HOW TO OBTAIN AN IRISH VISA, IRISH CITIZENSHIP, OR AN IRISH PASSPORT!
IF YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED IN IRELAND
go to www.irishclub.org/Getting-Married.htm.

DO I NEED A VISA TO VISIT IRELAND? 
If you are a citizen of the United States, Canada, Mexico, or the European Union you do not require a visa to visit Ireland. However, if you are planning on staying in Ireland for longer than 90 days, or if you are interested in working and/or living in Ireland, please see the Irish Embassy's Living and Working in Irelandinformation page.

IRISH CITIZENSHIP OR AN IRISH PASSPORT
To obtain a Passport, you must first be an Irish citizen. Obtaining your Irish citizenship can require some work, but the benefits include breezing through immigration on trips throughout the European Union and greater ability to find work in the EU. The following is some basic information on the process.  

Will I jeopardize my U.S. citizenship if I become an Irish citizen?
No. The U.S. government recognizes dual citizenship. You must, however, use your U.S. passport when departing or entering the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of State, if you get in trouble in the EU, the U.S. government will still protect you unless thwarted by the host country.

Am I eligible for Irish citizenship?
If you are Irish-born or have an Irish-born parent, you automatically are considered an Irish citizen. There is no need to apply for citizenship. If you want a passport, you just complete a passport application. You are also eligible, and may apply for Irish citizenship, if you have a grandparent and, in a very, very few instances, a great-grandparent who is an Irish-born citizen. The rules and restrictions governing citizenship come with the application or go to the Irish Embassy website. You are also eligible if you have been married for three years to a person who has him/herself been an Irish citizen for three years (although the rules here changed in 2006). Lastly, you are eligible if you are a child of a naturalized Irish citizen, provided you were born after your parent was naturalized. (If you are considering having a family it behooves you to get your Irish citizenship before you havechildren so that they also will be eligible.)

How do I apply?
You can also get an application form directly from the
CONSULATE GENERAL OF IRELAND,
100 PINE ST., 33RD FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111
(415) 392-4214
or email sanfrancongen@dfa.ie.
www.consulateofirelandsanfrancisco.org

What documents do I need?
If you are applying as the grandchild of an Irish-born citizen, you will need to provide one original and one copy of:
Birth certificates (long forms, not short forms) for yourself; the parent you are claiming citizenship through; and your Irish-born grandparent. (In some cases baptismal certificates are accepted if the birth certificate is unavailable.)
Marriage certificates for you (if applicable), your parent, and your grandparent.
Death certificates, if your parent or grandparent has died.
Depending on the situation, other documents may also be requested. If you are applying as the child of a naturalized citizen (provided you were born after your parent became a citizen)you will need to provide one original and one copy of our parent's naturalization certificate.
Birth certificates for you and your naturalized parent.
Marriage certificate for your parent and yourself, if applicable.
Death certificate of your parent, if deceased.
All applicants also will need to provide a photocopy of their passport and photocopies of three additional proofs of identity, such as a driver's license, pay slip, or employment ID card.
You also need to provide two identical passport-sized photos.

How do I get the documents I need?
Collecting all the important papers, marriage, birth, and death certificates, can be the trickiest part of the process. You need to know where your grandparent and/or parent were born and married (and/or died as the case may be); then you contact the keeper of vital records in those areas and request what you need. You also need to get your birth certificate (and marriage certificate, if married). The Irish Consulate in San Francisco (415-392-4214 or email sanfrancongen@dfa.ie) can give you the names of the vital records agencies in individual counties in Ireland.
In the U.S., records are kept by states (except in Massachusetts where they are kept by cities and towns) and you can call directory assistance to ask for the number of the Office of Vital Records (Hartford, Conn., and the boroughs of New York City have their own offices). Marriage certificates also are available from churches.
The process gets tricky when you don't know the particulars of your grandparent's or your parent's birth and/or marriage. Places and dates are critical for securing the proper documents.

What is the fee?
There are different Application fees for children and adults - contact the Irish Consulate for charges. Fees must be paid by certified check or money order. If applying in person, you may use cash. Once you have your citizenship, you may apply for a Passport. The Passport fee for most adults is $120,and there's no charge for new Passports or Passport renewals for those over 65 years of age. However, verify all fees with the Irish Consulate (415-392-4214 or email sanfrancongen@dfa.ie).
Note: Individual agencies also charge fees for certified copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates.

How long will the process take?
It could take months and in some cases, years, especially if you don't have proper documentation. Oftentimes the process hits a snag when applicants hand in the short form of a birth certificate rather than the long form. And things can slow down when a baptismal certificate is presented instead of a birth certificate. That's where other documents may also be requested. However, the next step, getting your passport, takes a lot less time.

What are the benefits?
The chief benefits are that, as an Irish citizen, you avoid the long lines at immigration anywhere in the European Union, and you can also work anywhere in the EU without a work permit. Irish citizenship will also permit you to obtain emergency medical care at reduced rates in Ireland. In addition, you can purchase real estate in Ireland or in any EU member country. Broader benefits, such as voting, Social Service, discounted college tuition, etc., generally have residency requirements, and in some cases require that you have paid Irish taxes.

The information above is correct to the best of our knowledge. But this document is not a legal document and the information above is intended for guidance only. For more detailed and current information, please visit www.irelandemb.org.

For more specific information, please contact the
CONSULATE GENERAL OF IRELAND,
100 PINE ST., 33RD FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111
(415) 392-4214 or via email to
sanfrancongen@dfa.ie
or visit www.consulateofirelandsanfrancisco.org