The primary law governing nationality of the Republic of Ireland is the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, which came into force on 17 July 1956. Ireland is a member state of the European Union (EU) and all Irish nationals are EU citizens. They enjoy free movement rights in EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and may vote in elections to the European Parliament.
All persons born in the Republic before 1 January 2005 are automatically citizens by birth regardless of the nationalities of their parents. Individuals born in the country since that date receive Irish citizenship at birth if at least one of their parents is an Irish citizen or entitled to be one, a British citizen, a resident with no time limit of stay in either the Republic or Northern Ireland, or a resident who has been domiciled on the island of Ireland for at least three of the preceding four years. Persons born in Northern Ireland are usually entitled to - but not automatically granted - Irish citizenship, largely under the same terms. Foreign nationals may become Irish citizens by naturalisation after meeting a minimum residence requirement, usually five years. The president of Ireland may also grant honorary citizenship, which entails the same rights and duties as normal citizenship, although this is rare.
Ireland as a whole was previously part of the United Kingdom and during this time Irish nationals were British subjects. Although 26 of the 32 Irish counties gained independence in 1922 and Irish citizens no longer hold British nationality, they continue to have favoured status when residing in the United Kingdom; they are considered to have automatic and permanent permission to live in the UK, and are eligible to vote in UK elections and stand for public office there.
The distinction between the meaning of the terms citizenship and nationality is not always clear in the English language and differs by country.
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Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a person's legal status in which the person is at the one time recognized by more than one country under its nationality and citizenship law as a national or citizen of that country. There is no international convention which determines the nationality or citizenship status of a person, which is consequently determined exclusively under national laws, that often conflict with each other, thus allowing for multiple citizenship situations to arise.
The primary law governing nationality in the United Kingdom is the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. Regulations apply to the British Islands, which include the UK itself and the Crown dependencies, and the 14 British Overseas Territories. The six classes of British nationality each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the UK's historical status as a colonial empire. The principal class of British nationality is British citizenship, which is associated with the British Islands.
The Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, sometimes referred to as the Irish border or British–Irish border, runs for from Lough Foyle in the north-west of Ireland to Carlingford Lough in the north-east, separating the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland. Border markings are inconspicuous, in common with many inter-state borders in the European Union.