"Let's hear it for Irish grannies!" EU passports and that

[gilbertharding]

I have to go back a more than three generations before anyone in my family was born in Ireland, but I'm fairly sure my Dad's mum was American, and he was definitely born in Shanghai...

So, it looks like I'm stuck being English.

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

After digging around on various genealogy sites it looks like all my ancestry going back four or five generations is British (English and Welsh) so perhaps I could try a different tactic.

The results of the MyHeritage DNA test I took last year - and which I am choosing to believe is 100% accurate - shows me to be an enticing melange of 53.3% "Irish, Scottish and Welsh" (nothing vague about that) 24.4% "Scandinavian" (nor that) and 7% Italian. I think I'll email my (definitely 100% accurate) results to the passport offices of Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Italy, telling them I'm prepared to consider all offers.

[Blinder Data]

got my cert confirming my citizenship in the post this morning. I'm a bit disappointed I never got the chance to belt out the soldier's song at a ceremony. I've had enough practice...!

but all in all I'm very happy that I managed to get it done before my progeny comes into the world. even so it'll be while before I actually get to use the passport, I imagine.

slàinte!

[crankshaft]

got my cert confirming my citizenship in the post this morning. I'm a bit disappointed I never got the chance to belt out the soldier's song at a ceremony. I've had enough practice...!

but all in all I'm very happy that I managed to get it done before my progeny comes into the world. even so it'll be while before I actually get to use the passport, I imagine.

slàinte!

It's "sláinte".

[Dex Sawash]

sláinted the wrong way you multinational twat

[Blinder Data]

oh feck. take the passport away, I don't deserve it

[buttgammon]

The only accent used in Irish is á, é, í, ó, ú etc; the other way is seen more in Scottish Gaelic.

[kngen]

Seems my Irish provenance is so tenuous that I'm not eligible. My wife can, however, apply for an Italian passport. Unfortunately, Italian bureaucracy being what it is, even if we present all the paperwork in triplicate to 17 different government agencies, allow Silvio Berlusconi free rein on my first-born and string up an errant banker under Blackfriars Bridge, the most we can hope for is a promissory note and a sticker that says 'Italians do it better in the back seat of a Cinquecento'. Might be easier to get US citizenship, and then claim refugees status in the EU as a political dissident.

[Ferris]

My mum's Irish passport came in, but I think it's too late for me and Ferris Jr to get on the Irish passport bandwagon alas.

[jamiefairlie]

If , like myself, you have any Polish ancestors, you are qualified as a Polish citizen.

Most people whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in Poland qualify for Polish citizenship through descent. In essence you need to have at least one ancestor who:

Was born in Poland (or one of the former territories) and resided there after 1920; or
Left Poland before 1920, but your ancestors' residential address can be found in the Polish, Prussian, Russian or Austro-Hungarian registers; and
Maintained their Polish citizenship until the day of your birth.

[Zetetic]

How much of a pain is it to convert this into actual citizenship and a passport? Have you done it?

I ask because my partner's father has always insisted that he can't be doing with it. (My partner and their sibling had trivial access to German citizenship so haven't bothered investigating Polish.)

[Mr Banlon]

I'm eligible for a St Lucian passport. No idea what the benefit of having one would be though.

[jamiefairlie]

My brother has and it wasn't too bad and he's helping my nephew too. My dad was Polish so a bit easier for us with getting access to birth certs and the like. Apparently the Polish gov are helpful.

[Jockice]

I have an Irish surname, Irish descendants on both sides of the family and relatives in Ireland. Admittedly I've only ever met them a couple of times and they're third cousins or something but they're still relatives. I have first cousins in England who I've never met.

But I'm not eligible for an Irish passport. My grandparents were all Scottish and I think their parents were as well. My family just moved across too soon. The bastards. If Scotland does rejoin the EU I'll be in there.

[petril]

I'm eligible for a St Lucian passport. No idea what the benefit of having one would be though.

about half a dozen free holidays a year when you inevitably get picked for World Cup Qualifiers

[petril]

How much of a pain is it to convert this into actual citizenship and a passport? Have you done it?

with Irish, it's a case of being on the register of overseas births(about €200) then you apply for the passport(about €100) and you get full citizenship with that.

if you already have British it doesn't actually change your living/working/voting rights because of the Common Travel Area.

