Foreign Birth Registration

[Sulla]

Since the old thread appears to have been locked, which renders further posting impossible, I have started this new thread.

Can everyone please try to be civil and respect differences of opinion that others may have? I strongly suspect that the reason the old thread was locked was due to a lack of that.

Link to last page of the old thread as a resource for people who want to access its content.

ireland/foreign-birth-registration-t214839-1540.html

Good luck to everyone with their FBR process.

[Court2]

What a shame the old thread was closed, thanks for that BrexitEscapee.Despite warning them myself they continued to make unhelpful and off topic remarks. Let's hope they don't return.

Thank you to Richard74 who provided the address to send further documents to the FBR team! Couldn't find it anywhere online.

[Sulla]

Court

Nice to see you made it over. I actually did not see many / most of the deleted posts as they were posted and moderated overnight in my timezone. I also did not see your warning. For the best probably.

Tom

You have made an valuable contribution to the board and helped a great many people. I appreciate and respect that. I also feel great sympathy for Michael's plight and that of other applicants who applied around the same time as I did or even before (Upliam / Cindy). It seems unjust that some applicants proceed at far different rates than others, without any credible explanation.

[Barry0131]

It's the weekend. I finally get around to checking the other thread...

AND

It's closed. Locked. Can't reply.

Anyway Michael and Sulla thanks for the replies.

You said heritage and I am keen on that idea but I don't know a lot about the old country. Not at all really. I'm only 19 though so what you said about kids is not something that I will get to soon. Still it is good to be able to hand down something which brings some opportunity. No military service and no extra tax forms to fill put sure put my mind at ease.

I am going to fill out and send in the online application tonight. My sister reckons it will be done and we'll have our passports by Christmas. I'm not sure on that score. Wish me luck!

[BrexitEscapee]

You have to appreciate the comic aspect of this. Attempting to start a topic afresh by posting a link to the very page which got its predecessor closed down? As they say: good luck with that.

PasadenaTom - thanks for your message in the previous thread. You've been a reliable source of accurate advice to FBR applicants, and I've always respected the fact that you never take the credit for that advice if it originated from other forum members. Like you, I'm not going to let the creeping hostility towards DFA staff go unchallenged. Waiting longer than you were expecting for anything is frustrating, but to take this as a personal slight is simply childish. Administering a generous immigration policy would be low down in any Country's priorities when compared to healthcare etc., so when that department gets temporarily overloaded due to events abroad, the only sane response is to be patient - throwing toys out of prams won't achieve anything. If the Irish media were to run a feature on FBR, the Irish public would be outraged to see the hostility aimed at DFA staff from people who are lucky to have this privilege.

[Jaxx22]

Good to see another thread has been opened so we (and new users) can still ask questions and post timelines. For the record, I will not get into any debates.

The previous thread did have some good advice for people but those questions can always be asked again.

It is looking positive for some of you that you will soon receive your certificates, it will be nice to read some positive news rather than the constant still waiting. Hopefully this means that we will soon start to get some progress with our applications.

Quick question from me, although this is a long way off for me yet. Does anyone know if documents/certificate are returned via post or courier?

[Jaxx22]

I'm not going to let the creeping hostility towards DFA staff go unchallenged. Waiting longer than you were expecting for anything is frustrating, but to take this as a personal slight is simply childish. Administering a generous immigration policy would be low down in any Country's priorities when compared to healthcare etc., so when that department gets temporarily overloaded due to events abroad, the only sane response is to be patient - throwing toys out of prams won't achieve anything. If the Irish media were to run a feature on FBR, the Irish public would be outraged to see the hostility aimed at DFA staff from people who are lucky to have this privilege.

I don't think it is hostility towards them, more frustration at timescales being a lot longer for some people than stated on the website and when they ask for updates they don't get much in the way of information. Sometimes that frustration gets vented and on a forum written words are easily misconstrued. Perhaps I have missed things but I haven't really noticed any real hostility towards the department just sheer frustration at lack of information. As some people have stated they have been waiting for around 2 months just for their documents to be returned.

