Foreign Birth Registration

[firefighter664]

Looks like we are both going to be in the 'two year club' soon then Angelo..

[JT97]

Seems to be a few newbies here so here goes -
Just going through the FBR for our 3 children. The parents each have an Irish parent, one of whom is still alive. We have his birth cert. but do we need a separate copy of grandfather's birth cert. for EACH grandchild's application??? OR can the 3 applications be sent together with the ONE grandfather's birth cert?

We see that due to CV19 no applications are currently being accepted but they are getting close to adulthood and we want them to have the freedom we had, like everyone else online here.

With thanks in advance for you help and patience.

NAM61

I've done a shared sibling application. It was very simple. We just did an application form each and then provided one set of documents for our grandad and one for our mom. Then, we supplied a full set of documents each for me and my brother. The only requirement is that the people sharing the documents are siblings and live in the same country. So if all 3 children are your children then no you only need one set of documents for the grandfather and one for either you or their other parent. However, if they are cousins then yes you will need separate documents for all of the children if the don't share the same parent.

If you do go down the shared application route, make sure you add a cover letter explaining which documents apply to which applicant.

[Angelo_2019]

Thanks Angelo. Looking at those numbers processed per year it's clear to see where the 18-24 month time frame comes from.
I suppose that most people applying for FBR will also eventually be applying for a passport and so processing more FBR claims will invariably lead to more passport applications, making it extremely difficult to clear the backlog of passport applications....

This comment is depressingly logical in light of the DFA's comments that they want to clear the passport backlog for actual citizens before addressing the outstanding FBR applications.

This would mean that if people that applied a few months later are approved for the FBR first, we also have to wait until they get their passports for our FBR to be resumed. I would selfishly prefer that routine applications that have been waiting 24 months with teams that are not back to FBR be moved to other teams, instead of being put behind applications that are 18-20 months old with active teams.

[RHCD]

I'm worried about the 'address confirmation' people are talking about here.

I applied 23 months ago, and got an email dated October 2019 saying 'Your application and supporting documentation for your application for Foreign Birth Registration has now been received', but there's been nothing at all since then.

What form does this address confirmation take? I'd be a bit upset if I find I've waited nearly two years without doing something else that I needed to do for the application to be processed.

[msry5cw2]

Feeling frustrated now - coming up for 2 years as well here...

Applied 09/07/2019
Confirmation of receipt 12/08/2019
.. Nothing...

Asked for new photographs of my son 16/12/2020
Confirmation of address 31/05/2021

..... Nothing...

My application is with Team 2

Felt i was close, now i can see people who applied after me receiving their certs

[msry5cw2]

conformation of address is an email they send asking if you can confirm where the documents should be sent to you, as they are about to send them back and entre you to the FBR.

I assume because the process is taking so long people may have moved etc.

[RHCD]

That's useful to know, thanks.

The website continues to say processing is paused due to Covid, is there any reason to believe anyone is working on these applications at all?

[Matt_UK]

Has anyone got experience of having just sent documents anyway, even when it says that applications are paused?

The restrictions are such that they really should be processing or at least having staff there to accept documents.

[denzimart]

https://www.dfa.ie/citizenship/born-abr ... cent-faqs/

Can my sibling and I apply for Foreign Birth Registration jointly?

Yes, you can use the same set of papers and supporting documents for both applications. Just enclose the two separate application forms in one envelope and send it to us with a letter saying that some of the documents apply to both applications. This only applies if you are resident in the same country when applying.

Really wish I'd known this myself. Submitted my 2 daughter's applications 2 months apart because I needed multiple copies of documentation. All 4 grandparents are Irish born (and both my wife and I have been Irish passport holders for many years) so had a choice and actually ended up using different grandparents for each daughter! At least their applications should be nice and easy!

[dolewhip]

Feeling frustrated now - coming up for 2 years as well here...

Applied 09/07/2019
Confirmation of receipt 12/08/2019
.. Nothing...

