Denise Mitchell
Question:110. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for further information regarding the case of a person (details supplied). [2721/24]
View answerTuesday, 23 January 2024
Questions (110)
Written answers
The Department of Foreign Affairs issues a civil letter of freedom to Irish citizens getting married abroad.
This is not an Irish requirement but a requirement of the country where an applicant is getting married. All applicants should check with the relevant authority in the country where they are getting married in order to ascertain whether or not a civil letter of freedom is required.
Applicants for a civil letter of freedom are required to submit an online application and fee to the Marriages Abroad unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs. They will then need to complete and print the relevant application form (MP1) along with the relevant declaration form (MP2B) and have it witnessed by a solicitor, commissioner for oaths or notary public. These documents should be posted to the address on the top right corner of the MP1 application along with their original birth certificate and copy of their current Irish passport. If the applicant or their fiancé has ever been divorced, then original petition and divorce decree must also be submitted. We do our best to facilitate all of our customers but do request that applications are sent in four months in advance of the date of marriage. Late applications cannot be guaranteed.
A request for a birth certificate is standard practice internationally and, indeed, is required of Irish citizens getting married within the State. In the case of marriage in the Netherlands, our understanding is that a birth certificate is needed if either applicant is not a Dutch citizen.
I understand that the individual in question was born in Belgium and would need to engage with the relevant Belgian authority to obtain his birth certificate or original copy.
I also understand that the applicant has not started the application process as yet. My Department's Marriages Abroad Unit can be contacted for guidance or assistance at marriagesabroad@dfa.ie.
Full information on the process is available on the Department's website under the 'Consular Services' section of www.ireland.ie.