Foreign Birth Registration?

[water_tank1]

Hi Pixie

In relation to your question about the FBR

I see you are based in Ireland and to give you my experience as I did my FBR in Ireland as i am resident here in Ireland.

To put it in short terms it took about 4-5 weeks from handing in my application to being completed. I was expecting to wait for the 6 - 7 months from what i have been reading on this site but the lady said it will take 4-5 weeks depending if all the required documents are with the application. She was true to her word when i received all my documents and FBR certificate in the post within the 4-5 weeks.
You won't have to wait too long at all.

Regards

[pixie1230]

You’re an angel! Thanks for clarifying everything. Usually how long is the processing for an infant?(if requirements are correct and complete)
We just want our baby to be here already as i can’t stop thinking about how she is everyday.
Thanks again in advance!!

Where would you be applying from? It would likely take anywhere between 4-8 months depending where you are applying from. My own one took just under 5 months.

Hello, were in Ireland so were going to apply it here directly. Pay and fill out everything online, and post them the documents from here. We have the documents complete including the birth certificate of our Child as i requested it in my home country right away before i flew back home in Ireland. I just hope and pray that it will be quick. As its really hard to be away from a baby. Do you think it will be quicker? Thanks again!

I'm afraid I can't really say, it will depend how busy they are I guess. I'd say you're probably looking at least 3 months. Perhaps it'd be worth speaking to them and explaining the situation.

Thanks! I just went through the naturalisation route. My daughter is eligible to get her irish citizenship through his father and grandfather but it seems loads of documents are needed including my father in law’s passport copy and long form birth certificate.

So what we tried earlier on the application online was to get her citizenship through me as I am a naturalised irish citizen. It seems like less documents are needed. I only need to present my cert of naturalisation and passport copy etc. It seems less documents than getting through his bloodline.

Thanks Bluey!! You’re a heaven sent! Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions!!! Best of luck!

[pixie1230]

Hi Pixie

In relation to your question about the FBR

I see you are based in Ireland and to give you my experience as I did my FBR in Ireland as i am resident here in Ireland.

To put it in short terms it took about 4-5 weeks from handing in my application to being completed. I was expecting to wait for the 6 - 7 months from what i have been reading on this site but the lady said it will take 4-5 weeks depending if all the required documents are with the application. She was true to her word when i received all my documents and FBR certificate in the post within the 4-5 weeks.
You won't have to wait too long at all.

Regards

Wow! 4-5 weeks?!! That’s some good news right there. I Live in Ireland and will
post all the documents tomorrow or wednesday. I wonder where did u contact them? And did u apply because of your irish parents or grandparents. Was thinking it will be quicker for a minor. As my baby is just 3 months old.
Thanks so much for the info! it willl be great it were going to be able to be with her asap. She needs her mummy and daddy already.

[water_tank1]

Hey Pixie,

I applied through my grandparents.

I personally handed my application in to the consulate with all the documents and the staff was extremely friendly and was delivered to me by registered post.

Good luck!!

[ammonite]

My dad has a paper driving licence and has never had a passport. As such, he literally has no forms of photographic ID. Nor does he have any desire to get one (don't even ask). Is there anyway around this? Also, even IF he could, what does it mean to be 'certified'?.

My grandmother doesn't have a driving licence or passport either, and they accepted her bus pass instead. Does he have anything like that? In terms of it being certified, I used the Post Office's document certification service. I assume you can also get your witness to sign it (as they suggest with your own passport).

[Pengi]

I'm going to apply for Irish citizenship through my deceased grandfather, but I have a few questions.

1. How recent do the proof of addresses need to be? Most bills etc are online now. I have an annual bank statement from around 10 months ago and an annual council tax bill from around 8 months ago. Will these be good enough?

2. Will I need any of my witness's information when filling in the online application/payment?

3. I only have access to a printer at work. If I apply on my laptop at home, will I be sent an attachment that I can print at work? Or should I apply at work during my lunch break?

4. Once I have submitted the online application, is there a certain date the paperwork needs to be received by? I will need to make arrangements for my witness to sign the paperwork and photos.

5. What is required of the witness in total?

Sorry if these questions sound silly, I just wish I could actually look at the application form beforehand.

[caferacer]

I'm going to apply for Irish citizenship through my deceased grandfather, but I have a few questions.

1. How recent do the proof of addresses need to be? Most bills etc are online now. I have an annual bank statement from around 10 months ago and an annual council tax bill from around 8 months ago. Will these be good enough? ]Just do your best, not one size fits all for this one, folks in different situations, read past posts

2. Will I need any of my witness's information when filling in the online application/payment?,No, when you print it out, it will print out the witness form, then you take this, and the photos to get witnessed, whoever that maybe, i used my doctor, he also signed and stamped my passport, and acouple of other things

3. I only have access to a printer at work. If I apply on my laptop at home, will I be sent an attachment that I can print at work? Or should I apply at work during my lunch break?,NO...it didnt let me save a pdf, lucky the library printer was working, an di pressed the print button.