Asked for new photographs of my son 16/12/2020
Confirmation of address 31/05/2021

..... Nothing...

My application is with Team 2

Felt i was close, now i can see people who applied after me receiving their certs

Well this is disappointing.

Today marks 3 weeks since receiving the address confirmation email. I know there are applicants who'd been on hold since December, but I really thought things had turned a corner, and that we could now expect the certificate to ship within two weeks of receiving that message.

To know it's 2+ months for you at this stage, yikes. The variance between follow-up times literally spans from 1-2 days to 7-8 months. Really not cool - that's long enough to make the address one provided no longer accurate (there's a good chance I'm moving myself within 2.5 months). Sigh.

[youthinkunoe]

FBR
Application/docs received in Balbriggan: 06 November 2019
Confirmation of address email: 06 JULY 2021
Congrats email/mailed out: 03 August 2021
FBR certificate received: N/A

My application did not have any issues, I didn't inquire about it at all. Just waited Patiently

[dolewhip]

FBR
Application/docs received in Balbriggan: 06 November 2019
Confirmation of address email: 06 JULY 2021
Congrats email/mailed out: 03 August 2021
FBR certificate received: N/A

My application did not have any issues, I didn't inquire about it at all. Just waited Patiently

Congrats, that's a big step!

Being patient is fine and all, but there's a big problem when some people are getting the congrats email a day or two after address confirmation, and others are waiting 3-8 months. That's a life-changing amount of time and could cause issues for a whole variety of reasons, from travel to potentially moving on short notice.

It's not that different with the address confirmation step - they say cases are processed chronologically, but I know for a fact that's not true, given that your documents were received after mine and you have a certificate on the way. Not to make it solely about me, some users here who applied before both of us are still waiting for address confirmation!

Now that everything's resuming, these processes should really have more consistent timeframes, and that's where a lot of frustration is coming from.

[maishun]

FBR
Application/docs received in Balbriggan: 06 November 2019
Confirmation of address email: 06 JULY 2021
Congrats email/mailed out: 03 August 2021
FBR certificate received: N/A

My application did not have any issues, I didn't inquire about it at all. Just waited Patiently

Which country are you from?

[DKCalifornia]

FBR
Application/docs received in Balbriggan: 06 November 2019
Confirmation of address email: 06 JULY 2021
Congrats email/mailed out: 03 August 2021
FBR certificate received: N/A

My application did not have any issues, I didn't inquire about it at all. Just waited Patiently

We have been waiting patiently since June 2019… meaning we applied almost 6 months prior to you and we have heard nothing since an address confirmation in Dec 2019. So my patience is pretty much run out. I bet you’d feel the same in our situation. Just saying. But congrats to you - count yourself lucky.

[Fbrlad]

This is insane.. im a pre july 2019 applicant and I see people with 6 months later applications are getting approvals.. this is insane, repeat after me, this is insane

[Luna2019]

Hi everyone. I don't think there is much consistency in terms of when they are processing some of these applications, but I think they are processing them. Some have been lucky while others have had very long waits.

I sent in paperwork for my children in August 2019. It was all received.

In December 2020, I got the confirmation of address email. The next day, everything shut down.

Last Monday (July 26), I received another confirmation of address email. I was thrilled! However, nothing since then.

It is frustrating but I think we all have a lot of company. I think we just have to hang in there and hope that they continue to work through these applications. Best to everyone. I have very much appreciated this community as we all wait.

[UncleBud]

Just FYI, I never received a congratulations email. After my confirmation of address email in December 2020, my FBR certificate and supporting documents surprisingly arrived at my home in the US four months later.

Hang in there!

[dolewhip]

It is frustrating but I think we all have a lot of company. I think we just have to hang in there and hope that they continue to work through these applications. Best to everyone. I have very much appreciated this community as we all wait.

Yes, this is the way. It's clear at this stage there's little rhyme or reason to how the FBR apps are being processed, but they are moving again.

