Section 16 Citizenship Applications

[Rollomay]

Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying for Irish citizenship under Section 16 (Minister’s discretion, descent/association). It seems a bit of a game changer or has it made it harder?

I’ve seen reports that there are about 1,500 pending applications, but when I check Reddit and other forums, I find conflicting information—some say no one has been successful, others suggest cases are just moving very slowly.

A few things I’d really like to know:
• Has anyone here applied since the 2025 amendments?
• How long are processing times in reality compared with what’s published (30 months+)?
• Has anyone actually received a positive decision yet?
• In practice, do people think Section 16 is a real option, or is it unlikely to succeed?

Any first-hand experiences or reliable updates would be very welcome. Mind you this forum seems so much quieter these days.

Thanks!

[pemani4255]

No positive reply yet. Application(s) were submitted in Mar 2024, zero progress so far.

[philliusfogg]

18 months today and not even an acknowledgement? Wow!

[ashconnor]

Reddit isn't a good source IMO - lot's of people saying it's impossible, only celebrities can apply or confusing the requirements even with these clarifications. That combined with a general hostility towards those leveraging citizenship by descent/associations.

The fact of the matter is, on paper for British citizens with Irish ancestors who missed descent by a generation, the changes should make qualifying with a "strong" case much easier.

The recognisable residence of three years has been effectively replaced with a new requirements category Experimental that includes either trips, residence and current residence status.

A category that includes an immediate relative ordinarily resident (ambiguous on what that means) in Ireland.

Another category aimed at those educated in Irish schools or with significant contributions to Irish society.

Establishment in the State. Basic financial and licensing requirements.

We won't have any idea for a few years if applications that hit a certain points threshold will be accepted for a few years.

There's also shockingly low amount of people reporting their experiences applying under Irish Associations. My guess is that people withdraw and apply under general naturalisation despite it being a weaker form of citizenship.

that (except in the case of a certificate of naturalisation which is issued to a person of Irish descent or associations) the person to whom it is granted has been ordinarily F55[resident outside the State or, in the case of an application for a certificate of naturalisation granted under section 15A, resident outside the island of Ireland] (otherwise than in the public service) for a continuous period of seven years and without reasonable excuse has not during that period registered annually in the prescribed manner his name and a declaration of his intention to retain Irish citizenship with an Irish diplomatic mission or consular office or with the Minister, or