Ireland - Passport & Nationality - Irish Citizenship (Naturalisation)
For those migrating to Ireland who wish to naturalise under the third route, the key requirement is that an applicant must have lived in Ireland for five years.
The applicant must be resident in Ireland at the time of the application and must have lived in Ireland for five of the nine years directly preceding the submission. In addition, the applicant must have spent the last year of this nine year period in continual residence in Ireland.
Candidates wishing to apply for Irish citizenship through the residence route must also be able to fulfill the following requirements:
- Applicants must be aged at least 18 years.
- Applicants must be considered to be of good character. Ireland's national police the Garda Sochna will provide a report into the background of each candidate.
- Candidates must be able to demonstrate that it is their intention to continue living in Ireland after the process is complete. In addition, it will be necessary to make a formal declaration of loyalty to the state.
It is important to note that whilst applicants in possession of Irish work permits and Irish green cards may apply for naturalisation in Ireland subject to meeting the residency requirement, holders of Intra Company Transfer permits may not. These are specifically intended as a temporary measure designed to aid the operations of a company; applicants must return on or before the expiry of such a permit.
An Irish study visa application also does not allow its holder to apply for citizenship. Residency in Ireland under a student visa does not count towards the five year residency requirement.