Questions on obtaining irish passport and using it

I was born in Canada to a mother who was born in Ireland, at my time of birth she had already become a Canadian citizen. I have already obtained the passport forms from my local embassy here in Canada and I am about to send them in but before I do so there are just certain things I want to be sure of!

Even though my mother was a Canadian citizen at my time of birth am I still entitled to obtaining an Irish passport?

Can an Irish passport be used as proof of citizenship? or is that a whole other process?

The address on my Irish passport will be a Canadian one, will I still be allowed to enter and leave Ireland when I please without registering?

Will an Irish passport allow me to stay in Ireland for as long as I please?

I have read from some sources that you cannot obtain an Irish passport until you have obtained citizenship but on the application forms it indicates that you are eligible for an Irish passport if you were born to a parent who was born in Ireland, does not mention obtaining citizenship first, can someone explain?

Pleaseee I need some help with this, thanks alot!

Seano

Hi Sean.

seano89 wrote:Even though my mother was a Canadian citizen at my time of birth am I still entitled to obtaining an Irish passport?

Yes, you are an Irish citizen if your parent was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth. As an Irish citizen, you are entitled to an Irish passport.

seano89 wrote:Can an Irish passport be used as proof of citizenship? or is that a whole other process?

An Irish passport is an ideal way of proving that you are an Irish citizen.

seano89 wrote:The address on my Irish passport will be a Canadian one, will I still be allowed to enter and leave Ireland when I please without registering?

Irish passports do not carry the address of the holder. As an Irish citizen, you are entitled to enter and leave Ireland, when you please, without registering with anyone or anything.

seano89 wrote:Will an Irish passport allow me to stay in Ireland for as long as I please?

Yes. Irish citizens have the right of abode in Ireland, without condition. Irish citizens also benefit from the right of free movement among the EU Member States. You can live and work / study / open a business in any EU country.

seano89 wrote:I have read from some sources that you cannot obtain an Irish passport until you have obtained citizenship but on the application forms it indicates that you are eligible for an Irish passport if you were born to a parent who was born in Ireland, does not mention obtaining citizenship first, can someone explain?

In your case, you already are an Irish citizen. You have been since the day you were born. You just never applied for a passport, that's all.

thanks alot for your input, that cleared alot of things up for me. I have one more question that may be a bit tricky. I lived in Ireland in 2007/2008 on a 12 month working visa and I had obtained a pps number while there. Going back in 2009/2010 to live do you think my pps number will still be the same? Or will I have to go through the process again of obtaining a new one? Thank you!

seano89 wrote:thanks alot for your input, that cleared alot of things up for me. I have one more question that may be a bit tricky. I lived in Ireland in 2007/2008 on a 12 month working visa and I had obtained a pps number while there. Going back in 2009/2010 to live do you think my pps number will still be the same? Or will I have to go through the process again of obtaining a new one? Thank you!

There should be no need to get a new PPS number. There's nothing wrong with contacting the Department of Social and Family Affairs though, in the town where you will be living, and informing them that, as well as being a Canadian citizen, you are in fact an Irish citizen.

Another question, would I be allowed to enter Ireland on a Canadian passport while my Irish passport papers are being processed. I know that as a Canadian you can stay in Ireland for up to 90 days without any kind of visa. So say I send in my application forms (according to the papers, can take up to 10 weeks to process) then head to Ireland with my Canadian passport, when the Irish passport is sent back to me would I just go to the local gardai office to inform them or how does this work, if it does work at all?
Thank you again.

Sean

seano89 wrote:Another question, would I be allowed to enter Ireland on a Canadian passport while my Irish passport papers are being processed. I know that as a Canadian you can stay in Ireland for up to 90 days without any kind of visa. So say I send in my application forms (according to the papers, can take up to 10 weeks to process) then head to Ireland with my Canadian passport, when the Irish passport is sent back to me would I just go to the local gardai office to inform them or how does this work, if it does work at all?
Thank you again.

Sean

You can enter Ireland as a tourist on your Canadian passport, but not work, etc. Once you get an Irish passport you should notify the immigration authorities so that your file can be updated.

Have you any children of your own?

I have no children, so would that not be a problem as long as my Irish passport is issued before my 3 month grace period is up?