FIrst Passport . Foreign Births

Hi, i am applying for an irish passport as my father was born in Ireland. I am a UK citizen.

Can i register my sons on the foreign births register at the same time, or do i need to wait for my application to complete?

On the page https://www.dfa.ie/passports-citizenshi ... ign-birth/, under the section "Grandparent born in Ireland", it lists the documents i need to provide. These include

- If applying on behalf of an applicant under 18 years – proof of residence of applicant and three separate documents showing proof of residence of applying parent or guardian, e.g. utility bill, bank correspondence, government correspondence.
- Certified/Notarised copy of the photograph page of current passport or state issued identity document (e.g. Driver's Licence)

What can i use to provide " proof of residence " and photograph? My sons are 2 and 3 years old and do not have a passport (or driving licence...)

The passport process and registering a foreign birth are two seperate proceedures.

You are an irish citizen already. Your son is not but is eligible. He (or you if he is a minor) would need to register his birth with the DFA by means of the FBR. The wait is long! See the thread “Foreign birth register?” For more information.

The good news, if your son is registered before the birth of his children, the chain would be unbroken and then his children would also be eligible.

Thanks Michael. I had already been made aware that the process was long - looking at that thread it looks like 6months + to get on the register. I am guessing that things may get worse than that in the coming weeks...

To give some background on, my father was born in Ireland and holds an Irish passport, I was vborn in Wales and have yet to apply for an Irish passport. My two sons, (2 and 3 yrs old) do not hold any passport and i need to put them on the register of foreign births.
Looking at the guidance on the dfa.ie website, I need to provide the following:-

Documents you must submit with your application:

Your documents:

• Original (long form) civil Birth Certificate, which shows parents’ details
• Original civil Marriage Certificate, if applicable - church certificates cannot be accepted
• Certified/Notarised copy of the photograph page of current passport or state issued identity document (e.g. Driver's Licence)
• Three separate documents showing proof of residence e.g. utility bill, bank correspondence, government correspondence.
• If applying on behalf of an applicant under 18 years – proof of residence of applicant and three separate documents showing proof of residence of applying parent or guardian, e.g. utility bill, bank correspondence, government correspondence.

Your parent’s documents (through whom you’re claiming citizenship)

• Original (long form) civil Birth Certificate, which shows parents’ details
• Original civil Marriage Certificate, if applicable - church certificates cannot be accepted
• Certified/Notarised copy of the photograph page of current passport or state issued identity document (e.g. Driver's Licence) original Death Certificate if deceased

Your Irish-born grandparent’s details:

• Original (long form) civil Birth Certificate, which shows parents’ details
• Original civil Marriage Certificate, if applicable - church certificates cannot be accepted
• Certified/Notarised copy of the photograph page of current passport or state issued identity document (e.g. Driver's Licence) original Death Certificate if deceased

A couple of questions.

• Is my marriage certificate necessary? I see it on the list but don't understand how it is relevant? Happy to provide it if needed.
• The third bullet asks for 'current passport or state issued identity document'. My children have neither of these, is there an alternative for young children?
• The fourth and fifth bullet points mention 'proof of residence of applicant'. How can i provide proof of residence for my young children that don't have a or have any official correspondence.

Hello
You can apply for them at the same time, but the practical issue might be that some of the documents you need for your own passport application might also be needed for your sons' FBRs - for example, your dad's birth certificate showing Irish-born is the obvious example. Additional copies can be ordered online, or you could do your passport first if you are not in a rush for the FBRs. Apart from the photo IDs (which have to be certified copies), they want originals (or those certified as original from official registry offices or the GRO).

I think the marriage certificate is necessary, as they try to find two or three documents which evidence the same information. For example, your marriage certificate reveals your spouse's maiden name, which should also feature on your sons' birth certificates. This gives them more confidence about the line of Irish descent for your sons. Also, with Brexit etc., I think they are being really strict on evidence requirements as it has to all be there or it's not going through.

I think a letter from a GP or school confirming residential address will do - a different FBR webpage says something similar (I find every official guidance page says something slightly different!). For a photo ID for your sons, I think the only viable option is a UK passport, but you could check with the embassy.

Good luck!