:

https://www.immigrationboards.com/ir...7641-4775.html

Re: Irish Passport
 

Thanks that's really useful 👍

Re: Irish Passport
 

Re: Irish Passport
 

Unfortunatly richard I think your pretty much a dead end with this one, for Irish Citizenship to be claimed on basis of a grandparent, proof linking the applicant to the irish grandparent in question must be provided in order to register.

If your mums father was not registered on her birth certificate, then there is no way of proving this, even if he was named on your aunts birth certificate that wouldnt matter sadly, because the connection must corrilate with the applicants birthline descent and not someone elses.

Even these days its fairly common that fathers names are not included on childrens birth certificates and its not a legal requirement, this is especially the case when the parents are unmarried or the child is concieved through sperm donation.

Re: Irish Passport
 

It’s possible to have a father added to an English birth certificate. The link was provided further up the thread.

Re: Irish Passport
 

That is not going to help the OP though, its the mothers father who was born in Ireland not his. The mother would need to go to court and have her fathers name added to the birth certificate in order for the OP to claim irish citizenship via the foreign births registry, but a DNA test would be required in order to do so and as the mother and grandfather are likely now deceased, that would be impossible.

Its not as simple as just getting a name added on there without any other evidence such as DNA, if that where the case then it would be far too easy to malnipulate and half the country would have already done it in an attempt to claim back EU citizen rights.

Re: Irish Passport
 

As a double disappointment, my father was born in Vienna of Czech parents and then grew up in what is now Slovakia, then Czechoslovakia. He always maintained he was a Slovak, not Czech, and had a Slovak passport. I communicated with the Slovakian consulate in HK (this is about 10+ years ago) and asked if I was eligible for a Slovak passport and was told that this could only go further if I could produce my Dad at the consulate. My Dad was 6,000 miles away and in his 90s so that wasn't going to happen. As with the Irish passport I just had to give on the idea. Shame really as I'm certain I qualified for both.

Re: Irish Passport
 

Did you get an update on this?

Re: Irish Passport
 

sportpix, please don't give up on this yet!

I would start by ordering a copy of your grandfather's birth certificate in Ireland, your grandparents' marriage certificate and then your mother's birth certificate in the UK and check them over yourself.

If your grandfather is not named on your mother's birth certificate, find a Irish lawyer/immigration specialist who can advise you. There might just be a way around it.

This is too important and life changing to give up on too easily and if it doesn't work out, at least you will have given it your best shot.

Why not join the forum I mentioned to Kevin above and run it past the other members? They are a really helpful, friendly bunch.

Re: Irish Passport
 

Nothing yet, but they are starting to process applications put in arround the same time as me so fingers crossed I'll here something in the next few weeks.

Re: Irish Passport
 

As I said previously a lawyer wont help you unless you have some sort of evidence that you have a biological connection with the grandparent, that can only be done via a DNA test, as both the mother and grandfather are likely now desceased that isnt possible, the OP has no claim to Irish Citizenship and I wish people would stop giving inaccurate info !

Irish lawyers also dont have anything to do with UK civil records.

Re: Irish Passport
 

Re: Irish Passport
 

Re: Irish Passport
 

Thank you for the update. It looks like, for a first time passport, not much has changed. I may try to re-apply after the Schools re-open following the holidays. They are very quick to take my money.