United Kingdom - EU Passport - Irish citizens outside the UK

The rights enjoyed by British and Irish citizens in the two countries will be protected after the UK leaves the European Union (EU) in March 2019. This confirms the arrangement that pre-dates the UK’s membership of the EU which effectively allowed the freedom of movement, residency and work by Irish and British citizens between and in the two countries. This means that no UK or Irish nationals will be required to apply for settled status to protect their entitlements in Ireland and the UK respectively. The rights to work, study, access social security and public services will be preserved on a reciprocal basis for UK and Irish nationals. There will be also be full protection and maintenance of the current arrangements for travel between the UK and Ireland. This includes movement across the land border between (the Republic of) Ireland and Northern Ireland, protecting the uninhibited movement already enjoyed today.

An Irish citizen can move to the UK to live and work, and can bring their family (spouse and children) to join them. Although you might be led to be believe that you have to acquire a Permanent Residence Card or some other form of residence certificate from the Home Office before you can apply for British nationality, this is not the case for Irish citizens. Under most circumstances, you can naturalise as a British citizen after you spend 5 continuous years of residence (although other criteria normally apply).

Both Ireland and the UK allow dual nationality - that is, the right to hold another country's citizenship. As an Irish citizen, it is therefore possible to apply for British nationality and a British passport.