Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
50. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if there are changes to the requirements for a person after turning 18 years of age applying for a foreign birth registration; and if there are there any conditions they need to take into account or penalties they need to be aware of if they are over 18 years of age. [15212/24]
View answerMy Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
The fee for an adult is €278 and the fee for a child under 18 is €153. If a child turns 18 while their application is being processed, there is no increase in the fee, i.e. it remains €153.
Additional documents, including proofs of address for the child and their parent or guardian are required in the case of an application made on behalf of a minor. In certain cases, proof of guardianship may also be required.
Further information on the documentation required to make an application for Foreign Birth Registration is available on my Department's website: www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth.
The Passport Service Customer Service Hub has dedicated agents to deal with Foreign Birth Registration application queries. The contact number for urgent Foreign Birth Registration queries is +353 1 568 3331. This number is also available on the Department's website.
Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate. FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of 9 months from receipt of all required supporting documents, a decrease in turnaround time of 75% from over two and a half years in 2022. Applications that require further supporting documents will take longer to process.
