Ireland

Dual Citizenship Ireland

Allowed

Under Irish law, citizenship can be acquired through birth, descent, marriage to an Irish citizen or through naturalisation. A newborn acquires Irish citizenship at birth if born to at least one Irish parent. Acquisition of nationality through naturalisation may be conferred by means of a certificate issued at the Minister’s discretion. The applicant must show that they lived in Ireland for one continuous year before the date of application, and during the eight years before that one year, must have had a total residence in the state amounting to four years.

In relation to holding dual citizenship, Section 24 of the Irish Naturalisation & Citizenship Act, 1956 (as amended) states that “No person shall be deemed ever to have lost Irish citizenship under section 21 of the Act of 1935 merely by operation of the law of another country whereby citizenship of that country is conferred on that person without any voluntary act on his part.” Thus, Irish law does not pose any consequences in relation to registration or renunciation of original citizenship. Irish citizens are allowed to hold dual citizenship without any special conditions.