I am sure everyone appreciates that they are swamped with applications and that they are able to get Irish Citizenship in this way. It is something that I for one appreciate and didn't realise I could do until my father who is a very proud Irish Citizen told me that I can do. However I do still stand by my comment that it should have been anticipated that there would be an influx of applications due to certain events and perhaps moving offices during the time of a large backlog was not the best strategy but we do not know the full reasons for this, perhaps their lease was up and it made sense to move and the timing just unfortunate.

[BrexitEscapee]

No worries Jaxx - you've got every right to be frustrated if you've been waiting longer than expected. Even though my view has always been 'just be patient,' I only spoke up when I saw a comment directly and personally criticising the DFA staff themselves. Your comment doesn't fall into that category.

Both my certificate/documents, and later my passport, were delivered in the UK by normal first-class mail. They were posted through my letterbox and I didn't need to sign for them. I'd previously seen posts on here from people who'd had them delivered by a signed-for courier so I was surprised to have them delivered this way.

[Sulla]

Jaxx

I will let you know probably later this week, but I suspect its more like 3 months for the printing and document return. Could be even longer than that.

I can accept that checking the documents takes time and that there many be some unevenness (in terms of time taken for each applicant) in there due to inconsistencies within a document set. All of this happens before approval and addition to the FBR.

What I have (a lot) more trouble with is understanding how printing and postage could conceivably take this long.

[Michael123]

Oh I see, you guys just packed up and moved without telling me?


#IrishCitzenship2025!

[Jaxx22]

What I have (a lot) more trouble with is understanding how printing and postage could conceivably take this long.

^ agreed, I don't agree with the un-necessary keeping hold of documents longer than needed. Even if the certificate takes longer and obviously they would print these in bulk rather than individually, the documents could be returned. As someone else mentioned previously they have had to get additional copies because needed for something else.

Micheal, i notice the little hashtag

Hopefully you all hear something this week. I would like too but I only sent mine off at the beginning of February so I won't get any response for some time yet going by all the timelines. The only thing I know is that it was all received by the local embassy but where it all is now I have no clue.

[Sulla]

Michael

Definitely sub-optimal that a new thread had to be started. It was unavoidable though given the closure of the old one. Glad to see that you made it over.

Since there are now signs of certificates getting printed and posted, I hope that that also bodes well for your situation. The cogs of the machine seem to be turning once again and you can't be that far behind. I base this on the assumption that what many of us have been told, later has been revealed to be inaccurate. It's also possible that your estimated delivery time is also unreliable.

When I go to the embassy to deliver my passport application, I will do my best to use that face-time to glean as much as I can about what caused the sudden slowdown.

Hang in there.

[Eowyn]

Hello,

New here. Thought I'd post my timeline.

Applied by post to Edinburgh in Oct 2018. Got an e-mail to say my witness was not on the approved list and could I resubmit my application with an approved witness, which I did. My application was received on 20th Nov 2018.

I hadn't heard anything since, and started to panic, wondering if they had indeed received it or if my new witness was approved, so I e-mailed Edinburgh on the 2nd March to check progress.

They replied to tell me that foreign birth applications were now being processed in Dublin, and gave me a number to call and also the link to the webchat option. I went on the webchat but they just said they only dealt with passport applications and I'd need to call if I wanted an update.

I didn't phone, however on Thurs 21st March (like a few other Edinburgh applicants I gather?), I got an e-mail from DFA Dublin to say that they had received my application and supporting documentation, and that applications can take up to 6 months!

So, it seems like a whole load of Edinburgh applications have been shipped over to Dublin, and they've only now got round to opening the box? It feels like I've wasted 4 months! Hoping they can get round to them quickly, but no idea how the system works!

