The Department of Justice has announced that as part of the Immigration Service Delivery Modernisation Programme, the citizenship application process is now digitalised. The online service allows applicants to complete their application form, upload necessary supporting documentation and pay fees online. Applications for Citizenship have increased in recent years, totalling over 17,000 in 2022 and over 16,000 to date in 2023.
Naturalisation, which refers to the acquisition of citizenship after birth on the basis of residence in a country, is the primary means through which migrants and people with a migrant background may acquire citizenship. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 (as amended) governs the acquisition of Irish citizenship, including through naturalisation.
In 2020 EMN Ireland published Pathways to Citizenship through Naturalisation in Ireland, collating information and data on the acquisition of citizenship through naturalisation. The study highlighted that processing times were longer than expected, partly due to paper based processing.
Read EMN Ireland’s report Pathways to Citizenship through Naturalisation in Ireland
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