Foreign Birth Registration

[leitrim]

I thought I'd post my timeline as I've found that so helpful when other people have done that, just to get that comfort that I'm not the only one waiting, and that things do seem to be moving:

Application submitted online: 10/11/2019
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation Balbriggan: 02/12/2019
Confirmation of address phone call: 29/11/2021
Date added to FBR: TBC
Congrats email: 08/12/2021
FBR certificate received: TBC

Congrats!

My docs were also received Dec 2 2019. No word yet for me but this gives me hope!

[Adelesan]

Hi
I applied in August 2019, received the "documents received" email email on 27th August 2019 and had heard nothing until last Friday when I had a phone call from Dublin to say that my application (along with my brother's) had been approved. The lady said that I will receive an email confirming and then my original documents and certificate will be posted back to me, most likely after Christmas. Really pleased that it has come through at last. Hope this gives a bit of reassurance to those of you who are still waiting.

Docs received: 27/08/2019
Confirmation of address/application approved phone call: 10/12/2021
Email confirmation: Still waiting

[Dalton_Trumbo]

Hi
I applied in August 2019, received the "documents received" email email on 27th August 2019 and had heard nothing until last Friday when I had a phone call from Dublin to say that my application (along with my brother's) had been approved. The lady said that I will receive an email confirming and then my original documents and certificate will be posted back to me, most likely after Christmas. Really pleased that it has come through at last. Hope this gives a bit of reassurance to those of you who are still waiting.

Docs received: 27/08/2019
Confirmation of address/application approved phone call: 10/12/2021
Email confirmation: Still waiting

This is just my opinion, others may differ, but if you haven't heard anything by 2022 I personally would consider that an emergency query send the FBR an email, if only to confirm that everything is okay with your application.

[Adelesan]

Hi
I applied in August 2019, received the "documents received" email email on 27th August 2019 and had heard nothing until last Friday when I had a phone call from Dublin to say that my application (along with my brother's) had been approved. The lady said that I will receive an email confirming and then my original documents and certificate will be posted back to me, most likely after Christmas. Really pleased that it has come through at last. Hope this gives a bit of reassurance to those of you who are still waiting.

Docs received: 27/08/2019
Confirmation of address/application approved phone call: 10/12/2021
Email confirmation: Still waiting

This is just my opinion, others may differ, but if you haven't heard anything by 2022 I personally would consider that an emergency query send the FBR an email, if only to confirm that everything is okay with your application.

Thanks. Looking at other people's posts it does seem that there is bit of time between the confirmation of address email or phone call and the approval email. The lady on the phone said it had been approved and then she phoned my brother too so I'm pretty confident that it is all ok. She said the documents would most likely arrive back to me after Christmas. If it hasn't arrived in January I'll get in touch with them.

[ironkerton]

Hello all,
Long time lurker. Just updating with my details as I patiently wait.

Applied: 10th March 2019
Confirmation of docs: 28th August 2019

Glad to see people starting to get confirmations from around my time.

I think mine is relatively straightforward. Hope to hear something soon!

My application wasn't actually Brexit related. I had been meaning to apply for my Irish citizenship for 20 odd years. I had only just gotten the income to be able to afford it and then the pandemic struck. Good luck everyone.

What a day!

At 2.25pm I got confirmation my COVID test was positive.

At 2.28pm an email from Team 8 asking me to confirm my address as my entry on the FBR had been approved.

Crashing highs and lows but I have been waiting for this one longer than I knew what the word coronavirus meant to we will chalk this one up to a win!

[ironkerton]

Hi
I applied in August 2019, received the "documents received" email email on 27th August 2019 and had heard nothing until last Friday when I had a phone call from Dublin to say that my application (along with my brother's) had been approved. The lady said that I will receive an email confirming and then my original documents and certificate will be posted back to me, most likely after Christmas. Really pleased that it has come through at last. Hope this gives a bit of reassurance to those of you who are still waiting.

