Foreign Birth Registration

[boardupdate]

Update for binky62 and anyone else applying for a passport after receiving their FBR certificate.

In my posts a few pages back I said that I'd sent a notarised colour copy of my FBR certificate as it states on the application form that this is acceptable. I also submitted a notarised copy of my UK passport (both notarised by the Post Office). I have just received an email saying they require the original certificate and they want the copy of my passport to be signed by my witness

It seems like it might be the luck of the draw which team you get as to what documentation they will accept or not. Seemingly a copy of your certificate should be acceptable as should a certified copy of your passport.

Hello, I’m in the same boat, however mine was certified as a true copy by a solicitor. It appears that they are quite specific about who can certify the FBR certificate.

Quoting from the passport application email:

Applicant's Foreign Births Registration certificate (we will also accept a colour copy of Foreign Birth Registration Certificate, certified as a true copy of the original by a solicitor or notary public)

So I think you can send a copy of the FBR certificate but only if specifically done by a solicitor or notary public. My solicitor charged me £10 for 3 documents.

Still waiting on mine to be processed so I’ll update the thread on whether or not it’s accepted. I really don’t want to risk losing the FBR certificate given how difficult they are to replace and how unreliable mail can be.

That's interesting. It's a bit sneaky if they don't accept Post Office notarised documents as I had several done by them in my FBR application without an issue. I've sent the original certificate off and although it's still showing on tracking it hasn't moved for 3 days and it's still at Heathrow:)

I'll breathe a huge sigh of relief when it's delivered, that's for sure.

[ReturningIrish]

It’s great reading about all the approvals. Thanks to everyone for posting their timelines. It really helps the newbies like me. I notice most people were asked for more docs along the way. Does anyone get through without a request for more docs or are they really picky about everything? They could probably make the checklists a bit clearer imho.

I wasn't asked for more documents when I applied for myself. I was, however, asked for updated photos of my infant daughter because they took so long to process her application. Exactly the same thing has happened with my son. To make things worse, things seemed to have ground to a halt since they asked for that document; I have heard nothing in the three months since they received and signed for those new photos. The delay doesn't make sense because they've not asked me for anything else or indicated any issues. The application is straightforward and it's my third time of doing it so I'm fairly sure everything is in order. My suspicion is that staff are performance managed according to how quickly they progress applicants. The clock stops ticking either when they complete an application or request a document. Once they request a document from an applicant there is no incentive for them to work on it further and they move onto new applications.

[ferocious12]

Hi to which address you posted the photos of the infant. Thanks

[ReturningIrish]

Hi to which address you posted the photos of the infant. Thanks

It was this address, specified in the email they sent me:

Department of Foreign Affairs | FOREIGN BIRTH REGISTRATION SECTION
Foreign Births Registration Returns Section
PO Box 13003
Balbriggan
Co Dublin
Ireland

[ESCJack]

Hi everyone.. does anyone know where they are with applications from last year? My docs were received end of Sept 22 – I am guessing/hoping I might hear at some point in summer as I believe the waiting time officially down to 9 months ?

Thanks and good luck all!

[GoingBackBackToEire]

Hi everyone.. does anyone know where they are with applications from last year? My docs were received end of Sept 22 – I am guessing/hoping I might hear at some point in summer as I believe the waiting time officially down to 9 months ?

Thanks and good luck all!

Hi Jack,

Consulting the spreadsheet, it looks like they're working on Address Checks for early September '22 now. Applications from July/August '22 are starting to receive their certs about now.

See the link in my signature for the spreadsheet.

[GoWentGone123]

Hi Jack,

Consulting the spreadsheet, it looks like they're working on Address Checks for early September '22 now. Applications from July/August '22 are starting to receive their certs about now.

See the link in my signature for the spreadsheet.
[/quote]

Thank you for doing all the hard-work and updating the spreadsheet. It's very helpful.

[ESCJack]

Hi everyone.. does anyone know where they are with applications from last year? My docs were received end of Sept 22 – I am guessing/hoping I might hear at some point in summer as I believe the waiting time officially down to 9 months ?

Thanks and good luck all!

Hi Jack,

Consulting the spreadsheet, it looks like they're working on Address Checks for early September '22 now. Applications from July/August '22 are starting to receive their certs about now.

See the link in my signature for the spreadsheet.

Oh wow, thank you! They sure are making good progress

[GoingBackBackToEire]

Thank you for doing all the hard-work and updating the spreadsheet. It's very helpful.

Thanks, but it's not all me. The spreadsheet is open for anyone to add their data to it.

I check in with this thread every few days and update the sheet as required.