The inconveniences are real (if my certificate doesn't arrive before the 2nd of September, I'd much rather it ship after the month ends; that said, we don't get a choice), but it is what it is. At least it should happen by the end of the year, barring some incredible disaster.

Just FYI, I never received a congratulations email. After my confirmation of address email in December 2020, my FBR certificate and supporting documents surprisingly arrived at my home in the US four months later.

Hang in there!

Super weird, but I read at least one other case here with this outcome. Makes no sense, which is par for the course right now. Good luck, everyone!

[Corkythecat]

News article today on passport pressures. It doesn't look like FBR applications will be prioritised any time soon.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/p ... 19460.html

I was an August 2019 applicant too - not heard anything since.

I do wonder if there is a separate unit processing US applications as there seem to be far more posts of good progress there compared to the UK ?

[thecastle2]

Looks like we are both going to be in the 'two year club' soon then Angelo..

That's about how long it too me to get my FBR. Here was my timeline
Application submitted online: 30 April 2019
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation Balbriggan: 8 May 2019
Confirmation of address email: 26 August 2020
Congrats email: 1 September 2020
FBR certificate received: 19 September 2020

I applied for my passport in September, kicked back for re-using my FBR photos. Re-sent to the Chicago consulate Dec 10th 2020

Online tracking indicates passport application arrived in Ireland 16 March 2021.

Still waiting for the return of my FBR certificate and passport.

[Celtic67]

Yes, from months of seeing posts it definitely appears that US applications are being managed as a priority over all others.

[ripforreallldo]

wonder if this has anything to do with the hold up https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40350518.html

[Flatcap_Julius]

FBR
Application/docs received in Balbriggan: 06 November 2019
Confirmation of address email: 06 JULY 2021
Congrats email/mailed out: 03 August 2021
FBR certificate received: N/A

My application did not have any issues, I didn't inquire about it at all. Just waited Patiently

Congrats, that's a big step!

Being patient is fine and all, but there's a big problem when some people are getting the congrats email a day or two after address confirmation, and others are waiting 3-8 months. That's a life-changing amount of time and could cause issues for a whole variety of reasons, from travel to potentially moving on short notice.

It's not that different with the address confirmation step - they say cases are processed chronologically, but I know for a fact that's not true, given that your documents were received after mine and you have a certificate on the way. Not to make it solely about me, some users here who applied before both of us are still waiting for address confirmation!

Now that everything's resuming, these processes should really have more consistent timeframes, and that's where a lot of frustration is coming from.

I 100% agree, Whip. What do we know about their activity at the moment? Are the DFA increasing the number of FBR applications they are getting through? Wish we knew more about what's going on!

[Luna2019]

Yes, from months of seeing posts it definitely appears that US applications are being managed as a priority over all others.

Hi Celtic67. We are US applicants and we have just surpassed 2 years of waiting.

[Flatcap_Julius]

That's useful to know, thanks.

The website continues to say processing is paused due to Covid, is there any reason to believe anyone is working on these applications at all?

I thought the same. It seems people are getting their certs through - either those who applied 18-24 months ago or those with offspring on the way. The DFA say that the FBR process can only be carried out onsite due to data protection reasons, and that pre-covid it took 12-18 months as it is very complicated - requiring the physical examination and verification of documents issued by different jurisdictions over up to 3 generations. They said that in order with current guidelines for the suppression of COVID they can't have sufficient numbers working in the office, hence they've all been redeployed. (Presumably not to an office) When I got my granddad's birth certificate I got the fully authenticated version with the Letter of Authentication complete with official seal and watermarked with 4 harps, so that's about as authenticated as they're gonna get! I got similar for all the other ones. Just wish they'd get on with it - however I understand there's a queue. I know they have got my application. At least I got them to admit that in writing. Really wish I'd done this years ago. I enquired in 2016, then I had to shelve it. I am grateful to this forum though as least it allows understanding of people's experiences and timelines. We will all get through it...all of us!!!