Docs received: 27/08/2019
Confirmation of address/application approved phone call: 10/12/2021
Email confirmation: Still waiting

Sounds like our paperwork has been sat on top of each other for 2 years! 1 day apart, hey. Hope your certificate arrives soon!

[Dalton_Trumbo]

Hi
I applied in August 2019, received the "documents received" email email on 27th August 2019 and had heard nothing until last Friday when I had a phone call from Dublin to say that my application (along with my brother's) had been approved. The lady said that I will receive an email confirming and then my original documents and certificate will be posted back to me, most likely after Christmas. Really pleased that it has come through at last. Hope this gives a bit of reassurance to those of you who are still waiting.

Docs received: 27/08/2019
Confirmation of address/application approved phone call: 10/12/2021
Email confirmation: Still waiting

This is just my opinion, others may differ, but if you haven't heard anything by 2022 I personally would consider that an emergency query send the FBR an email, if only to confirm that everything is okay with your application.

Thanks. Looking at other people's posts it does seem that there is bit of time between the confirmation of address email or phone call and the approval email. The lady on the phone said it had been approved and then she phoned my brother too so I'm pretty confident that it is all ok. She said the documents would most likely arrive back to me after Christmas. If it hasn't arrived in January I'll get in touch with them.

AH! my bad, I totally missed the part where you said you got a call saying it was approved. Misread the post. Anyway, Congrats! that's a long time to wait!

[Adelesan]

Hi
I applied in August 2019, received the "documents received" email email on 27th August 2019 and had heard nothing until last Friday when I had a phone call from Dublin to say that my application (along with my brother's) had been approved. The lady said that I will receive an email confirming and then my original documents and certificate will be posted back to me, most likely after Christmas. Really pleased that it has come through at last. Hope this gives a bit of reassurance to those of you who are still waiting.

Docs received: 27/08/2019
Confirmation of address/application approved phone call: 10/12/2021
Email confirmation: Still waiting

Sounds like our paperwork has been sat on top of each other for 2 years! 1 day apart, hey. Hope your certificate arrives soon!

Ha, I think that must be the case. Good to know that they are getting through them at last. Sorry to hear you have Covid, hope you're feeing better soon.

[Adelesan]

Hi
I applied in August 2019, received the "documents received" email email on 27th August 2019 and had heard nothing until last Friday when I had a phone call from Dublin to say that my application (along with my brother's) had been approved. The lady said that I will receive an email confirming and then my original documents and certificate will be posted back to me, most likely after Christmas. Really pleased that it has come through at last. Hope this gives a bit of reassurance to those of you who are still waiting.

Docs received: 27/08/2019
Confirmation of address/application approved phone call: 10/12/2021
Email confirmation: Still waiting

This is just my opinion, others may differ, but if you haven't heard anything by 2022 I personally would consider that an emergency query send the FBR an email, if only to confirm that everything is okay with your application.

Thanks. Looking at other people's posts it does seem that there is bit of time between the confirmation of address email or phone call and the approval email. The lady on the phone said it had been approved and then she phoned my brother too so I'm pretty confident that it is all ok. She said the documents would most likely arrive back to me after Christmas. If it hasn't arrived in January I'll get in touch with them.

AH! my bad, I totally missed the part where you said you got a call saying it was approved. Misread the post. Anyway, Congrats! that's a long time to wait!

Thanks! It did take a long time but it's nice to get it at last. Good to be European again and Irish for the first time! Looking forward to travelling there when I'm able to.

[a.s.b.o]

I received a response from the Minster's office and this mess appears to have been well normalised:

"Due to an unprecedented surge in applications as a result of the Brexit referendum in the UK, and the pause in the Service due to Covid-19 restrictions, applicants should allow approximately 2 years from date of receipt for processing of FBR applications at this time"

Some corners of this forum argue that providing citizenship via FBR to distant relatives of Irish citizens is generous. Providing citizenship to a foreign-born child of a citizen who happened to become stranded abroad due Covid is no generosity. Most civil European nations (inclining UK) deal with this in no time. Leprechaun time.