[Lee2521]

Hi Everyone
I sent off my FBR application back at the beginning of February 2019 and I know the Irish government has thousands of people applying and is doing it's best also a 6 month wait is very reasonable considering the numbers.

Has anyone received their passport before the FBR certificate is complete?
As I would like to visit Eire a least a couple times this year and more later on and I am applying
for a lot of reasons one is I am proud of my ancestry and to honour my late grandmother also I really like Ireland and be more like the Irish.

Best regards

Lee

[Rbs3]

Hi Lee

You can’t apply for your passport until you have the FBR certificate in hand. You need to include the certificate with your passport application.
At present they are processing July 2018 applications, so the 6 month estimate is being exceeded currently. They may be able to catch up if they devote more resource to it, but I suspect they have other priorities at the moment.

[Lee2521]

Hi Rbs3
Thanks for your reply I meant my British passport I had to send off with the FBR application.

[Michael123]

I lost track, when was the last application approved? Last I recall, Sulla was approved and waiting for certificate delivery. Has anyone revieved the “congratulations” email since?

[Celtic1967]

Hi all,

I am longtime lurker on here, but just wanted to sign up to the forum in order to share my experience with the FBR process so far.

I submitted my FBR application to the Edinburgh consulate at the start of May 2018.

Since then, I have contacted the consulate only on a handful of occasions in order to try and get some sort of status update from them. Unfortunately, I’ve only ever got the standard “your application is currently being considered” reply.

Having read some of the updates on here, I can see that there is absolutely no rhyme nor reason to the process at all.

[LesMalouinettes]

I've been lurking for a long time too.

I submitted my application to Dublin on the 18th of Sept, 2018. It was received on the 27th of Sept, 2018 confirmed not only by tracking but an email from the DFA on the same day (Which actually seems pretty amazing given for some of you that confirmation seemed to occur randomly, months later). Since then, nothing from them except for when I contacted them via webchat early this month and got the same BS responses everyone else has had. They told me my application has been "activated" but that's all and that I shouldn't expect to hear anything before July/Aug this year.

I understand everyone has their reasons for wishing their applications to be processed quickly, however it's particularly frustrating for me as I feel like my entire life is on hold here in Australia. I should be pushing through with my divorce, but that's on hold because I don't want a change in my marital status to delay any decisions about my FBR, also I don't want any address changes to throw a spanner in the works too. I'm also engaged to a Frenchman (Yep, my life reads like a soap opera!), and obviously would like to be over there living with him, but without EU work rights, that's not possible - so here I am, spinning my wheels in Australia, alone and not getting any younger

[Sulla]

Hi Rbs3
Thanks for your reply I meant my British passport I had to send off with the FBR application.

You mean you sent your original British passport off with the FBR document set as proof of identity? If that is the case then it will be treated as a simple supporting document by the DFA team. As such, it will be returned at the end of the process with your FBR certificate.

Given the way things have been going of late in terms of turnaround times, that could mean a lengthy wait. I don't wish to be alarmist, but projecting year end 2019 would not be unreasonable. Even if it is not that bad it will be in Q4 2019 at least.

I have not read of anyone else who actually sent their physical passport as opposed to a certified copy to the DFA. Unless you have a second passport, I wouldn't book any vacations. You may be able to contact the DFA and substitute a certified copy of another form of ID like a driver's licence (certified by your witness is fine) instead of the passport. I am really not sure about that. You can try.

From my own experience, I have been on the FBR for months now and have specifically asked for my documents back - with or without the FBR certificate. I have even offered to send my own courier and cover all costs. It hasn't happened. The embassy were receptive of the idea, but in the end it went nowhere. This is in the situation where they have actually finished evaluating the documents - I still could not get them back. Your case is different, as they are still checking them.

[Sulla]

I lost track, when was the last application approved? Last I recall, Sulla was approved and waiting for certificate delivery. Has anyone received the “congratulations” email since?