[ferocious12]

Hi All,

Documents for my daughter were received on 8 Sep 2022. I have seen one post where the documents were received on 7 Sep and address confirmation email is received. Has anyone else received address confirmation or additional documents request where documents are received after 7 Sep 2022?

thanks

[seemcd]

Thank you for doing all the hard-work and updating the spreadsheet. It's very helpful.

Thanks, but it's not all me. The spreadsheet is open for anyone to add their data to it.

I check in with this thread every few days and update the sheet as required.

Hi Thanks for looking after the spreadsheet. I wonder if the default sort can be most recent doc acceptance first. This would help in reducing scrolling through entries which are not really relevant to recent submssions.

[ESCJack]

Hi All,

Documents for my daughter were received on 8 Sep 2022. I have seen one post where the documents were received on 7 Sep and address confirmation email is received. Has anyone else received address confirmation or additional documents request where documents are received after 7 Sep 2022?

thanks

I haven't seen any yet (but have seen a couple of 7 Sept applications) so in theory, it could be any day now.. keep us updated and good luck !

[adlarson]

Thank you for doing all the hard-work and updating the spreadsheet. It's very helpful.

Thanks, but it's not all me. The spreadsheet is open for anyone to add their data to it.

I check in with this thread every few days and update the sheet as required.

Hi Thanks for looking after the spreadsheet. I wonder if the default sort can be most recent doc acceptance first. This would help in reducing scrolling through entries which are not really relevant to recent submssions.

Check out the 4th tab on the bottom of the spreadsheet, it auto updates to show how many applications submitted in a given month have already received their "address confirmation" email and how long it took ....it currently shows that 3 of of 9 people who submitted their docs in Sept 2022 have received such an email and it took on average 8.7 months....very helpful

[ishstand]

Docs Received: Sep 9 2022
Address Check: Jun 7 2023

Spreadsheet updated! Will update once I hear back.

[FBRLurker02]

Docs Received: 2 June 2022
Address Check: 9 May 2023
Congratulations email: 7 June 2023

This was for an application through an estranged grandparent. I tried to submit a lot of evidence in place of his ID but wasn't really able to notarise any of these extra docs (great-uncle's ID and grandparent's divorce papers) so the affidavit was probably the main document holding weight. Did take longer than some others I've seen but was ultimately approved no questions asked.

[GoingBackBackToEire]

Hi Thanks for looking after the spreadsheet. I wonder if the default sort can be most recent doc acceptance first. This would help in reducing scrolling through entries which are not really relevant to recent submssions.

I'm open to suggestions about how to better use or display the data in the spreadsheet.

I tend to keep the data sorted (ascending) by Doc Acceptance, Application Date, and Address Check (Columns C. B, D)
I sort it (manually) every so often to get the new users into their appropriate place.

Now with over 500 rows, that's a lot of data to scroll through, so I see what you mean. On the other hand, sorting it descending would put the newest at the top. However, that may make things confusing or difficult for newbies to add their data. I don't want them to try inserting new rows at the top because that's a recipe for disaster.

So I'm going to leave it as is for now.
If there's a better way to implement your suggestion that I haven't though of, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

[seemcd]

Hi Thanks for looking after the spreadsheet. I wonder if the default sort can be most recent doc acceptance first. This would help in reducing scrolling through entries which are not really relevant to recent submssions.

I'm open to suggestions about how to better use or display the data in the spreadsheet.

I tend to keep the data sorted (ascending) by Doc Acceptance, Application Date, and Address Check (Columns C. B, D)
I sort it (manually) every so often to get the new users into their appropriate place.

Now with over 500 rows, that's a lot of data to scroll through, so I see what you mean. On the other hand, sorting it descending would put the newest at the top. However, that may make things confusing or difficult for newbies to add their data. I don't want them to try inserting new rows at the top because that's a recipe for disaster.

So I'm going to leave it as is for now.
If there's a better way to implement your suggestion that I haven't though of, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

I am not too hot on google sheets. Just searched around and see if you click on anywhere in the SS and then press CNTRL and [down arrow} you go to the bottom . So looks good to me .

[AngloIrish]

I agree with the above - thank you GoingBackBackToEire for the work you’ve done here.

[mx_cathain]

Just an update for the board - I'm waiting to see if they need to do a document check now, but now I'm at address check can anyone tell me whether to expect one at this point as from looking, they don't seem to request any info after document check (unless I'm looking at a rejection, which I'd be really shocked at as it's very very clear lineage, all documents except a dad's scanned passport - have explained estrangement):

Application submitted: 04/08/2022
Documents received: 15/08/2022
Address confirmation: 09/05/2023
Email Congratulations: TBC

I'm not sure if this is a congratulations email but I got a tracking number saying I'll get an email when it's being printed, with a waiting time of 6-8 weeks, for those keeping track of timelines who sent theirs out in August.

