Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR or through naturalisation.

Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.

The Passport Service Customer Service Hub has dedicated agents to deal with Foreign Birth Registration application queries. The contact number for urgent Foreign Birth Registration queries is +353 1 568 3331. This number is also available on the Department's website.

With regard to the specific Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) application about which the Deputy has enquired, the applicant has completed the online application form. However, none of the supporting documents required to progress the application have been received by the Passport Service. The turnaround time from receipt of all required supporting documents is 9 months. Applications that require further supporting documents will take longer to process.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR or naturalistion.

Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.

Demand for Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) remains high. Over 35,000 applications were received in 2023, an increase of 27% on the previous year.

Thanks to additional resourcing, the turnaround time for processing FBR applications has reduced from two and a half years in 2022 to 9 months currently, a decrease in processing time of 75%. Applications that are incomplete and require further supporting documents will take longer to process.

Further information on citizenship is available on my Department's website: www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/citizenship.