If
you have not got Irish born parents of grandparents it is still possible
to become an Irish citizen. (See
this page if you have an Irish grandparent)
You can marry an Irish Citizen:-
To claim Irish citizenship by marriage, you must meet the following
conditions: · You must be married to an Irish citizen for at least 3
years · You must have had a period of one year's continuous "reckonable
residence" in the island of Ireland immediately before the date of your
application · You must have been living on the island of Ireland for
at least 2 of the 4 years before that year of continuous residence ·
Your marriage must be recognised as valid under Irish law · You and
your spouse must be living together as husband and wife · You must be
of good character and intend to continue to live on the island of Ireland
· You must have made a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty
to the State. Certain periods of residence do not count for this purpose,
for example periods when you did not have permission to remain in Ireland,
or you were here on a student visa, or you were seeking asylum.
See
this page about getting permission
to remain in Ireland
You can
also claim Irish Citizenship - from living in Ireland long enough. (Naturalisation
or Naturalization)
If you wish to become an Irish citizen through naturalisation, you must:
· Be 18 years or older (you must be married if you are under the age
of 18) or A minor born in the State after 1 January 2005 · You must
be of of good character - the Garda Síochána (Ireland's national police)
will be asked to provide a report about your background. You must have
had a period of one year's continuous "reckonable residence" in Ireland
immediately before the date of your application for naturalisation and,
during the eight years preceding that, have had a total reckonable residence
in Ireland amounting to four years.
You must Intend in good faith to continue to reside in the State after
naturalisation You will also needto make a declaration of fidelity to
the nation and loyalty to the State.
See this page about getting
permission to remain in Ireland
Citizenship Section (Naturalisation) Irish Naturalisation and Immigration
Service 13/14 Burgh Quay Dublin 2 Tel (within Ireland): LoCall 1890
551 500 (helpline available 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays
only Tel (from outside Ireland): +353 1 616 7700 (helpline available
10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays only E-mail: citizenship_mail@justice.ie
All non-EEA nationals need permission to remain in the State. Permission
to remain will be in the form of an endorsement in your passport confirming
the conditions and period of time for which you have permission to remain
in the State. 4. What Documentation is required to obtain Permission
to Remain?: You will need to provide the following in connection with
your application for permission to remain:(a)valid passport; (b)evidence
that you have sufficient funds with which to support yourself and any
dependants;(c)any information requested in connection with the purpose
of your arrival in the State; In addition if you are one of the following
categories you will require certain specific documentation relating
to the purpose for which you wish to remain in the State:- Student:
(a)Letter of registration from college / school verifying the duration
/ nature of the course or examination;( b)Evidence that the necessary
fees have been paid :(c)Evidence that you have sufficient funds to maintain
yourself for the period of your proposed stay. (d)Evidence of private
medical insurance. Employee / Self-Employed: (a)original work permit,
(b)work authorisation, or working visa issued in respect of you by an
Irish Embassy and affixed to your passport, (c)If operating a business
in the State, business permission letter from the Minister for Justice,
Equality & Law Reform. Other: ( e.g. retired person, long term visitor,
dependant of person already residing here, etc.) If you are coming to
the State and are not economically active (other than a student) but
intend to remain for longer than three months in the State, then you
must be in a position to show that you have the resources to cover your
stay in the State.The above is not an exhaustive list, and you may be
asked for additional documentation in support of your application .Permission
to remain will be granted by way of a Stamp (endorsement) in your Passport
and a Residence document-Certificate of Registration - may also be issued.Under
no circumstances may you engage in activity in the State for which you
do not have the appropriate permission. For example, a person with permission
to remain as a visitor shall not work. Visanationals should ensure when
applying for an Irish entry visa that they state the true and precise
reasons for their seeking entry to the State. 5. For what duration can
I get Permission to Remain:You will normally be given permission to
remain for the duration of your stated purpose in the State. Persons
who have been issued with a Work Permit will be granted residency up
to the expiry date of that permit. Work Authorisations/Working Visa
holders will be granted residency for the duration of the Work Authorisation/
Working Visa. 6. Spouses of EEA Nationals - If their spouses and dependents
are non-EEA nationals, do they need Permission to Remain?Yes. They will
require permission to reside here also . 7. How can I obtain Long-term
Residence in Ireland:The following categories of persons may apply for
long-term residence permission. 1) Persons who have been legally resident
in the State for over five years on the basis of work permit conditions
may apply to the: Immigration Division, Floor 3, Department of Justice,
Equality and Law Reform, 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 for a five year
residency extension. They may also apply to be exempt from employment
permit requirements .2) Persons who have been legally resident in Ireland
for over eight years may apply to obtain a stamp (endorsement) giving
them long term residency without condition as to time. Periods of residence
in the State for the purpose of study (whether or not that study involved
you being in employment during any of the period of study) or while
your claim for asylum was being examined will not count for this purpose.
The permission without condition as to time when endorsed in your passport
is valid up to the expiry date of that passport and must be renewed
when the passport is renewed. Persons granted without condition as to
time' endorsements are not exempt from registration requirements and
they must obtain a Certificate of Registration from their local registration
officePersons seeking a without condition as to time endorsement must
apply in writing to: Immigration Division, Floor 3, Department of Justice,
Equality and Law Reform, 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2.8. How can I Renew
my Permission to Remain? Your permission to remain in the State should
never be allowed to lapse and the onus is on you to ensure that this
does not happen.You should apply to the Registration Officer responsible
for the area in which you reside in good time to have your permission
to remain in the State extended.You will be required to submit documentation
relating to your reasons for seeking further permission to remain i.e.
work permit holder must submit a new work permit, and evidence of employment
.9. What if I am refused Permission to Remain? If you are refused permission
to remain in the State you will be informed of the reasons for this
and given the opportunity to leave the State voluntarily within a specified
period. Failure to depart voluntarily may result in you being subject
to deportation. Useful Addresses and Telephone Numbers:-Department of
Justice, Equality &Law Reform Immigration and Citizenship Division13/14
Burgh QuayDublin 2(01) 616 7700Website: www.justice.ieoVisa Application
enquiries telephone No. 616 7700 calls taken on Monday, Wednesday and
Friday 10.00 am. to 12.30 pm.