[jamiepompey]

I received a response from the Minster's office and this mess appears to have been well normalised:

"Due to an unprecedented surge in applications as a result of the Brexit referendum in the UK, and the pause in the Service due to Covid-19 restrictions, applicants should allow approximately 2 years from date of receipt for processing of FBR applications at this time"

Some corners of this forum argue that providing citizenship via FBR to distant relatives of Irish citizens is generous. Providing citizenship to a foreign-born child of a citizen who happened to become stranded abroad due Covid is no generosity. Most civil European nations (inclining UK) deal with this in no time. Leprechaun time.

If it's an urgent case they do expedite it if they have good reason. For example if a child were to be rendered stateless if they didn't have their FBR. I sympathise with you. Maybe you could message the urgent enquiries email (which is somewhere on this thread, sorry I don't remember it) and see if they could help?

[BrexitEscapee]

If it's an urgent case they do expedite it if they have good reason. For example if a child were to be rendered stateless if they didn't have their FBR. I sympathise with you. Maybe you could message the urgent enquiries email (which is somewhere on this thread, sorry I don't remember it) and see if they could help?

If you check a.s.b.o.'s posting history, you'll see he got his FBR through a long time ago and is now trolling the forum with posts like his last one. Trying to stir up resentment on here is the opposite of helpful to those, like my cousins, who are still on the waiting list. Their only option is to wait for their application to be processed, and all these angry people asking questions of ministers, starting petitions or writing letters to the queen are deluding themselves if they think that's going to change anything.

A more constructive use of his time would be to update the Google spreadsheet so that people at least have a reasonably up-to-date idea of how long it's been taking for people's applications to be processed. (It currently looks like Nov/Dec 2019 applicants are getting their address confirmation etc, so 2 years is about right.)

[ilikefrogs]

Application submitted online and posted to Ireland: 10/12/2021
Supporting documentation delivered to Balbriggan: 13/12/21
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation from Balbriggan: 14/12/21

I'm amazed I got confirmation so fast, as I see some people have waited up to a month! Maybe things are improving in the Balbriggan office?

Either way, I'm super excited! 24 months to go lol.

[ilikefrogs]

Some corners of this forum argue that providing citizenship via FBR to distant relatives of Irish citizens is generous.

Is there some controversy around this?

I'm not sure if other countries allow the same route to citizenship as Ireland, but I am very grateful that they do.

I'm aware of the word plastic paddy, but I'm not ashamed of my Irish heritage.

[LongWayDown]

Application submitted online and posted to Ireland: 10/12/2021
Supporting documentation delivered to Balbriggan: 13/12/21
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation from Balbriggan: 14/12/21

I'm amazed I got confirmation so fast, as I see some people have waited up to a month! Maybe things are improving in the Balbriggan office?

Either way, I'm super excited! 24 months to go lol.

I feel a bit worried now as I sent mine not long after reopening on 18th Nov. Royal mail show tracked and delivered 22nd November but I haven't had any emails. Did everybody get a confirmation email?

[bramarcan]

Application submitted online and posted to Ireland: 10/12/2021
Supporting documentation delivered to Balbriggan: 13/12/21
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation from Balbriggan: 14/12/21

I'm amazed I got confirmation so fast, as I see some people have waited up to a month! Maybe things are improving in the Balbriggan office?

Either way, I'm super excited! 24 months to go lol.

I feel a bit worried now as I sent mine not long after reopening on 18th Nov. Royal mail show tracked and delivered 22nd November but I haven't had any emails. Did everybody get a confirmation email?

I didn't, but I also sent when the offices were officially closed, so that might be why. It said on the application to not expect a confirmation from them, so to send by recorded delivery. I wouldn't worry too much!