Application submitted: 04/08/2022
Documents received: 15/08/2022
Address confirmation: 09/05/2023
Application Printed and Posted: 10/05/2023
Email Congratulations: TBC

Update for the books - it was a bit shorter than anticipated but there's definitely a staggered wait.

Application submitted: 04/08/2022
Documents received: 15/08/2022
Address confirmation: 09/05/2023
Application Notice: 10/05/2023 (Essentially, saying that they would let me know when it would be posted)
Email Congratulations: 08/06/2023

[ceylan1987]

Hi everyone,

An update for you all:

Applied online - 09/08/2022
Doc's received - 17/08/2022
Address check - 11/05/2023
Congrats email - 08/06/2023 (certificate has now been printed and posted).

Will await the certificate and then onto the passport!

Blessed to be Irish, thanks mum and grandad Ted

[AshJez]

Hi all, I write because I have no idea if my documents of confirmation of address and a request for a copy of my mother's passport was ever received by the FBR team. The request was made mid December 2022 and I was able to obtain these (passport copy) at the beginning of March 2023. I requested confirmation that the documents were received on 18th March. They were sent from Holland. I received no reply. The on the 25th May, I again requested confirmation via the urgent email address, again no reply.

As the FBR have failed to reply, I can't be sure they ever received the docs. There does not appear to be a system in place for any form of confirmation. Also, if an application is rejected, what happens? It seems that where further information is required, the application is put on hold.

Comments whould be appreciated.

[Coachman]

Hi all, I write because I have no idea if my documents of confirmation of address and a request for a copy of my mother's passport was ever received by the FBR team. The request was made mid December 2022 and I was able to obtain these (passport copy) at the beginning of March 2023. I requested confirmation that the documents were received on 18th March. They were sent from Holland. I received no reply. The on the 25th May, I again requested confirmation via the urgent email address, again no reply.

As the FBR have failed to reply, I can't be sure they ever received the docs. There does not appear to be a system in place for any form of confirmation. Also, if an application is rejected, what happens? It seems that where further information is required, the application is put on hold.

Comments whould be appreciated.

Like I've seen before, I trust they have them and are now on a different path since new docs need to be processed before they get to your application. No worries about the non-responses. As you can imagine, they get a lot of inquiry and can't reasonably reply and also work the backlog of applications. From what I understand, the urgent email is for expecting parents who want to be processed prior to birth of their child. Best wishes.

[Ozzy1986]

Hi all, I write because I have no idea if my documents of confirmation of address and a request for a copy of my mother's passport was ever received by the FBR team. The request was made mid December 2022 and I was able to obtain these (passport copy) at the beginning of March 2023. I requested confirmation that the documents were received on 18th March. They were sent from Holland. I received no reply. The on the 25th May, I again requested confirmation via the urgent email address, again no reply.

As the FBR have failed to reply, I can't be sure they ever received the docs. There does not appear to be a system in place for any form of confirmation. Also, if an application is rejected, what happens? It seems that where further information is required, the application is put on hold.

Comments whould be appreciated.

I had originally applied in July 2021 sent additional requested documents in December 2022. It's just a waiting game as there is no way to check if documents have been received until they get in touch.

[bm42]

I'm getting a bit worried about my wait times at the moment

Application submitted: 16/12/2020
Documents received: 04/02/2022 (COVID related problems with getting a solicitor to look at the documents, sent them a week before this date)
Clarification Email: 20/02/2023 (Missing document, replacement sent a week later)
Address confirmation: 08/05/2023
Email from Embassy: 10/05/2023 (I emailed 2 weeks prior enquiring if my documents arrived as I couldn't send them tracked, Email mentioned the address confirmation)
Email Congratulations: [Not yet]

Should I just keep waiting or should I get in touch again?

[GoingBackBackToEire]

I'm getting a bit worried about my wait times at the moment

Application submitted: 16/12/2020
Documents received: 04/02/2022 (COVID related problems with getting a solicitor to look at the documents, sent them a week before this date)
Clarification Email: 20/02/2023 (Missing document, replacement sent a week later)
Address confirmation: 08/05/2023
Email from Embassy: 10/05/2023 (I emailed 2 weeks prior enquiring if my documents arrived as I couldn't send them tracked, Email mentioned the address confirmation)
Email Congratulations: [Not yet]

Should I just keep waiting or should I get in touch again?

That timeline doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary these days. Missing documents seems to put applications in a lower-priority queue.
I'd wager you'll hear something in 2-3 weeks.