Corkythecat wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:56 pm
Flatcap_Julius wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 12:07 pm
Corkythecat wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 11:58 am
Flatcap_Julius wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 11:24 am
It's probably worth noting that it is possible to get two different versions of Irish birth certificates - the standard one and the fully-authenticated one. They are essentially the same document however the fully-authenticated one comes stamped and embossed with an official seal plus a letter of authentication from the registrar. It is also fully watermarked with four harps! I would always go with the full and authenticated documents when applying for anything formal like FBR or a passport as it can only help reduce any potential doubts over authenticity.
.......I would always go with the full and authenticated documents when applying for anything formal like FBR or a passport as it can only help reduce any potential doubts over authenticity.
Please can you supply specific evidence for this notion as regards Irish Foreign Birth Registration. e.g. a previous posting where this has been requested by DFA ,a case where an application has been delayed or rejected because of the submission of an 'unauthenticated' Irish birth certificate. Or any mention of this form of authentication as a requirement or suggestion on any DFA or Irish consulate website. Thanks
No, Corky, I have not heard of it having been a problem. As stated, the document contains the same information - so it is not like the UK birth certificates, the short version of which contains less information. I dare say people will be fine applying with the standard document. It is my own personal preference and recommendation to go for the authenticated one for the reasons outlined.
.........
I dare say people will be fine applying with the standard document. It is my own personal preference and recommendation to go for the authenticated one for the reasons outlined.
Thanks for the clarification.
I don't know if you have any relevant expertise or qualification but, just to be clear, you are making the recommendation to others based on your own preference and without reference to any specific evidence.
If that is the case it might be best to state that clearly too. Anyone looking for advice or reassurance on their application may think that they now have cause for concern or will be paying more for a level of documentation that is not needed.
Regards
That is a fair point. I cannot see anything on the DFA site specifically stating any requirement for the additional authentication for Irish birth certificates for FBR applications. With this in mind, I would take the standard Irish certificate to be quite adequate. I grew up in a culture where authenticated certificates are required for pretty much everything, particularly when dealing with government departments and I suppose the habit has stuck. I actually ordered both the standard and authenticated certificates so I could see the differences between them. I chose to send the authenticated one in with my application as I wanted everything to be as authentic and valid as possible. That said, I rather stupidly neglected to notice that my passport was soon to expire, (the website and FBR guidance notes clearly state the need for a the certified state ID document to be "current") however as soon as I realised, I got the replacement passport copy duly notarised and sent it to the DFA along with a letter outlining and apologising for my oversight.
Insofar as UK birth certificates are concerned, and I believe other forum members have stated, the DFA does require the long copy birth certificates - which is entirely understandable since they need the full information on these in order to verify the family relationship to the Irish / Irish national ancestor through whom the entitlement to Irish citizenship is claimed.
Sticking with the subject of the currency of copy ID, those who applied 2 years ago may do well to check that the copy ID they sent in remains valid, or in other words check that it hasn't expired since they sent in the supporting documents for their application - as I cannot imagine the DFA waivering this particular requirement.
I recently received a response to some concerns I had raised directly with the DFA and this enlightened me on a few points regarding the complexity of the processing of applications. I would have copied it on here however I am not sure it is wholly appropriate to do so, however I will cherry-pick and paraphrase some bits that are not personal to me. For example the spelling of names can vary over generations. Citizens also often lied about their age to make themselves younger (often for marriage) or older (for work reasons) and so sometimes dates do not always tally. The DFA have to manually verify numerous documents issued from various jurisdictions and by various authorities across several generations. They have to do this on site due to data protection reasons. The DFA are looking to allocate extra resources to FBR processing with a focus on returning to pre-Covid timescales by the end of 2021. This all sounds impressive however even pre-Covid it still took 12-18 months to process applications due to the apparent complexity of the process, some aspects of which I have touched upon here.
In summary, non-authenticated Irish birth certificates are fine. Long UK birth certificates are necessary. All documentation must be in English or Irish, otherwise they must be accompanied by a certified translation - which means it the translation has to be authenticated by a certified translator. (Assermenté in French, I guess one would call them a certified translator in English).
hopefully (how many times can i check my spam and other emails?? lol)