4. Once I have submitted the online application, is there a certain date the paperwork needs to be received by? I will need to make arrangements for my witness to sign the paperwork and photos.id say a few weeks would still be OK

5. What is required of the witness in total?, just witness your signiture on teh FB1 form...sorry not sure the exact reference, and sign and date the photos..Good luck, finished mine off yesterday, adn it was signed for in Londn this moring...a years work, on an doff getting everything together!!!

Sorry if these questions sound silly, I just wish I could actually look at the application form beforehand., Not silly at all....

[IrishGem]

Hi Pengi, welcome to the board.

I'm going to apply for Irish citizenship through my deceased grandfather, but I have a few questions.

1. How recent do the proof of addresses need to be? Most bills etc are online now. I have an annual bank statement from around 10 months ago and an annual council tax bill from around 8 months ago. Will these be good enough?

I'd really like to know answers to these points myself. This is what I found on the FAQ page FAQ From Irish Consulate, New York.

If over 18 years – You must submit three separate documents showing proof of residence such as, a phone bill, gas/electricity bill, bank statement, pay slip, college registration, and tax information. Each document must be six months within date.

However, that is from the Irish Consulate in New York, requirements from other DFA offices my differ.

2. Will I need any of my witness's information when filling in the online application/payment?

No, this information is only needed once the website has generated your FB1A form and it is ready to sign. None of the witness information is supplied electronically.

3. I only have access to a printer at work. If I apply on my laptop at home, will I be sent an attachment that I can print at work? Or should I apply at work during my lunch break?

My experience is different from caferacer's, once you step through all the tabs to the "Submit Application" tab, you get a button on the right hand side of the screen labelled "Print & Check your FBR form & checklist as a PDF" (you can still make changes at this point if you have made a mistake). On pressing this, the website renders your FB1A form as a PDF and for me, Firefox opened a new tab and displayed my form in it (more recent versions of Firefox have a built-in PDF viewer). I then downloaded it from there by clicking the download button and printed it off in the Library.

In any case, you will not be sent an attachment. However, your mileage my vary, I use Firefox on OpenSUSE Linux, so I wouldn't expect the same behaviour on other setups, e.g. Mac and safari or Windows and internet explorer, but Firefox may do this on any platform.

4. Once I have submitted the online application, is there a certain date the paperwork needs to be received by? I will need to make arrangements for my witness to sign the paperwork and photos.

Applications are only valid for 6 months after the date they are witnessed. I assume this means that an application must be logged as received no longer than 6 months after it was witnessed.

5. What is required of the witness in total?

Witnesses need to fulfil certain criteria, this is explained well on the dfa.ie website. What they actually need to do is:

• Witness you signing and dating Section D of your FB1A form.

• Complete Section E themselves with:
  • Printed name
  • Signature
  • Date
  • State their profession
  • Give their business address
  • Give their business phone number
  • Mark the form with an official stamp OR supply a business card
  • Sign and print the date on the back of your two photos
  • Indicate on the form (by striking though the appropriate text) if:
    • They know you personally OR
    • You have been introduced to them by a third party known personally to both of you (the third party needs to be named on the form)

This took me 10 minutes and my witness has not witnessed an FBR application before.


Sorry if these questions sound silly, I just wish I could actually look at the application form beforehand.

Answers inline, best of luck,
Gem

[LuluBlue76]

Just out of curiosity, did anyone's witness NOT get contacted about their application? It's not a problem as my witness is a police officer but I just wondered if they do always contact them or not always. Applying from the UK on behalf of my two minor children.

[haylingbilly]

I would be curious to know as well as an indication to the application being processed. Also does anyone know how far in to the application process the witness is contacted? Thanks.

[haylingbilly]

Just out of curiosity, did anyone's witness NOT get contacted about their application? It's not a problem as my witness is a police officer but I just wondered if they do always contact them or not always. Applying from the UK on behalf of my two minor children.

I would be curious to know as well as an indication to the application being processed. Also does anyone know how far in to the application process the witness is contacted? Thanks.

[Bluey105]

Just out of curiosity, did anyone's witness NOT get contacted about their application? It's not a problem as my witness is a police officer but I just wondered if they do always contact them or not always. Applying from the UK on behalf of my two minor children.

Mine wasn't contacted.

[wrightlilly]

Hi All - new to this forum. I have collected all of the relevant documents to apply to enter on to the foreign births register via my grandfather (now deceased) who was born in Ireland.

I have a problem in that my mother has adopted and used (for over 35 years) my fathers surname, but they are not married. She has not changed her name by deed poll, and her passport and documents all have my fathers surname on it. How do I go about evidencing this name change as part of the application? Has anyone had any similar experiences? Could it be dealt with via a covering letter, signed by the witness (who knows my parents well)?

[caferacer]

If I could jump in...your in the UK?, or your Mum is, that seems weird, as how did she get her passport etc, as her birth cert would have her real surname, and by putting her "adopted" surname on the application she would not have presented a marriage cert(as they are not married)..unless ive got the wrong end of the wedge, and i miss read your post, (i cant go back on my silly system)...not an easy thing your Mums done, !!!, eps as its Home office stuff...im sure there is a way around it, maybe others have an idea..good luck

[Irishurban]

I’ve been a bit of a lurker here for a while trying to gauge how long I’d have to wait for my FBR certificate to come through. I applied in mid July and was expecting a 6 month wait. I applied on the basis of ancestry from my late Irish grandfather for an FBR certificate.

