Foreign Birth Registration

[Sulla]

The Foreign Birth Registration instructions specify original documents. Is a certified copy considered equivalent? I have my original birth certificate and marriage certificate, but for everything else (e.g., grandparent's and parent's birth and marriage and death certificates), I can only get certified copies.

Certified copies are definitely acceptable. As long as they are official copies from the relevant government registration department (in Ireland the GRO) then they enjoy equivalency with originals. I submitted an entire set of certified copies with my application, as all originals were with my father and he is sentimentally attached to some of them. I had no issues with my application and neither has anyone else who used certified copies to support an FBR application. You have no cause to worry on this count. What you cannot do is simply photocopy certificates and submit them.

[nydccub]

Today's the day! I got an email this morning from DFA saying they are in the process of approving my FBR application, and that they wanted to confirm my postal address. Shortly thereafter, they said my FBR certificate will be issued and posted in the next few days, and that I would receive it in 2-3 weeks.

FBR Application Received: 8/31/2018
FBR Email: 8/28/2019 (?) (Not sure this counts as the congratulations email)
FBR Certificate Received: Pending

[Jaxx22]

Congratulations nydccub

I never received an email from them but when I called about 3 weeks ago they said my certificate was waiting to be printed so if yours will be printed in the next few days then mine should be too. I assume I never got the email because I already told them I have moved but then I have never received any email from them. The embassy never replied to my change of address email either and I asked them to confirm that they had the correct details.

I haven't have the chance to call them again today to ask, getting a bit worried cause having a few issues with post not arriving from the UK that was sent a couple of weeks ago and I really don't want this going astray, although it should be sent from the Embassy and logically signed for (?)

[usczkat]

Today's the day! I got an email this morning from DFA saying they are in the process of approving my FBR application, and that they wanted to confirm my postal address. Shortly thereafter, they said my FBR certificate will be issued and posted in the next few days, and that I would receive it in 2-3 weeks.

FBR Application Received: 8/31/2018
FBR Email: 8/28/2019 (?) (Not sure this counts as the congratulations email)
FBR Certificate Received: Pending

Very Happy for you, congrats!! So good to see progress is happening!!

[Sulla]

Today's the day! I got an email this morning from DFA saying they are in the process of approving my FBR application, and that they wanted to confirm my postal address. Shortly thereafter, they said my FBR certificate will be issued and posted in the next few days, and that I would receive it in 2-3 weeks.

FBR Application Received: 8/31/2018
FBR Email: 8/28/2019 (?) (Not sure this counts as the congratulations email)
FBR Certificate Received: Pending

Congratulations to you. Let's hope the certificate wends its way to you soon.

[Master Caution]

My own personal view is that the stopwatch started on the 28th of November when I received the confirmation e-mail which leaves me at eight months in. Based upon what I have read on here, I optimistically expect a communication from the DFA in October to November.

However, if that doesn't happen, it is what it is.

Happy Days!


MC

Ok then. I will include your details as a November 2018 applicant. Thanks for the update.

Today and after exactly 9 months to the day that I received my "received email" from the DFA, I gave the Berlin Embassy a call.

No joy whatsoever because it is so difficult to get through to them by phone.

So, I decided to call Dublin. Within 5 minutes, my call was answered and a very polite chap took my details and looked into my case. He couldn't tell me anything more than that I hadn't been processed and was in the queue so to speak. He then went on to say that the hold up is apparently in Berlin, but what does that mean exactly?

Does it mean I have been processed and the best outcome is FBR cert on the way? Or does it mean that Berlin have my paperwork and have done nothing with it for 9 months. Who knows?

Either way, my position hasn't changed with regards to Irish Citizenship.

MC

[Pumps100]

For the record, today 29th August 2019, marks my one year anniversary (received date 29th August 2018).

No queries. Nothing.

Ian

[NYNJ1]

Update on my application (previous user name NYNJ): received an email from FBR office on August 15, asking to verify that my address of record was still current. I confirmed that, and received a response back that my certificate (read: my son's certificate) would be posted the following day, and that it would take 2-3 weeks to arrive (US address). FYI - receipt of physical application in Dublin was confirmed on August 16, 2018.

Warm congratulations to you. If the certificate has already been printed then it might not take as long as a couple of weeks to arrive with you. Let's hope it comes quickly and you can get on with the passport stage.

