Irish passport?

Yes, I know many who have. I have young friends who have recently got married (he is Irish) so they can do so for themselves and the kids.

On the other hand, I know someone from NI, married to a Brit and with children who are Brits- who refuses to get Irish passports, even if he knows it would open so many doors for the kids in future. Because he is totally opposed to unification, having lived through the 'Troubles' and lost many family and friends.

If you are in one of the countries of your dual citizenships you cannot pick and chose which citizenships rights apply to you.

There are rules around dual citizenship that prevent that. So no, whilst in Britain, you do not keep your EU rights if you have a second passport from an EU country. That only kicks in if you leave Britain on your other passport.

If you have no plans to go anywhere your second passport isnt doing anything!

Isn't the point that having an Irish passport means that as an Irish citizen you can therefore travel, work and study in the EU whereas with just a UK passport/citizenship, you become a third country resident?

The whole thing about being able to claim citizenship through ancestral links is to do with the Irish diaspora and the fact that millions were forced to leave Ireland, as my family were, because of economic conditions (partly because of British domination and policies) and thus these were able to feel they were still part of the 'old country'.

I am very proud of being Irish, a second generation immigrant to the UK. I can trace my family back to the 1700s where they were prosperous blacksmiths with land and a forge. The name goes back beyond that but I cannot find direct links because the paperwork just isn't there.

Why should people only be allowed one passport? I have two, a British passport and a South African one, my birth country. I gained registration as a British citizen in my late twenties, due to marrying a British citizen. Why would I give up my South African passport - it is my birthright.

Yes but that means using it! Which is a valid reasons for getting one.

Nonsense illinformed reasons include:

"That wont apply to me" re law/rights changes in the UK after we Brexit.

"I'll skip the queues" really?
First, 2 week sun holidays to europe will not be restricted.
Second: are you really going to travel on your Irish passport on a round trip to Spain and back? (Cause you cant just switcharoo which of your dual passports you have primarily registered to fly on mid flight as the mood takes you) and are you really saying that it is the IRISH embassy you will turn to if you need help being repatriated back to BRITAIN in an unforseen emergency! When a dual citizen travels they are not equally travelling on both and the other embassy will help but you are primarily referred to the one of the passport you registered to travel on. The other wont always "interfere".

Think it through....

I applied for mine not long after the result of the referendum. It was straightforward because my father was Irish. KatyK, my husband is also British, with no Irish relatives. If we ever chose to move to Ireland though, being married to an
Irish citizen and being resident there, he could apply for citizenship after 4 years.

Not sure who you are addressing in your post Notanan or why it matters to you quite so much but for many, an Irish passport offers the benefits of being able to go and live elsewhere and this especially applies to the young. In addition, I do notice that the 'living in France' group I belong to on Facebook appears besieged by British people intending to go and live in France!

The number of people who might need the Irish consulate is tiny though of course, one never knows. I have never felt English so I'd be happy to request and I still have family in Ireland.

The other issue is the cost of a British passport, why would I bother when I have an Irish one. And also, I love the friendly smiles you get from passport control personnel when they see your Irish passport, you definitely do not get the same reaction when they see a British one, especially now!

Notanan2, of course you can travel on either passport! Both are equally valid! I’d be happy to seek help from the Irish Embassy. Why do you think that is odd? As for queues, there are short ‘walk through’ ones for EU passport holders. Those without don’t have access.

p.s. if you are thinking of living in the rest of Europe, as my children are, then you'd better get on with giving yourself the option of being a passport holder if it takes as long as it does at the moment to apply for one now!

Notanan2, of course you can travel on either passport!

You can but you cannot chop and change as you please. Dual citizens state both nationalities when crossing borders, but pick one passport to cross on. You also cant utilise ones "rights" in the other's country if there is conflicting rights.

If you book a flight you book it under one of your passports. THAT is the passport you are travelling on.

Surely you realise that if it is BRITAIN that you would need to be repatriated to, the best consulate to use would be British! Not that the Irish one wouldnt help. And once you are travelling on X passport that is your primary consulate for that trip!

Notentirelyallhere I am addressing people who apply for Irish passports with no need or intention to really use it! As a "Brexit protest"

Not sure who you are addressing in your post Notanan or why it matters to you quite so much but for many, an Irish passport offers the benefits of being able to go and live elsewhere

those people plan to use it
I am talking about people who have no plan or need to use it, applying for one anyway "'cause Brexit"and causing a backlog!

You are no less an Irish/EU citizen without an Irish passport.

I'm not saying that a British passport is better notentirelyallthere I am talking about "protest passports"

I.e. people who already have a british passport and have no plan to use their EU passport, but get one anyway out of novelty/protest at a time when the people who DO need one to actually use are facing huge backlogs!

If you have both and are doing a short round trip holiday back to Britain, the logical of the two to travel on is British!

