Reckonable Residence - Checking Eligibility

[MadraRua]

Hello all,

I'm a UK citizen applying for naturalisation based on residency (5 years).

I'm fairly certain that I satisfy the requirements, but after getting everything together and looking at the application form, I'm having doubts...especially after looking at my time away I've lived and worked here from the beginning of 2017 to October 2020, then again from September 2022 to now. I have proofs of residence (bills, bank statements, credit card statements etc.) for all of this time.

My plan is to submit my application on the 31st January 2026.

My timeline of reckonable residence in Ireland is as follows:

January 31st 2017 - October 1st 2020 (1340 days)
January 31st 2023 - January 30th 2024 (365 days - 105 days away)
January 31st 2024 - January 30th 2025 - (365 days - 79 days away)
January 31st 2025 - January 30th 2026 - (365 days - 69 days away)

If I take away the number of days where I went over 70 days away in the year, that leaves me 2251 days of reckonable residence, or just over 6 years, within the last 9 years on the 31st of this month, also satisfying the residency requirements for the preceding 365 days, so I thought this would be ok.

However, I'm very worried that the 2.5 year gap and the 105 and 79 day aggregated absences will result in my application being rejected even though I can make up these days elsewhere. I also don't want to make any mistakes as it mentions fines and prison sentences for completing the form incorrectly

I'm also a bit puzzled about the year of continuous residence before application; is this the 2025 calendar year (which I wouldn't satisfy) or the 365 days immediately before application (which I would satisfy)?

The application form also states that all absences over 70 days in the last five years should be recorded on the form; should I record the gap from 2021 to 2022, as well as all the individual trips I've taken? There were 25 of them in total over 2023 and 2024, almost all of these were to visit family. I've kept records of every one so I'm happy to add them all to the application.

Thank you so much for your help in advance, it's very much appreciated.

[Ibeeby]

As I understand it there are two principal criteria:

1- For the several years (I think 7) before your application, you need to be normally resident in Ireland for 5 of them. You can read the guidance in respect of that; and
2. For the year immediately preceding your application you should not have been absent from the State for more than 70 days without good reason (such as family emergency, work etc). If you are, as you seem to be, running close it’s worth noting that the date of departure and the date of return _do_not_count_ towards those 70. If you’re away for more than 70 days you need to provide an explanation (and then you are in to the discretion of the minister). There used to be a six week ‘rule’ but this was struck down following a court case because it was not actually a rule but guidance based on a requirement to ‘remain in the State’. The addition of an express rule overcame the subsequent difficulty as I understand it.

In addition, although not expressly stated, once your application is submitted you are recommended to stick to the 70 day rule until decision - several solicitors’ web sites say this and it was my reading of the rules but others differ.

Then comes the tricky part which is if you live in NI. I don’t know about that because it doesn’t apply to me because strictly NI isn’t part of the State but you can, I believe, naturalise if you live there. Read more if that applies to you.

[nisi]

Okay, so:

1. If you answer "yes" to the question "have you left the state for more than 70 days per annum in the last 5 years", then you have to list *all* your absences from the state for all years you're using (sounds like all the way back to 2017 for your) not just those over 70 days or for years over 70 days. One of those items listed should be your 2.5 year gap in residency, along with your reason.

2. I wouldn't worry about prosecution if you're honest in your answers. Those threats are there for people trying to commit fraud by lying. If you make a mistake they'll ask you about it or ask for extra evidence.

3. Whilst the 2.5 year gap is odd, there's nothing disallowing it under the rules, you just have to have been resident for 5 years in the last 9.

4. The 70 day rule for your final year is for the 365 days immediately before you apply, not related to calendar years.

5. When counting your absence days, you don't count the travel days where you spent part of the day in Ireland as "absent"

6. As a British citizen I wouldn't worry about keeping low absences after you've applied. You just need to be telling the truth when you say you intend to reside in Ireland. Solicitors who recommend you aren't absent from the state while your application is being processed are for those in residency permit stamps that have a limit on his long you should leave the state.

7. As you've noted you have residency well over the requirements, you could skip even bothering with residency proofs for 2017, but it won't do any harm to submit them too, so why not give the extra?

To summarise: Go for it! It sounds like you meet all the requirements.

[nisi]

1- For the several years (I think 7) before your application, you need to be normally resident in Ireland for 5 of them. You can read the guidance in respect of that; and

The OP is correct, it's 5 years in the last 9 years

There used to be a six week ‘rule’ but this was struck down following a court case because it was not actually a rule but guidance based on a requirement to ‘remain in the State’. The addition of an express rule overcame the subsequent difficulty as I understand it.

Yep, the rule is now 70 days, not 6 weeks.

In addition, although not expressly stated, once your application is submitted you are recommended to stick to the 70 day rule until decision - several solicitors’ web sites say this and it was my reading of the rules but others differ.

I think this advice is fit people on residency permit stamps which have limits on his long you're supposed to be absent for. The OP is a British citizen so shouldn't have any concerns.

Then comes the tricky part which is if you live in NI. I don’t know about that because it doesn’t apply to me because strictly NI isn’t part of the State but you can, I believe, naturalise if you live there. Read more if that applies to you.

You can only Naturalise as Irish in NI if you're married to an Irish Citizen. This marriage also reduces your residency requirements to 3 years, not 5, so I assume it's not what the OP is talking about.