I received the FBR certificate yesterday. So, here's my history:

Application receipt in Dublin confirmed on August 16, 2018
Email from DFA confirming entry onto FBR on August 15, 2019 (date of certificate is August 15, 2019)
Receipt of package in US on August 28, 2019.

Good luck to everyone in the process.

[cheeseontoast]

Dear Sulla,

Please can you add me to your timeline:

Sent application to London embassy on 5 November 2018, received by them the following day.

Received email stating from DFAT on 12 March 2019 "Your application and supporting documentation for your application for Foreign Birth Registration has now been received. Applications can take up to 6 months to process and we will be in touch with you should we require any additional documentation or clarifications."

Very similar timeline to Mori68 post of yesterday, 26 August.

Steve

Hi Steve, my FBR twin!

I just hope the current twelve month wait (as per this forum) is from November 2018 and not March 2019, when we got the confirmation email!

All the best!

Myles

Hello FBR twin!

Unfortunately reading this forum, I think it's 12 months from receiving the email, so 12 March for us. Frustrating that we've "lost" 4 months between it being submitted and getting that email.

I might be wrong, but that's how I'm reading it. Will give them a call in a week or so to hear the latest and to clarify, so will post if I hear anything of interest.

Steve

[Cooter]

Sulla

Could I be added to list of waiting

Application Submitted to Edinburgh on 14th November 2018
Email confirming application received in Ireland 21st March 2019

No further contact from them so far

[Jaxx22]

Update from me.

I called the dfa today, perhaps not the best day to call cause the queue was double digits but it still actually moved quite fast.

I was added to the FBR on 22 July so officially an Irish Citizen

Certificate has been printed and is at the Embassy so I have arranged to go to the city to collect it rather than worry about it being sent to the correct address, hopefully I can collect it tomorrow

[accountname]

Hello FBR twin!

Triplets, actually! Well, roughly.

I think I posted this back in the old thread some months ago, but I'll repost it because it doesn't seem to have come over in the list (on which note, thanks for the list! Very interesting to see how this is all progressing for everyone):
28/10/18: Online application submitted & fee paid
24/11/18: Supporting documentation posted
26/11/18: Supporting documentation signed for
26/02/19: Receipt acknowledged by email

If I hadn't known they'd signed for it in tracked post I'd have been concerned the documentation was all lost!

[LesMalouinettes]

Further to the post that Pumps100 (Ian) made above, can you please clear up your exact application date. Until now I have just been working with the content provided in your earliest post. As such, you are listed as a September 2018 applicant. However, there is another post mentioned by Ian that says August. Which is correct?

Thanks for clarifying this and I hope you hear some good news soon.

My application was definitely received on Sept 27th, 2018. If I've written August somewhere, it was in error.

[GSP666]

Well it has taken one year and one day but the email stating ‘you are an Irish citizen’ arrived yesterday. Now to wait on the paperwork and get my passport application in.

[Sulla]

Update from me.

I called the dfa today, perhaps not the best day to call cause the queue was double digits but it still actually moved quite fast.

I was added to the FBR on 22 July so officially an Irish Citizen

Certificate has been printed and is at the Embassy so I have arranged to go to the city to collect it rather than worry about it being sent to the correct address, hopefully I can collect it tomorrow

Congratulations Jaxx. Happy to see you are now at the end of the FBR process and will avoid any complications with delivery. I also opted to collect my certificate in person from the embassy.

[Sulla]

Sulla

Could I be added to list of waiting

Application Submitted to Edinburgh on 14th November 2018
Email confirming application received in Ireland 21st March 2019

No further contact from them so far

Sure. I have added you in. Many thanks for sharing.

[powerbook1]

Wow I almost can't believe I'm writing this

I called Dublin again this morning to see if my documents had been attached, and was told my application had already been approved! That means my entire application process took just over a month

The adviser said some embassies / consulates can make their own decisions on FBR applications, without sending all the paperwork to Dublin, which happened in my case. I can only assume because I applied at a small consulate, my application was probably the only one they had to deal with, and hence I got approved so quickly

It seems that the document checking process that I referred to in my previous message was actually the full application check, rather than a pre-screening prior to sending to Dublin

The adviser did mention though that it could be a while before I get my certificate, because my passport photos and address proofs need to be sent to Dublin (so these can be added to the certificate). He estimated it could be 1.5 months either way, depending on diplomatic mail schedules.