Four approved and waiting for printing / delivery in 2019 that I am aware of.

Sulla (China) - citizenship confirmation E-mail received January 10th 2019. Certificate printed March 8th.

Richard (Scotland) - No citizenship confirmation E-mail. Told as a result of inquiry that he was on the FBR on Jan 17th 2019. Certificate printed March 10th.

Mendelsfeeder (UK) - Citizenship confirmation E-mail received March 1st 2019. This case was expedited due to pregnancy.

Brawn (UK) - Citizenship confirmation E-mail received March 13th 2019.

[Michael123]

Thanks. It would a huge problem to go back to older posts, can anyone who has not recieved the FBR cert as if yet repost their timelines?

Application recieved in Dublin: Aug 21, 2018
Congratulations email recieved: pending
Delivery of FBR certificate: pending

I think using the Name of the month may save us from date format errors. 8/10/18 and 10/8/18

[Sulla]

Michael

Here is a reprint of my timeline. There are some known unknowns in there. I feel like Donald Rumsfeld.

August 14th 2018. Applied to the embassy in Beijing. This was a hand delivered application.

November 29th 2018. Told as a response to an inquiry that the application had been submitted for approval. Unknown as to when my application actually reached this stage.

December 2018. Added to the FBR. Again, exactly when is an unknown. I should be able to confirm this when the certificate arrives shortly.

January 10th 2019. Received confirmation of Irish Citizenship E-mail.

March 22nd 2019. Received an E-mail from the DFA indicating that the FBR certificate had been printed on March 8th 2019 and had been posted to China.

Still waiting on delivery.

[Richard74]

Shame about the old thread. But good to see a few more Edinburgh applicants - welcome Eowyn and Celtic1967

It would a huge problem to go back to older posts, can anyone who has not recieved the FBR cert as if yet repost their timelines?

Sure. Slightly simplified / updated from original post.

* Application submitted in person to Edinburgh Consulate: 31-Jul-18
* Additional documentation submitted via post to Edinburgh Consulate: 02-Aug-18
* Email confirming receipt in "Dublin" (/Balbriggan?) and "priority processing"; request for additional documentation: 27-Nov-18
* Email acknowledgement of documents received, "submitted to supervisor for approval": 04-Dec-18
* Entered onto FBR (unbeknownst to me): 12-Dec-18
* Email reply received to enquiry, confirming FBR entry / "you are an Irish citizen as of 12-Dec-18": 17-Jan-19
* Certificate printed - 10-Mar-19

As with Sulla, still awaiting postage. Call handler reckons hopefully this week...?

[Jaxx22]

Lee2521

Did you send your actual passport? They just needed a copy of the photo page certified. If you did this then I would try to get this back and replace with just the certified copy. Going by others timelines it is taking longer than 6 months to process - which in itself would be a long time to be without your passport.

From what I have read you will need to send the FBR certificate with the passport application along with documents that have been sent for this application (although this might vary from country to country)

Interestingly the embassy I sent my application to states on their website that it takes around 6 months from the date of receipt - which reading it says to me receipt by them but I think it really means receipt in Dublin?


LesMalouinettes

I understand why you don't want to put any spanners in the works with changing things. I am also going to be moving so will be changing addresses, I don't know how this will affect the application, I assume I won't need to resubmit documents with address on it (I struggled to get 3 for the current address!) but my concern is getting everything back to the correct place but I also don't know if I just tell the DFA or the Embassy who will be returning the documents or both. There is nothing on the FAQ about changing address during the application and I don't want to call them to ask the question as that will take up time that they could be dealing with someone's application.

I hope those who have had certificates printed receive them this week.

My timeline

Sent supporting documents to Finnish Embassy: 6 February 2019
Documents collected by the embassy: 11 February 2019
Email from Dublin to advise of receipt: Pending
Congratulation email: Pending
FBR certificate Printed: Pending
Receipt of returned documents and certificate: Pending