Yes you can travel on an Irish one if you have one. But there is more to it than "skipping queue" when you are dual and deciding which of your passports to register to travel/border cross on! People are treating it like a novelty/game and its not

There have been cases where dual citizens have been forced to go with only their travelling on nationality for consulate services. Its not a whimsical thing as the mood takes you..

Lots of conflicting information here.
I was born in England to an Irish father and English mother.
I applied for and received an Irish passport. It cost around 90 Euro and took 3 months.
I needed long form birth certificates of myself and my father, my parents marriage certificate and my driving license. It was a simple process.

If either of my three children wanted a passport as third generation they would first have to register on what is called the foreign births register. This is quite expensive, after six months of being registered you can then go through the process to apply for the Irish passport.

There is an Irish government website that explains the post office in very simple terms.

So basically if you have a parent that was born in Ireland you can apply immediately for an Irish passport.
If you have a grandparent that was born in Ireland you first have to register on the foreign births register.

I think it is a psychological thing as much as anything. Yes, having dual nationality is a bonus especially now. I remember John Humphries ( Simpson?) saying he used his Irish passport when travelling to war zones as he felt he would be better protected than with a British one in many places. I’ve got a long dead Irish born grandfather and will definitely start the process of getting an Irish passport soon if Johnson takes us down the pan I don’t want to be flushed away with.

Missfoodlove you were an Irish citizen as soon as you were born. Not from when you got your passport.

Your children would be full citizens if on the birth register... whether or not they get passports.

I think it is a psychological thing as much as anything its a real logistical problem for people with long waits due to other people who feel it's nice to have

Yes Crystaltips there are circumstances whereby one passport is preferable to the other. Regardless, you cross a border on one or the other, not both, and then that is the passport you are travelling on in that country.

Its not just about hoping between queues depending on which is shortest at the time!

Don’t blame those who want an Irish passport for the lengthy waiting times. I’m sure those who need a passport in an emergency will be catered for, and those who are applying through the foreign births register will not get any such priority. I believe the Irish passport office have taken on lots of extra staff to cope with the demand, good luck to all those with Irish ancestors. We don’t make the rules.

Say you travelled somewhere on your British passport and then they went to war with Britain.. you cant then whip out your Irish passport and say "but I'm Irish today"! They will count you as British as that is the passport you crossed the border on.

I’m sure those who need a passport in an emergency will be catered for, and those who are applying through the foreign births register will not get any such priority

crystal there are people applying via foreign births register who have no other citizenship

These are the people being worst affected.

We don’t make the rules.
Sure. But just because you can doesnt mean you should

Its like when there's a fuel shortage and there's Sunday drivers in the queue filling their tanks while keyworkers are wondering how to get to work!

Yes they are entitled to, its just not a nice thing to do!

I know you can’t change your passport mid trip, that’s not the point, nor is it the point to get in the shortest queue at the airport. It’s making a political gesture and sort of putting a metaphorical two fingers up at the way the U.K. government has handled the whole Brexit debacle and it’s taking away of citizens rights. Plus the dismissive way it treats the ROI. I’m sorry if some people are inconvenienced, hopefully in an emergency they will be catered for, and no one will mind that. But stop telling us not to do something because of some logistical difficulties. I’m sure the Irish need all the supporters they can get.

It’s making a political gesture and sort of putting a metaphorical two fingers up at the way the U.K. government has handled the whole Brexit debacle

It does not do that!

You are no less bound by Bexit and all the decisions and changes involved as a British person living in Britain who just happens to be a dual citizen

Its not giving anyone in British government any fingers! They dont care that the wait for Irish Forign Birth registration has quadrupled!

I’m sure the Irish need all the supporters they can get. the Irish in Britain need to not have a year long wait for documents that they can no longer open a bank account, rent a flat or change jobs without!

If you have a British passport you are not in that position.

There are dozens of ways to show solidarity but this is not one of them! Read some Irish press / media about how many Irish people feel about these "protest passports"

If you really genuinely felt such strong solidarity with Ireland and abhoration at Britain, if that was truely your driving motivation (Vs "nice to have"/"to make a point") you wouldnt just get your Irish passport, you would also denounce your British citizenship..

Then you would really be "in solidarity"

But how many of these "protest passport" holders would do that?

I am British, living in Spain. I applied and have been granted an Irish Passport based on my parents nationality, both were born in Ireland. My Irish passport says 'Irish Citizen' therefore I have been told I now hold dual citizenship. My husband is British but our Spanish legal rep, has told us he can continue to reside in Spain based on my status as Irish Citizen. The application process was straightforward, I just needed my father's birth certificate and my parents' marriage certificate. I have also renewed my UK passport and declared my Irish passport on the form. Received my new UK passport last week. .

My Irish passport says 'Irish Citizen' therefore I have been told I now hold dual citizenship.

You always have done. You were Irish "by birth"

But absolutely sensible in your case to get a passport to show it!.