[Zetetic]

Apologies, I was specifically asking after Poland. (Thanks jamie.)

(I have nothing available to me by blood, but people close to me have a variety of options.)

(German was trivial, at least at one generation's remove.)

[Junket Pumper]

Are there potential downsides to this? I have Irish grandparents and like the idea of reclaiming free movement but I don't want to end up like Shamima Begum for having dual citizenship.

[Blinder Data]

Are there potential downsides to this? I have Irish grandparents and like the idea of reclaiming free movement but I don't want to end up like Shamima Begum for having dual citizenship.

it costs hundreds, is a bother to gather the documents and can take ages, but otherwise no. it's an extra passport that offers more than the British one

I've had mates who have had to give up passports and/or not return to countries for fear of being forced into completing military service - those are the dual citizenships you need to watch out for

[Ian Drunken Smurf]

Naturalised as an Austrian and renounced British (required to do so). Managed to include IDS jnr on my application as persuade the Austrian authorities that he could not renounce, so he has both. Children 2 & 3 arrived six weeks too late to get both through me, but born Austrian.

[mippy]

I have the paperwork for mine here, but kept putting it off as €300 got more and more expensive with the crap exchange rate, and now I have to work out how to order my marriage certificate from the US (though I didn't change my name so maybe I don't need it?)

Who did you get to notarise/endorse the application? The list of eligible people seems quite nArrow.

[Pseudopath]

Are there potential downsides to this? I have Irish grandparents and like the idea of reclaiming free movement but I don't want to end up like Shamima Begum for having dual citizenship.

I think I read somewhere that some posts in the Civil Service (possibly those requiring high levels of security clearance) can demand that you relinquish any non-UK citizenships.

The only real downside is the ongoing cost of renewing two passports instead of one. You could, of course, allow the one you don't use to expire (as the cost to replace an expired passport is usually the same as renewing an active one).

[amputeeporn]

Just got my certificate 15 months after sending my documents. Thrilled! Next stop passport.

[Blinder Data]

I think I read somewhere that some posts in the Civil Service (possibly those requiring high levels of security clearance) can demand that you relinquish any non-UK citizenships.

I'd be surprised if that includes Irish citizenships though, seeing as we both signed up to the Common Travel Area agreement. Irish people in the UK didn't need to get settled status like all other EU citizens, for example. But maybe it's one of those weird rules that has never been rewritten. Didn't want to become head of MI5 anyway, so ner!

Who did you get to notarise/endorse the application? The list of eligible people seems quite nArrow.

Would you say so? The list was OK for me, tho I've a good pal who's a solicitor so that made things simple. I don't think it's much more than writing down their name and place of work on the photocopies and applications.

A teacher pal would be able to sort you out. It might work if you walk into your local chemists or bank with the documents and ask really nicely.

[Red Lantern]

I have the paperwork for mine here, but kept putting it off as €300 got more and more expensive with the crap exchange rate, and now I have to work out how to order my marriage certificate from the US (though I didn't change my name so maybe I don't need it?)

Who did you get to notarise/endorse the application? The list of eligible people seems quite nArrow.

If you live anywhere near Luton, the Luton Irish Forum endorses Irish citizenship / passport applications as a free service. They did mine. Get in touch with your local Irish centre and see if they can help.

[Pseudopath]

It might work if you walk into your local chemists or bank with the documents and ask really nicely.

Yeah...my local pharmacist happily countersigned all my documents. Thought he was going to be a pain in the arse about it and try to charge me for the service, but he seemed delighted to get a few minutes' break from shovelling out meds.

[JaDanketies]

I found an accountant who worked in the same building as me through Google and gave them a crisp £20 note that they didn't ask for.

[Paul Calf]

I can countersign passport applications.

[buttgammon]

Just applied for a new British passport in order to apply for an Irish one in the future. A grim way to waste £80.

[Pseudopath]

Just applied for a new British passport in order to apply for an Irish one in the future. A grim way to waste £80.

Eh?! Why would you need a British passport in order to apply for an Irish one? Or did you just need a valid passport and knew that the Irish one would take ages?