Getting an Irish Passport in the UK

After Brexit was announced – there was a big increase in applications for Irish passports from the UK.

After Brexit – anyone having a passport from a country within the EU will be allowed the same rights of movement in the EU as a UK passport holder had pre Brexit.

“Any person who holds the nationality of an EU country is automatically also an EU citizen. EU citizenship is additional to UK citizenship and does not replace it.”


It is estimated there are about  600,000 people in the UK who identified themselves as having Irish ethnic origin in the 2011 census. There are probably tens of thousands more who didn’t tick the “Irish” box but who may have an Irish parent or an Irish grandparent. Some estimates are,  that as many as 6 million people in the UK have at least one Irish grandparent.

If you are a UK resident with Irish roots you can claim Irish nationality and get an Irish (EU) passport –  if you have  an Irish born parent or even had just one grandparent born in Ireland .

You may also qualify if one of your  parents obtained Irish citizenship through Naturalisation or Foreign Birth Registration before you were born.
In these cases, Irish citizenship can keep  getting passed on to the next generation as long as the parent was an Irish citizen at the time of the applicant’s birth.

How Much does an Irish Passport Cost ?

A Standard 10-year  Irish passport for an adult  is €80 (About £70 Sterling)
Standard 5-year passport for those under 18 years is €30 (About £25)

How Can a UK Resident get an Irish Passport?

If you live in the UK – but were born on the island of Ireland before 1 January 2005 – then you are already an Irish Citizen and you can apply for an Irish passport..

If you are resident in Great Britain, you need to fill in an APS2 application form.  These can be requested online .  here 

You can pick up a passport form at  the Irish Passport Office, 114A Cromwell Road, London, SW7 4ES

Applying  for an Irish Passport

When you have been entered on the Register of Foreign Births – you can then apply for an Irish Passport.  They usually include an application form when they send you the certificate of Foreign Birth Registration.You can request an application form online  here

Or you can write to the Irish passport office in the UK  at  114A Cromwell Road, London, SW7 4ES .More details about filling in the passport application  Here

Irish Passport Fees for UK Residents

Standard 10-year passport is £70
Large 66-page, 10-year passport is £96
Standard 5-year passport for those between 3 and 18 years is £23
Standard 3-year passport for those under 3 years is £14

They accept debit cards. Cheques and Postal Orders should be made payable to the “Embassy of Ireland” for the valid sterling amount.

If paying by Credit card  the payment will be taken in Euros. Please ensure that the cardholder has signed Section 1 of the application and entered the expiry date of the card.

Documentation Required for a first  Irish Passport for someone born to an Irish parent outside Ireland :

You will need to submit:

Your full civil birth certificate (version that includes the name(s) of the parent(s).
Your civil marriage certificate (if requesting passport in your married name).
Your Irish born parent’s full civil birth certificate (version that includes the name(s) of the parent(s).
Your Irish born parent’s civil marriage certificate (if married).
Proof of address, e.g. original utility bills, bank statements, government correspondence. (The Passport Service accepts internet printouts if they are stamped by the issuing authority.)
Plus – one of the following:

Your original passport from another country, national ID card, social security card OR
a certified copy of your driver’s license (certified by solicitor)
AND Proof of name, e.g. original utility bills, bank statements, government correspondence. (The Passport Service accepts internet printouts if they are stamped by the issuing authority.)

If you are in a hurry you can use the Irish Passport Express Service.

They have 2 offices in the UK  in Liverpool and Glasgow – and you have to attend in person so they can check the form and the evidence.

Contact Details

Passport Office
Embassy of Ireland
114a Cromwell Road,
London, SW7 4ES
Great Britain

Tel: +44 20 7373 4339

Fax: +44 207 3734589


If you were born outside Ireland with a grandparent that was born in Ireland – the first step is to apply to become an Irish citizen by getting  your birth registered in the   Irish Register of Foriegn Births . This register is is kept by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. More below..


Irish Register of Foreign Births

You will need quite a lot of documentation to go along with your application to register a foriegn birth.

You will need your

  • original Long Birth Certificate
  • and Marriage Certificate if applicable
  • and a Certified copy of your current passport or identity document (e.g. Driver’s Licence)

You also need to select one parent  (with Irish roots) – and for this parent you will also need

  • Birth Certificate,
  • Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
  • and a certified copy of their passport or other identity document.
  • If the parent is not living –  you will need a death certificate.

If you are claiming citizenship through a grandparent – then obviously the parent you select must be one linked to the Irish born grandparent that you have evidence of .

Finally –  if you are claiming citizenship through a grandparent – then you will need their

  • Irish birth certificate .
  • marriage certificate
  • and  (if still living) – a copy of their passport or identity document – otherwise a death certificate.

All certificates must be originals or certified copies from the originating office. Photocopies are not accepted.

Two passport size photos are also required and these have to be authorised by a witness such as a priest, doctor, headteacher, lawyer or policeman who knows the applicant.
If the person claiming citizenship is under 18 – then the parent must sign the application and also provide 2 photos signed on the back by the witness.

You can fill in the application form online here

Fees for British Residents – Register of Foriegn Births

£270 per application for persons 18 Years and over
£185  per application for persons under 18 Years

Payment to be made by one of the following methods: Bank Draft or Postal Order made payable to “Embassy of Ireland”. Cash, Credit Card payments, and personal Cheques are not accepted.

Do not send supporting documentation as these cannot be processed at this time.

If the expectant parent is not on the Foreign Births Registrar when the child is born, the child will not be entitled to Irish citizenship.

At present, due to the complex nature of the Foreign Birth Registration it takes between 12 to 18 months to process a completed Foreign Birth Registration application.

More here about Moving to Ireland