[Suro]

Application submitted online and posted to Ireland: 10/12/2021
Supporting documentation delivered to Balbriggan: 13/12/21
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation from Balbriggan: 14/12/21

I'm amazed I got confirmation so fast, as I see some people have waited up to a month! Maybe things are improving in the Balbriggan office?

Either way, I'm super excited! 24 months to go lol.

I feel a bit worried now as I sent mine not long after reopening on 18th Nov. Royal mail show tracked and delivered 22nd November but I haven't had any emails. Did everybody get a confirmation email?

I'm in the same boat as you, I posted mine on 15th November 2021 on the day they reopened. It shows as delivered on 18th November on my tracking, but not a word or an email from Balbriggan yet.
I am guessing the case from December we're talking about from ilikefrogs is a lucky case, rather than the norm. I hope so anyway.

[snugglebug]

Application submitted online and posted to Ireland: 10/12/2021
Supporting documentation delivered to Balbriggan: 13/12/21
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation from Balbriggan: 14/12/21

I'm amazed I got confirmation so fast, as I see some people have waited up to a month! Maybe things are improving in the Balbriggan office?

Either way, I'm super excited! 24 months to go lol.

I feel a bit worried now as I sent mine not long after reopening on 18th Nov. Royal mail show tracked and delivered 22nd November but I haven't had any emails. Did everybody get a confirmation email?

I'm in the same boat as you, I posted mine on 15th November 2021 on the day they reopened. It shows as delivered on 18th November on my tracking, but not a word or an email from Balbriggan yet.
I am guessing the case from December we're talking about from ilikefrogs is a lucky case, rather than the norm. I hope so anyway.

I wouldn’t worry, I’m in the same boat. I applied online in September and finally sent off my supporting documents and paper form when the offices reopened on 15th Nov. Tracking shows it was delivered on the 19th November but I’ve not received any confirmation email either and I don’t think it’s that unusual.

[JCMD]

Application submitted online and posted to Ireland: 10/12/2021
Supporting documentation delivered to Balbriggan: 13/12/21
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation from Balbriggan: 14/12/21

I'm amazed I got confirmation so fast, as I see some people have waited up to a month! Maybe things are improving in the Balbriggan office?

Either way, I'm super excited! 24 months to go lol.

I feel a bit worried now as I sent mine not long after reopening on 18th Nov. Royal mail show tracked and delivered 22nd November but I haven't had any emails. Did everybody get a confirmation email?

I'm in the same boat as you, I posted mine on 15th November 2021 on the day they reopened. It shows as delivered on 18th November on my tracking, but not a word or an email from Balbriggan yet.
I am guessing the case from December we're talking about from ilikefrogs is a lucky case, rather than the norm. I hope so anyway.

I wouldn’t worry, I’m in the same boat. I applied online in September and finally sent off my supporting documents and paper form when the offices reopened on 15th Nov. Tracking shows it was delivered on the 19th November but I’ve not received any confirmation email either and I don’t think it’s that unusual.

Application posted 6/12/21 email receipt confirmation 9/12/21. Looks like they reactivated their email confirmation sometime late November- early December

[LongWayDown]

Thanks all, seems like the email confirmation is a bit hit and miss. The sad part about all this is that I obtained all the paperwork/birth certificates etc to send off over 10 years ago but didn't send it off. The fee was a lot cheaper then! Marriage and then 3 kids happened, which of course meant I effectively killed off the chance of them obtaining citizenship through me . Moral of the story, if you are reading this and wondering whether to do it, get it done!

[a.s.b.o]

If you check a.s.b.o.'s posting history, you'll see he got his FBR through a long time ago and is now trolling the forum with posts like his last one. Trying to stir up resentment on here is the opposite of helpful to those, like my cousins, who are still on the waiting list. Their only option is to wait for their application to be processed, and all these angry people asking questions of ministers, starting petitions or writing letters to the queen are deluding themselves if they think that's going to change anything.