My timeline is thus so far:
11 Jun - Application Submitted Online
26 Jun - Documents Submitted
23 Jul - Documents added to application
25 Jul - Name entered into FBR

Quick update from me

Certificate was printed two days ago (28 Aug) and is waiting to be shipped out to China

Hopefully all going well will have it in my hands by end of Sep

[Lee2521]

Update from me.

I called the dfa today, perhaps not the best day to call cause the queue was double digits but it still actually moved quite fast.

I was added to the FBR on 22 July so officially an Irish Citizen

Certificate has been printed and is at the Embassy so I have arranged to go to the city to collect it rather than worry about it being sent to the correct address, hopefully I can collect it tomorrow

Hi Jaxx

Congratulations to you and great news

[SonicBoom3]

Well the day has arrived - received email this morning to confirm my current address - followed by another email to say 'you will have your certificate shortly'

So my timeline is this:

Application sent to Irish Eambassy Lonodon 28th August 2018
Acknowledgment email 31st August 2018
Address conifrmation email 30th August 2019
Confirmation of FBR certificate 30th August 2019

I didn't get the Congratulations email. The emails received today were from a member of staff. Don't know if it has any bearing but I did phone up yesterday and was told 'being processed, should hear in a couple of weeks'.

Sulla - I am the same SonicBoom on your list but had trouble with login so had to create a new account!

A year to the date then - hopefully others will receive good news soon!

Donal

[Jaxx22]

So I now have my certificate in my hands

A little over 6 months from application to certificate in hand.

Has my old address on it but I am sure that doesn't matter as people will move around.

Had to ask for a passport application form, so just now need to fill that in and find a suitable witness to sign it for me, that is where I struggle so it might be a trip to a notary again which I want to try to avoid cause it is not so easy to get to them.

Congratulations to you too sonicboom

Thanks Lee - hope you don't wait too much longer for yours to come through.

[Luke125SWalker]

Hi All

Got an email today from the Irish Embassy in Pretoria this afternoon. It reads:

"FBR CERTIFICATE ISSUED, READY FOR COLLECTION - NOTE: WE DO NOT POST (COLLECTION STRICTLY FROM PRETORIA OFFICE)

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please note that your Irish citizenship certificate is ready for collection in Pretoria. Collection instructions are attached. You may use any courier of your choice to collect.

Any queries you may have on passport application is readily available at www.dfa.ie A passport application form is enclosed in your package.

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY FOR A PASSPORT UNTIL YOU HAVE COLLECTED THE PARCEL FROM THE EMBASSY.

Kind Regards"

I will go and fetch in on Monday!!! (Luckily I am within the same city.)

[shoileygal]

Hello everyone. Just adding to the timelines.

I sent the online application and credit card payment September of 2018.
Mailed the documents January 2019.
Got the email saying all was received about 2 weeks later.
Called in July because the website stated 6-7 months to process was told that it is now 12-14 months.

It is now almost 12 months since I received my my application number, 9 months since they've
received my documents and no further word.

[Sulla]

Hi All

Got an email today from the Irish Embassy in Pretoria this afternoon. It reads:

"FBR CERTIFICATE ISSUED, READY FOR COLLECTION - NOTE: WE DO NOT POST (COLLECTION STRICTLY FROM PRETORIA OFFICE)

Can you and SonicBoom please let me know the dates of addition to the FBR as printed on the certificate, once you get your hands on them? Thanks and congratulations to you both.

[Sulla]

Hello everyone. Just adding to the timelines.

I sent the online application and credit card payment September of 2018.
Mailed the documents January 2019.
Got the email saying all was received about 2 weeks later.
Called in July because the website stated 6-7 months to process was told that it is now 12-14 months.

It is now almost 12 months since I received my my application number, 9 months since they've
received my documents and no further word.

I would not anticipate movement in your case for another 3-4 months or so. The timeline starts once the FBR section (or embassy) physically receive the application form and all relevant supporting documents. In your case, this has now been 8-9 months. Applicants from the US, like Laurie, Michael and LeifRnR waited basically a full year and many others are in the same situation or worse of being at or just over the one year mark.

[YYZ]

Hi there

I thought I would add my details. I'm applying for citizenship by descent as both grandparents are Irish

I applied and paid online August 20th 2018

I sent off all documentation which was signed for on August 28th 2018

I received an email saying they had all my documentation on January 10th 2019

As things stand right now I've heard nothing further. I'm assuming when they received all my documentation in August it was placed at the end of a very long queue of other applications. Am I right in thinking it took four and a half months to eventually arrive at someones desk in January and it will be a years wait from that point?

Thanks