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In depth
The Foreign Births Registration Certificate is the legal document issued by Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirming that a person is an Irish citizen by descent. It is issued after successful registration on the Foreign Births Register (FBR).
The certificate is the legal proof of Irish citizenship — it allows the holder to apply for an Irish passport, register to vote in Irish elections, and access all rights of Irish citizenship.
The certificate is typically issued 9-18 months after submitting the FBR application, depending on processing times at the DFA.
Related terms
The Foreign Births Register (FBR) is the official record maintained by Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs of people born outside Ireland who are entitled to Irish citizenship by descent.
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.
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.
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.