Irish citizenship is considered the second best in the world, according to a ranking released by the Italian Dual Citizenships website. The ranking takes into account several factors, such as freedom of movement, health system, human rights, labor rights, etc. The country is only behind Iceland, which has the same number of points in total, but performed better in terms of paternity leave.
Ireland’s performance is mainly due to the excellent mobility of the passport, which entitles entry to 170 countries without a visa, in addition to the quality of the justice and health systems, and equal rights for transgender people.
Behind Ireland are Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg and New Zealand, the only non-European country in the top 10.
Who is entitled to Irish citizenship?
Unless you have Irish parents or grandparents, the only way to achieve citizenship is through naturalization. To be eligible for the naturalization process, you must have resided 5 of the last 9 years in the country, including the year prior to the start of the process. Time spent in the country on a student visa does not count as a residence.
If you marry an Irish citizen, the time is shorter: you must be married and residing in the country for at least 3 years.
If you have a child in Ireland, the child will not automatically have Irish citizenship. It is necessary that a parent has at least 3 years of residence before his / her birth for the child to gain citizenship.
How is the process of obtaining Irish citizenship?
All naturalization processes go through the Ministry of Justice and Equality, which makes the final decision on each case. In addition to the residency criteria, the candidate must fulfill certain requirements, such as being over 18 and having no pass through the police that compromises his “good character”.
The fee for submission of the process is € 175, and an additional € 900 will apply when the naturalization certificate is issued. It is necessary to fill in some forms and send them by post to start the process. If you are interested, all necessary information is available on this government website.
Who the difference between citizenship and residence?
Irish citizens have different rights and responsibilities compared to residents. For example, only citizens can vote in elections. In addition, citizens can live and work in any country in the European Union, as well as have access to public health in other countries in the bloc.
Do I need to give up Brazilian citizenship to have Irish citizenship?
No, both the governments of Brazil and Ireland recognize dual citizenship, it is not necessary to renounce their Brazilian citizenship to obtain Irish.
