jgclancy wrote: ↑Sat Jul 20, 2024 10:01 pm
I have directly helped about 50 people with their paperwork for applying to get on the Irish Foreign Birth Registration through descent from grandparents. Many others with advice online.
My advice always tells people that "More is Better" and notarize everything they can. Why? It keeps them from requesting more documents & stops them from rejecting documents and/or witnesses. Once a document is notarized it is considered a government document. They are less likely to question such a document and if they do then they are basically saying you have committed a crime. Something they'd rather not do.
So here are a few bits of advice to make sure everything you do gets approved the first time. The people I have helped directly have never had a witness rejection or follow up for additional documents. All went through on the first pass with no questions or requests. Be thorough & go the extra mile.
For FBR just make sure you have a good, VALID witness. A garda/police officer is the best it seems to me. Any witness will do from the list. Make sure to add any extra proof that the witness is qualified. I once used an accountant. He included a letter explaining his qualifications, how he knew the applicant & that he was not related to the applicant. On top of that I had him include a copy of his college accountancy degree. Not needed but---> More is Better
Photographs----4 EU sized photographs - 2 are signed, dated, stamped (if no stamp use card or letter headed sheet with brief statement) by a VALID witness. Also, add the application number (it's says that in Section E on the application itself).
2 Proofs of address- again--More is Better--send 3 if you can. Get them notarized if you can. Notarized is better. Write application number on them.
Your ID & parents ID (if not deceased) - make nice color copies. Add certifying statement by witness(es). Have VALID witness(es) sign & date. Again---get them notarized , if possible. A different witness than the applicants can certify their ID since they might live far away.
Birth, marriage & death certificates. All need to be LONG FORM issued by the government. NO PHOTOCOPIES.
Only government issued are considered "originals" .
If there is any slight discrepancy in a name or a date include an explanatory letter. And yep--get it notarized if you can. They are used to variances in dates and /or names. One applicants grandfather who had come to USA finally returned to Ireland and found out he was 2 years older than he thought & had been listing on all his documents.
Yes--you have to send your, your parents & your grandparents marriage certificates. If applicable simply means If married. They use marriage to connect you to your parents along with the birth certificate.
Yes, some people have had FBR approved without one but many more get asked to provide it and then it's another 3-9 months until approval.
Also, if there is a divorce and remarriage they may ask for those certificates too. Include anything you can! My mother remarried and then passed away. Her death certificate had her 2nd marriage surname. So yes, I included proof of her 2nd marriage as well to prove her name change.
Application number on OUTSIDE of SHIPPING package. Write it big on both sides Application Number 00000*****
Make a copy of everything you send. Everything.
Make sure you have a third person (not any witness or applicant--a different individual) go through the checklist to be sure nothing is overlooked. I am NEVER the last person to check that the applicant has included everything.
When you send the packet make sure it has a tracking number no matter which carrier you choose.
I put everything in different manila envelopes.
One with grandparents BMD documents - outside has grandparents name / the application number & lists all documents
One with parents BMD documents. -outside has parent name / the application number and lists al documents
One with applicants BMD documents/ photographs in small envelope /each proof of address / application -list all on outside
Other documents. I have occasionally added are copies of Irish Censuses ( all 4 pages not just the Household page) if grandparent is on it. Not needed but---More is Better . I once added a Scottish Census because the grandparents had married in Ireland but moved to Scotland. Daughter was born just afterwards in Scotland. Her Scottish birth record mentioned her parents marriage in Ireland as well. The census helped tie the whole storyline together,
And yes---I had the applicant get it notarized with a declarative statement that it was a true copy.
A copy of a baptismal certificate can be included. Not needed but adds to truth of birth certificate.
A newspaper clipping of a BMD can be included. Not needed but ..you know....More is Better
Hope this helps - be thorough, include ALL certificates & documents from the checklist.
Remember, they are trying to be sure the applicant is who they say they are & that they can prove lineage to the grandparent born in Ireland.
The people processing your FBR are varied with different levels of experience. Anything that helps them decide your application is legitimate & correct
will facilitate a positive decision.
Technically, nothing needs to be notarized. They ask for a witness to just certify things. I can't tell you how many people get witnesses & documents rejected but it is not uncommon.
I get things notarized whenever I can which seems to be better in my never so humble opinion. If you don't that's okay too. In USA getting things notarized is rather easy.
Also, the term "personally known" for the witness does not mean they have to be your friend or any time period. They just have to believe you are who you say you are.
Sometimes a notary says they won't notarize an ID. Explain to them they are not notarizing the ID but that they are notarizing the statement the witness adds. Not the ID itself. Again, notarizing is not necessary. Just the Valid witness certifying is what they ask you to provide.
Good Luck---jgclancy
