In This Section

What is parent of an Irish citizen child
Am I eligible?
How do I apply?
What happens next?
Contact us

What is parent of an Irish citizen child

If you are the parent of an Irish citizen child you may be eligible for permission to remain in the State.

You may be required to show evidence that you are a named child’s biological parent. This may include showing us your child’s birth certificate naming you as their biological parent. It may also include taking a DNA test.

All applications are examined on a case-by-case basis.

Am I eligible?

You may be eligible if you can answer ‘yes’ to all of the following:

  • You are the biological parent of an Irish citizen child and are named as the biological parent on your child’s birth certificate. If your name does not appear on your child’s birth certificate, you should:

  • Your Irish citizen child is residing full time in the State

  • You are involved in the upbringing of your Irish citizen child both emotionally or financially

  • Your Irish citizen child is under the age of 18. You may apply for a child over the age of 18 where they have a mental or physical disability that makes independent living impossible

  • You are prepared, if requested by ISD, to provide evidence of a biological link between you and the child. This means sending verifiable DNA evidence and documentation to ISD. Ormond Quay Paternity Services are the company approved by the Department of Justice to perform DNA testing on our behalf, therefore tests conducted by a third party are not acceptable for immigration purposes. If requested to provide this evidence, you must inform the Parent of an Irish Citizen Child Section of the time and location of the test as an officer from this Section will be required to attend. You will pay all DNA test costs.

How do I apply?

The way you apply will depend on the permission you have been given to enter and remain in the State.

Choose the one that describes your situation.

If you either

a) entered the State on a valid ‘D’ Reside Parent of an Irish Citizen Child visa, or
b) as a non visa-required national, were given a “Join Family” stamp or similar stamp by border control upon entering the State,

you must:

  • Make an appointment with the Registration Office by using our dedicated Customer Service portal. You can register for an account or log in to your existing account.
  • Attend the office with your Irish child and the Required documents to register your permission. Failure to register your permission promptly may result in future applications being refused.

If you have a current permission, which has been registered in the State, you may renew this permission online as the Parent of an Irish Citizen Child.

Your current immigration permission may include: Stamp 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Please note that a €300 fee applies to this stamp category to renew a permission.

You must submit ALL the following documents to support your application:

  • Your own passport
  • Your current Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card
  • Your child’s Irish passport
  • Your child’s birth certificate
  • Proof of your address in Ireland. Examples are a household bill or bank statement.
  • Proof of your child’s address in Ireland. Examples are a letter from their GP or school.

  1. If you entered the State on a Short Stay ‘C’ Visa, or
  2. You do not hold a valid immigration permission, or
  3. Your permission has expired and you were refused further renewal, or
  4. You have been refused registration by your local immigration office as the Parent of an Irish Citizen Child

You must:

  • Complete The Parent of Irish Citizen Child Application Form for permission to remain in the State as the parent of an Irish citizen child.
  • Remember to save the form after filling it in completely.
  • Use our dedicated Customer Service portal to submit your completed form and supporting documentation. You can register for an account or log in to your existing account.
  • After the application is received form you will receive a ticket number. Further documentation can be submitted in direct reply to this ticket email. This may be required if an attachment limit is reached per email.
  • Further documentation may be requested from you if required. Requests will be issued to your email correspondence address.

You may use a solicitor, legal representative or non-government agency to help you apply. However, you must write to ISD giving your consent for them to act on your behalf.

Please note: incomplete application forms will not be processed.

What happens next?

If your application is approved

If your application is approved:

  • You may be granted a Stamp 4 permission. This permission could last for up to three years but could be for six months. The amount of time will depend on the circumstances of your individual case.

  • You must make an appointment with your local immigration office in order to register this permission for the first time.

    • If you live in Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Cork or Limerick the Registration Office is at 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2. Click here for more information on making an appointment.
    • If you live outside Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Cork or Limerick you must register at your local Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) office. This could be your local Garda station. You may have to pay a registration fee. You must bring your Irish citizen child with you when you are registering. Find your local Garda Immigration Office.
    • For all subsequent renewals of your permission, submit an online application. You must upload a copy of your permission letter(where granted) as part of your application.

Please note: Your permission can be revoked if we later discover that you are not eligible or you have provided false information. This includes, among others:

A. Information showing you have broken the conditions of your permission

B. Information about your character or conduct, including convictions

C. Information to show that you failed to register your permission.

If your application is refused

We will write to you letting you know of our refusal of your permission and the reasons for the refusal.

There is no appeal process. However, you can re-apply for permission as the parent of an Irish citizen child at any time. You should pay careful attention to the reasons why your previous application was refused.

If you do not have another immigration permission, we may issue you with notification of an intention to deport you under Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999.

Contact us

Queries should be sent through the dedicated Customer Service portal. You can register for an account or log in to your existing account.

If your child is an EU citizen but not an Irish citizen please contact the EU Treaty Rights Division.

This page was last updated on October 24, 2024