To make an application for a Foreign Birth Registration, click here to be re-directed to the Náisiún Online Application System. Please read the information below carefully before making an application.

A person born abroad to a parent who, although not born in Ireland, was otherwise an Irish citizen at the time of the person’s birth, can become an Irish citizen by applying for Foreign Births Registration (FBR).

The Consulate in Sydney deals with FBR applications and queries from people resident in New South Wales. If you are resident anywhere else in Australia, please contact the Embassy of Ireland in Canberra .

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has recently introduced a new on-line system for launching your FBR application called ‘Náisiún’ (which means Nation in the Irish language).

BEFORE MAKING YOUR ON-LINE APPLICATION

Before you begin the on-line part of your application you should be aware that the system will ask you for details about yourself, and details about your parent and how they derived their Irish citizenship. If you are claiming Irish citizenship on the basis of an Irish born grandparent you will also be asked for details about that grandparent.

It is very important that you have all of the above information to hand before beginning your online application as the application must be completed in its entirety before you exit the application- you will not be able to save a half finished application so that you could complete at a later date.

The information you will require includes the following:

• Your own personal details, including name as per you birth certificate, details of any change of name, you date and place of birth, marital status and your mother’s maiden name;
• Details relating to the parent through whom Irish citizenship is being claimed, including name as per their birth certificate, details of any change of name, their date and place of birth, marital status and the maiden name of that parent’s mother;
• Details relating to the Irish born grandparent through whom Irish citizenship is being claimed (if applicable),  including name as per their birth certificate, details of any change of name, their date and place of birth, marital status and the maiden name of that grandparent’s mother;
• Should the parent through whom Irish citizenship is being claimed be a naturalised Irish citizen, you will be required to provide the date of their naturalisation and the number of their naturalisation certificate;
• Should the parent through whom Irish citizenship is being claimed be an Irish citizen through Foreign Births Registration, you will be required to provide the date on which the Foreign Births Registration was granted and the Foreign Births Entry Number (these details can be found on the Foreign Births Registration certificate);
• Should the parent through whom Irish citizenship is being claimed be an Irish citizen through Post Nuptial Declaration, you will be required to provide the date on which the Post Nuptial Declaration was granted and the number of their Post Nuptial Declaration certificate;
• Should the parent through whom Irish citizenship is being claimed be adopted, you will be required to provide the date of their adoption.

TO NOTE WHILE MAKING YOUR APPLICATION ON-LINE

Before you being your application you must accept the Terms and Conditions.

The online Foreign Births Registration application process may be completed in either the Irish or English language. (Certificates will be printed in English).

You must complete all mandatory fields which are highlighted in pink.

Once you have completed all of the mandatory fields you should select the ‘Save Changes’ button.  You must at that point either print your application form or save it in pdf format.

Once you confirm that you have printed or saved your application form, you must select ‘Submit’ so that your application is viewable to the Consulate and ready for further processing.   

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Once you have completed the on-line aspect of the application, the system will generate a check-list of documentation that you will then be required to submit to the Consulate. You must sign and date this checklist, and submit it with originals of all the documents required plus 1 photocopy of every document submitted.

Each applicant for Foreign Births Registration is required to produce sufficient documentation  including original birth, marriage and death certificates and other relevant records for him/herself and the parent, (and grandparent, if relevant)  through whom citizenship is claimed  to confirm the applicant's  entitlement to Irish citizenship.

It is absolutely crucial that you submit all of the required documentation (originals plus 1 photocopy) as incomplete applications cannot be processed and will be returned. The list generated by the on-line system is not a ‘wish-list’ of documents that we would prefer everyone to have, it is a list of required documents. If there is a specific reason why you are unable to submit a particular document listed, please contact our Citizenship Officer at sydneycongen@dfa.ie before you make your application.

Irish Birth, Marriage and Death certificates may be obtained from the General Registrar's Office or at www.certificates.ie .

The Consulate and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reserves the right to request further documentation in support of an application for Foreign Births Registration at any stage in the process and reserves the right to check the authenticity of all documentation submitted.

SUBMITTING YOUR DOCUMENTATION

The form generated by the on-line system needs to be signed in the presence of one of the acceptable witnesses (the form contains a list of acceptable witnesses – no other witnesses are acceptable), and the documentation required (originals and copies) should be submitted to the Consulate as soon as possible after you make your application.

Making your application in person means that we can check that you have all the correct documentation. Our experience has been that this can make things easier for the applicant, and we have an appointments system in place.

To make an appointment please email the Consulate at sydneycongen@dfa.ie. FBR appointments are generally made on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Given the length of time it can take to go through FBR documentation and the number of other customers we have at the public counter, we regret that we cannot accept FBR applications in person on a walk-in basis at the Public Counter.

In general, we aim to process FBR applications within 3 months of receipt of the required documentation. However, with the high-volume of applications now being experienced, we expect that a waiting list may develop for appointments and your cooperation and patience are appreciated.

For those applicants who are not in a position to lodge their application in person, applications can be submitted by post to:

Citizenship Officer
Consulate General of Ireland
Level 26, 1 Market St
Sydney, NSW 2000

All applicants need to submit two passport photographs duly witnessed, a money order/bank cheque for the relevant fee and a Registered post envelope so that we can post the FBR certificate to you once issued. A list of our current fees is available here .  

In the case of an adult applying for a minor, two passports photos of the minor applicant, together with two passport photos of the declaring adult, all duly witnessed will be required.

TO ACCEPT THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND BEGIN AN ON-LINE APPLICATION

For further information on making an FBR application and to log-on to the new, on-line ‘Náisiún’ system please click here