Assuming you don't though,you live abroad in an EU member state for 50 years,you're still Irish,you go to the embassy every 10 years a renew your passport.Even if you go down that road and naturalise in another country.Ireland allows you to adopt dual citizenship,(some European countries don't).

I'm aware that in some cases your passport can be surrendered,eg bail.But can the State fail to renew your passport,when it expires,when you reside in another jurisdiction within the EU?

On this topic,Is it possible to have no nationality?

The above refers to someone born in Ireland btw,I misread boolavogue's post.

Absolutely not, you are entitled to an Irish passport as long as you are an Irish citizen.


It is possible to have no nationality, for example Russians born in Latvia are not automatically entitled to Latvian citizenship, and many of them travel on Latvian Alien passports and their nationality is described as 'stateless'.

The granting or withholding of an Irish Passport does not appear to come from a Statutory origin but would appear to have originally derived from the Crown prerogative: The State (M) v Attorney General [1979] IR 73, 76 per Finlay J.

The issuing of Irish passports remains subject to administrative discretion. A condition precedent for an Irish passport is Irish citizenship. But it is no longer simply a matter of executive prerogative. The above M case in 1979 acknowledged a right to travel outside the state (not necessarily to be admitted into another country) - and thus one of the unenumerated rights in article 40.3.1 of the Constitution and therefore since a passport is practically necessary for travel outside the Common Travel Area of Great Britain and Ireland (and that itself may change), a constitutional right to a passport was established. This does not preclude the withholding or withdrawal of passports in certain circumstances; see Lennon v Ganly and Fitzgerald [1981] ILRM 84 for an instance of passports not being withdrawn - Irish rugby playing in South Africa.

There does remain an administrative discretion, but it appears to be exercisable only in the interest of the public good and public order.

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Can someone answer me this: as far as I know, if I have British citizenship because my father was British and my kids are not born in the UK then they do not have the right to British passport. Is that the same rule with Irish passports or does the granny rule still count?

Yes and no: ultimately it's a matter for the courts. There's a constitutional right for all Irish citizens to travel outside the state:

Justice Finlay in the X case:

However, the Minister can refuse to give someone a passport if the Minister 'decides that in the interest of public order and the common good of the State an applicant should not hold an Irish passport.'

Naturally, this decision can be challenged in the courts.

Anyone born in Ireland, except for children of parents holding diplomatic immunity in Ireland, are automatically granted Irish citizenship. You are also automatically considered an Irish citizen if you are born outside of Ireland to a mother or father who was born in Ireland.

The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1956 provides that certain persons born outside of Ireland may claim Irish citizenship by descent.Anyone born outside Ireland whose grandmother or grandfather, but not his or her parents, were born in Ireland may become an Irish citizen by registering in the Irish Foreign Births Register (FBR) at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin or at the nearest Irish Embassy or Consular Office.

There are also certain limited circumstances where you may be eligible to obtain Irish citizenship through your great-grandmother or great-grandfather. This can be a bit complicated, but basically if your great-grandparent was born in Ireland and your parent used that relationship to register as an Irish Citizen by Descent by the time of your birth, then you are also eligible to register for Irish citizenship. Citizenship by descent is not automatic and must be acquired through application.

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You don't technically need a passport to leave the state; you will probably need one however to be admitted to another state.

This was overturned by the last referendum on the issue, it's now the case that children born in Ireland are only granted Irish citizenship if they have an Irish parent or grandparent (I think). If they are children of foreign parents they are only granted citizenship if they do not qualify for another citizenship. There are also provisions for children of parents who are several years resident in the state.

Being born in Ireland no longer automatically grants Irish citizenship.

Don't mean to burst your bubble but you do remember the Citizenship Referendum?

It's no longer sufficient to be merely born here, at least one of your parents must have been legally resident in the jurisdiction for the preceding, two? years.