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In depth
The Foreign Births Register (FBR) is the official record maintained by Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of people born outside Ireland who are entitled to Irish citizenship by descent. Registration on the FBR is the legal mechanism by which Irish citizenship is conferred on the descendants of Irish citizens born abroad.
The FBR operates under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. The Act provides that a person born outside Ireland is an Irish citizen from birth if, at the time of their birth, one of their parents was an Irish citizen born in Ireland, OR was an Irish citizen by being registered on the FBR themselves.
The 'grandparent rule' is the most common path: if you have one grandparent born on the island of Ireland (including Northern Ireland), you are eligible to register on the FBR. Processing time is currently 9-18 months.
Example
An American with one Irish-born grandparent can register on the Foreign Births Register to claim Irish citizenship.
Related terms
The grandparent rule is the most common path to Irish citizenship by descent: having one grandparent born on the island of Ireland (including Northern Ireland) qualifies you for the Foreign Births Register.
The GRO (General Register Office) is the Irish government office that maintains records of births, deaths, marriages, and civil partnerships in the Republic of Ireland.
The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, is the principal Irish citizenship law that governs the Foreign Births Register and other paths to Irish citizenship.
GRONI (General Register Office Northern Ireland) is the government office that maintains vital records for Northern Ireland, equivalent to the GRO in the Republic.
The Good Friday Agreement (1998) is the peace accord that confirms the right of people in Northern Ireland to identify as Irish, British, or both, and to hold citizenship accordingly.
A post-nuptial declaration is a historic Irish citizenship path for foreign spouses who married Irish citizens before certain dates, allowing them to claim Irish citizenship through marriage.