Surprisingly, I got an email from the DFAT today with the following messsage:

“Congratulations you are now an Irish Citizen. Your recent application for Foreign Birth Registration has been successful and your certificate is currently awaiting printing.
Your original documentation and your certificate will either be sent to you by registered post in 2-3 weeks or our mission will be in touch with you directly to arrange collection/delivery. If there is a delay in you receiving your documentation you should contact the office listed at the top of your application form.”

I was elated and overjoyed at the news and never expected a confirmation by email. I’ve not seen anybody else here on these forums mention that they received confirmation via email as soon as it was processed. This is what prompted me to post on here today to see if anybody else had received a similar email too.

In all, its taken a little over 4 months for my application to be approved. That’s very good considering most people are typically waiting for at least six months. I was meticulous when completing the application form and ensured I included everything asked for. I am so proud and happy and it is an incredible feeling beng greeted with those opening words in that email. I am honoured to be officially an Irish citizen, but I have always felt Irish and been proud of my Irish blood.

Sláinte!

[MickByNameAndNature]

I have a problem in that my mother has adopted and used (for over 35 years) my fathers surname, but they are not married. She has not changed her name by deed poll, and her passport and documents all have my fathers surname on it. How do I go about evidencing this name change as part of the application? Has anyone had any similar experiences? Could it be dealt with via a covering letter, signed by the witness (who knows my parents well)?

The form asks for the "Surname as on Civil Birth Certificate" as well as "Current Surname (if different)". If you fill something in the current spot, another question shows up at the bottom: "Was this name change made via Deed Poll?" Mark "No". You will then just have to show use of the name. If her passport and other documents all have the name she uses (not her birth surname) that shows use. In many countries it is not required to "legally" change your name, just that you can show that you use and are known by that name. Her passport shows that she is known by that name.

Mick

[Loughcorrib]

Took ours 5 month

[rc19822]

Hi All,

I just thought I'd let you all know that I sent off all documentation to the Irish Embassy based in London which they received on 7th July 2017.

On the 21st November I received an email telling me my application was approved and that my certificate and original docs I sent would be sent to me within 2-3 weeks. So it looks like the 4 - 5 month mark is the current lead time from the London office if all docs sent are correct. I applied based on having one grandparent born in Ireland.

Cheers

[Irishurban]

Hi All,

I just thought I'd let you all know that I sent off all documentation to the Irish Embassy based in London which they received on 7th July 2017.

On the 21st November I received an email telling me my application was approved and that my certificate and original docs I sent would be sent to me within 2-3 weeks. So it looks like the 4 - 5 month mark is the current lead time from the London office if all docs sent are correct. I applied based on having one grandparent born in Ireland.

Cheers

You got the same email as I did. This must be a new thing that they have started to do. Emailing successful applicants, which is really good. I forgot to mention that I also applied via the London embassy in Mid July 2017 based on one grandparent being born in Ireland too. It took mine 4 - 5 months also so that does appear to be the new lead time now based on applications sent to London. Perhaps it has helped that they have been forwarding some applications to Dublin in order to ease on London Embassy's workload and speed up the process.

[pixie1230]

Hello I’m wondering what email you guys use to contact them? Thanks in advance!

[nooni]

Hello I’m wondering what email you guys use to contact them? Thanks in advance!

Try fbr@dfa.ie

[pixie1230]

I emailed them and got a reply that my documents has been received and it can take up to 6 months whether ur a resident in Ireland or overseas.
Of course if the documents u submitted are complete. I hope it just an estimate and can be done quicker. I just need my daughter to be here. Its hard living separately:(

@nooni Thanks for that!

[Bluey105]

My passport is due to be issued by the end of the month. The whole process getting the FBR and passport will have taken me 9 months. Not too bad I say! I just submitted my passport via the London embassy.

Good luck to those of you who are doing the same. It's great when the FBR arrives

[mancguy]

Hey all,

Just putting together the docs needed to apply on the FBR system and I have one missing - my original 'detailed' birth certificate with my parents names on. I have the more brief one but can't find the original

Is there any way around this - will a certified copy definitely not be accepted?

Thanks!

[Irishurban]

Hey all,

Just putting together the docs needed to apply on the FBR system and I have one missing - my original 'detailed' birth certificate with my parents names on. I have the more brief one but can't find the original

Is there any way around this - will a certified copy definitely not be accepted?

Thanks!

There’s no way around it unfortunately. Certified copies of a birth certificate will not be accepted. You will need to send an original long form birth certificate as part of your FBR application. The good news is that they can usually be easily ordered online via the relevant local authority of where you were born and they only cost around the £10 mark. There’s also usually an option to have it sent much more rapidly at an increased cost in the event that you do want to receive it very promptly. Simply google the local authority of where you were born along with Births, Marriage & Deaths Registration and this should take you to the relevant website where you can find further info and order the Birth certificate. My advice is to take no shortcuts and follow the required documents list rigidly and you won’t go wrong. Good luck!