Naturalisation by Irish Association
The long awaited guidelines for naturalisation by Irish association were published on 2nd of April 2025 The Irish Nationality and Citizenship 1956 (as amended) (‘the Act’) provides that the Minister for Justice may with absolute discretion grant a certificate of naturalisation where the ordinary conditions are not met. Under Section 16(a) and 16(b) of the Act, the Minister may do so for applicants who have Irish associations or descent or for applicants who are parents acting on behalf of a child with Irish associations or descent.
The Act is silent as to what constitutes an Irish association and the new guidelines are most welcome in clarifying the requirements.
The guidelines define descent as a direct lineal descendant of a person who is, or was at the time of death, an Irish citizen, for example a child or grandchild.
Association is defined as one of the following:
- Blood – Blood relation to someone who is (or is entitled to be) an Irish citizen or someone who at the time of their death was or was entitled to be an Irish citizen. This may be ascending (parents or grandparents of an Irish child) or lateral (siblings of an Irish citizen).
- Affinity – A relation through marriage to a spouse or through an immediate blood relative (i.e., parent or sibling) of a spouse who is (or is entitled to be) an Irish citizen or who was at the time of death an Irish citizen or entitled to be one.
- Adoption – Association may be proven through adoption.
- Civil Partnership – Civil partnership as recognised under the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010.
Once the Minister has determined that there is an Irish association or descent the Minister will consider waiving the usual requirements for naturalisation. These statutory requirements may include a specific period of reckonable residence in Ireland.
The Minister will assess the strength of the application, considering specifically the applicant’s connection to Ireland through the following categories:
- Experiential connection to the State
- Family connection to the State
- Cultural connection to the State
- Establishment in the State
Using a scorecard system where an applicant has proven a strong connection (50% or more of the total score) in two or more of the categories, it may be considered appropriate to waive any or all of the naturalisation conditions. Supporting documentation will be used to evaluate the application for each of these categories. Below is a table of indicative scoring criteria.
| Experiential Connection | Scored out of 50 |
| Length of residence in Ireland | 5 points per year (25 points max) |
| Resident in the State for tax purposes | 10 points |
| Evidence of frequent trips to Ireland in the past ten years (if not currently resident) | 3 points per trip (15 points max) |
| Family Connection | Scored out of 60 |
| Family members (as defined in section 15C the Act*) are, or were at their time of death, Irish citizens ordinarily resident in Ireland. | 60 points |
| Cultural Connection | Scored out of 60 |
| Evidence of having contributed in a significant way to the Irish nation or Irish society | 30 points |
| Being in possession of a professional/third-level qualification issued in Ireland (NFQ levels 6-10) | 10 points |
| Being in possession of a Junior Certificate (or equivalent) from Ireland | 10 points |
| Being in possession of a Leaving Certificate (or equivalent) from Ireland | 10 points |
| Establishment in the State | Scored out of 60 |
| Holding a current Irish health, car or home insurance policy | 10 points |
| Number of PRSI Contributions | 2 points for every 10 PRSI Contributions (max 20) |
| Being a member of a public/private pension fund based in Ireland | 20 points |
| Being in possession of a valid full Irish driving licence | 5 points |
| Holder of Irish bank account with evidence of recent transactions in Ireland | 5 points |
The Minister has absolute discretion and satisfying these guidelines does not guarantee the granting of a certificate of naturalisation. There may also be circumstances not outlined in the guidance that must be considered by the Minister. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
If you wish to make an application for naturalisation by association, feel free to contact us at [email protected] to arrange a consultation.