A more constructive use of his time would be to update the Google spreadsheet so that people at least have a reasonably up-to-date idea of how long it's been taking for people's applications to be processed. (It currently looks like Nov/Dec 2019 applicants are getting their address confirmation etc, so 2 years is about right.)

It appears that you have difficulty reading those old posts, my friend. I myself never applied for nor received FBR. My advise to you is that the key to minimising embarrassment in life is to do factchecking before (not after) accusing someone of 'trolling' or 'stir[ing] resentment on here' or 'writing letters to the queen' (which I believe is conventionally capitalised out of courtesy).

[a.s.b.o]

Some corners of this forum argue that providing citizenship via FBR to distant relatives of Irish citizens is generous.

Is there some controversy around this?

I'm not sure if other countries allow the same route to citizenship as Ireland, but I am very grateful that they do.

I'm aware of the word plastic paddy, but I'm not ashamed of my Irish heritage.

I am surprised that I misunderstood with my post here. It is common to apply some kind of 'triaging technique' to determine complexity/urgency of the case, even when applied to FBR applications. Think of a hospital triage - someone has a sore hand and someone has an axe in head, you get the meaning. So I was venting my frustration of the apparent inefficiency of mashing together applications that need excessive historic investigation vs. straightforward Irish parent- foreign born child.

And yes, before I am accused of selfishness, think of the passport control at the speed of lightning afforded to EU/US/Canada/Austrial citizens entry into uk/Ireland vs. non-EU citizens. No-one is throwing in 'honesty', 'brotherhood' and 'equality' arguments there.

[Cathal]

After a couple of years lurking here on and off, I can finally say that my application has been submitted and received, so I guess best post here to add another timeline.

Application submitted online: 30/11/2021
Application & documentation posted: 14/12/21
Supporting documentation delivered to Balbriggan: 07:56 23/12/21
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation from Balbriggan: 10:31 23/12/21

Took a lot longer to get the documentation together than expected, then at the last moment (Dec 2020) found out that the birth certificate my mam had was in the wrong form - ordered the correct one only for applications to shut down before I received it...

[jamiepompey]

If you check a.s.b.o.'s posting history, you'll see he got his FBR through a long time ago and is now trolling the forum with posts like his last one. Trying to stir up resentment on here is the opposite of helpful to those, like my cousins, who are still on the waiting list. Their only option is to wait for their application to be processed, and all these angry people asking questions of ministers, starting petitions or writing letters to the queen are deluding themselves if they think that's going to change anything.

A more constructive use of his time would be to update the Google spreadsheet so that people at least have a reasonably up-to-date idea of how long it's been taking for people's applications to be processed. (It currently looks like Nov/Dec 2019 applicants are getting their address confirmation etc, so 2 years is about right.)

It appears that you have difficulty reading those old posts, my friend. I myself never applied for nor received FBR. My advise to you is that the key to minimising embarrassment in life is to do factchecking before (not after) accusing someone of 'trolling' or 'stir[ing] resentment on here' or 'writing letters to the queen' (which I believe is conventionally capitalised out of courtesy).

I think you missed the post from a now banned member of the forum who wanted/was going to write a letter to Her Majesty in order to speed up their own FBR.

[trailofnope]

After a couple of years lurking here on and off, I can finally say that my application has been submitted and received, so I guess best post here to add another timeline.

Application submitted online: 30/11/2021
Application & documentation posted: 14/12/21
Supporting documentation delivered to Balbriggan: 07:56 23/12/21
Email acknowledging receipt of documentation from Balbriggan: 10:31 23/12/21

Took a lot longer to get the documentation together than expected, then at the last moment (Dec 2020) found out that the birth certificate my mam had was in the wrong form - ordered the correct one only for applications to shut down before I received it...

Here's the link to the google document that is being used to track application timelines in this thread. Feel free to add to it if you wish:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing