Foreign Birth Registration?

[shoileygal]

Hey shoileygal

You don’t need to continue with the FBR process if you already have an Irish passport as you are already an Irish citizen. If I were you I’d contact the DFA and explain your situation to see if you can get your money back!

I think I will call them and ask them if that is possible. I am aware the passport suffices, but if I cannot get a refund, I would still like to have the certificate also. It IS a lot to pay for a piece of paper, however; if one's name is already added to the Registry when a Passport is issued.

[shoileygal]

Hey shoileygal

You don’t need to continue with the FBR process if you already have an Irish passport as you are already an Irish citizen. If I were you I’d contact the DFA and explain your situation to see if you can get your money back!

Thank you for verifying that, Brawn. I think I will call them and ask them if that is possible, although I am sure they will want to deduct a portion to pay for the postage to return my documents. I am now aware the passport suffices as proof of citizenship, but if I cannot get a refund, I would still like to have the certificate also. It IS a lot to pay for a piece of paper if one's name is already added to the Registry when a Passport is issued. I don't know if there are any other advantages to having both. (my spouse may apply for naturalization in the future)

I feel pretty silly to have not found this out before hitting "send" on that application, but surely someone else has done this too, so hopefully they will have a solution.

[Michael123]

[quote=brawn401 post_id=<a href="tel:1723145">1723145</a> time=<a href="tel:1546431698">1546431698</a> user_id=202761]
Hey shoileygal

You don’t need to continue with the FBR process if you already have an Irish passport as you are already an Irish citizen. If I were you I’d contact the DFA and explain your situation to see if you can get your money back!

Thank you for verifying that, Brawn. I think I will call them and ask them if that is possible, although I am sure they will want to deduct a portion to pay for the postage to return my documents. I am now aware the passport suffices as proof of citizenship, but if I cannot get a refund, I would still like to have the certificate also. It IS a lot to pay for a piece of paper if one's name is already added to the Registry when a Passport is issued. I don't know if there are any other advantages to having both. (my spouse may apply for naturalization in the future)

I feel pretty silly to have not found this out before hitting "send" on that application, but surely someone else has done this too, so hopefully they will have a solution.
[/quote]


The rules state that If your application is not successful OR you cancel your application, you will receive a refund. They will refund your total cost of the application and the shipping that you paid to DTA for the return postage of the FBR and supporting documents.

Best of luck

[Michael123]

Hey shoileygal

You don’t need to continue with the FBR process if you already have an Irish passport as you are already an Irish citizen. If I were you I’d contact the DFA and explain your situation to see if you can get your money back!

Thank you for verifying that, Brawn. I think I will call them and ask them if that is possible, although I am sure they will want to deduct a portion to pay for the postage to return my documents. I am now aware the passport suffices as proof of citizenship, but if I cannot get a refund, I would still like to have the certificate also. It IS a lot to pay for a piece of paper if one's name is already added to the Registry when a Passport is issued. I don't know if there are any other advantages to having both. (my spouse may apply for naturalization in the future)

I feel pretty silly to have not found this out before hitting "send" on that application, but surely someone else has done this too, so hopefully they will have a solution.

I tried to call two days this week, FBR phone line answers with automated “the phone line is not operational at the moment due to training”

The following day, I saw this posted on the DFA webpage:

Unfortunately due to staff training the Foreign Birth Registration phone line is not operational at the moment. For information on eligibility and the documents required please visit the FBR information page.

An application was processed today, so they are functional to some degree anyway or they just dont want to be on the phone.

[Sulla]

Michael123

I am sure that your FBR E-Mail will be coming soon and your long wait is nearly at an end. I was actually, a mite surprised that my notification arrived before yours. Yes, I applied first, but indirectly via an embassy. Yours was direct. You would imagine yours should be faster. However, we don't really have any insight into how applications are divided in Dublin and if they are given to different sub-units for processing according to where they originate and if they came via embassy or direct. We also don't know how long it took the Beijing embassy to get my application to Dublin. It's a black box.

Anyway, I am confident that you can't be far away from some good news. A week, two tops.

As for the phone line issue, the FBR people were probably being bothered by too many calls at a time when their workload is daunting. I am not astounded that they pulled the plug on that particular communication option.

[zippy12]

I too have been following this thread for a while, and registered today when I saw your post as your application experience is similar to mine. However, I'm not so sure that no news is good news as I submitted my application through my grandmother in March 2018.

I submitted my online FBR application on 14/3/18 from Glasgow to the Edinburgh consulate
and received an acknowledgement by email from them on 16/3/18.

On 19/3/18, they emailed me to ask for 3 original documents as proof of address. I'm assuming that those submitted with my application were not acceptable for some reason, as they didn't explain. I duly sent those off, (signed-for delivery) so that I would know that they had been received. They were.

I emailed them to enquire on progress on 18/7/18. They replied on 19/7/18 - "The current estimated processing time for foreign birth registration is in excess of six months"

Since then, I've heard nothing from them. I read today on their website that some (complicated) applications can take 12 months or more. I don't believe that my application falls into that category, so can only assume that the avalanche of applications triggered by Brexit has more to do with the wait time.

Reading that makes me slightly more anxious and I may well contact the consulate at the end of January if I've not heard anything by then, as this would be just over the 6 month mark.

Still kicking myself that I didn't get round to doing this sooner, the only thing that ever put me off was trying to get hold of all the evidence.

Hope you hear from them soon, and if you do, please give us an update!

-----------------------------------------------------

Hi Stephen_W,

I received my FBR certificate from the consulate in Edinburgh today - 3 days short of 10 months.

However, my certificate is dated 29th Nov, 2018, so it seems there is an additional wait between approval and receiving the certificate, even taking into account the holiday period. I can now apply for my passport

I hope you don't have to wait too much longer.
Adh mor ort!
zippy12

[Michael123]

Michael123

I am sure that your FBR E-Mail will be coming soon and your long wait is nearly at an end. I was actually, a mite surprised that my notification arrived before yours. Yes, I applied first, but indirectly via an embassy. Yours was direct. You would imagine yours should be faster. However, we don't really have any insight into how applications are divided in Dublin and if they are given to different sub-units for processing according to where they originate and if they came via embassy or direct. We also don't know how long it took the Beijing embassy to get my application to Dublin. It's a black box.

Anyway, I am confident that you can't be far away from some good news. A week, two tops.

As for the phone line issue, the FBR people were probably being bothered by too many calls at a time when their workload is daunting. I am not astounded that they pulled the plug on that particular communication option.

Thank you for your words of encouragement. Using the date that Dublin recieved your applicant you are exactly 7 days ahead of me. Also note that Spav and Seans applications were both received in Dublin the same day and they were received the emails 6 days apart. Of the 18 US apllicants for 2018, only 10 received the email and 8 were suprised by the FBR delivery.

It is to my understanding that the Embassy does the initial fact checking before sending the application to Dublin. With you application being checked and sent to Dublin in such a short period, that allowed you to to save time.

When it comes down to it, its anyones guess.

[sean015]

I just received my certificate today! So it took about 3 weeks to arrive after the email notification. I am planning on completing the passport application next week, and I will then drop off the materials at the consulate in New York once I get everything together.

Michael123, I hope you hear some good news soon; I cannot imagine it will be too much longer! Best wishes to everyone else!

[Stephen_W]

Hi Stephen_W,

I received my FBR certificate from the consulate in Edinburgh today - 3 days short of 10 months.

However, my certificate is dated 29th Nov, 2018, so it seems there is an additional wait between approval and receiving the certificate, even taking into account the holiday period. I can now apply for my passport

I hope you don't have to wait too much longer.
Adh mor ort!
zippy12

Zippy12,

Great news congratulations, I have now received my certificate also, happy days!

For anyone else interested the timeline is now as follows:

06/07/18 (Friday) - Online application completed.
14/07/18 (Saturday) - Application sent via recorded delivery from Glasgow.
17/07/18 (Tuesday) - Application delivered and signed for at Edinburgh Consulate.
23/07/18 (Monday) - Email confirmation of application submission.
13/12/18 (Thursday) - FBR certification date
10/01/19 (Thursday) - Royal mail delivery (that I missed) waiting at the sorting office, signature required

So, to confirm for those uncertain of the procedure for getting documents returned, in the UK at least, its special delivery which must be signed for.

Now awaiting a passport application form to progress to the next step. Any luck and I'll be using my Irish passport when travelling to Donegal this summer!

[zippy12]

Great news congratulations, I have now received my certificate also, happy days!

For anyone else interested the timeline is now as follows:

06/07/18 (Friday) - Online application completed.
14/07/18 (Saturday) - Application sent via recorded delivery from Glasgow.
17/07/18 (Tuesday) - Application delivered and signed for at Edinburgh Consulate.
23/07/18 (Monday) - Email confirmation of application submission.
13/12/18 (Thursday) - FBR certification date
10/01/19 (Thursday) - Royal mail delivery (that I missed) waiting at the sorting office, signature required

So, to confirm for those uncertain of the procedure for getting documents returned, in the UK at least, its special delivery which must be signed for.

Now awaiting a passport application form to progress to the next step. Any luck and I'll be using my Irish passport when travelling to Donegal this summer!

------------

Fantastic News!

They must have had a big push recently to sort out the Irish Weegies!

I'm ahead of you, I already have my passport application form - that only took 3 months and several requests of London Embassy I hope that you have better luck - now you're Irish !

So I'll get it witnessed and sent off next week, fingers crossed it doesn't take as long as my FBR certificate.

Does anyone have any timescales for passport applications??

zippy12

[PasadenaTom]

Does anyone have any timescales for passport applications??

zippy12

DFA states that first time applications take at least four weeks.

If you submit an application to a consulate or embassy, they perform some initial checks before forwarding it to Dublin. My timeline is a few months old, so things may have changed. But here it is:

Application received by San Francisco consulate: 22-August 2018. It didn't appear in the passport tracking portal until 08-October 2018. After that, these statuses were observed:
Estimated issue date: 12-November 2018
Passport printed: 22-October 2018
Passport dispatched: 22-October 2018 (returned to San Francisco consulate)
Passport received: 01-November 2018

[StephenF]

This morning I drove to my local postal depot to pick up a special delivery that I missed on Thursday. It was my FBR certificate and returned documents. So I received it on the 10th January after applying on the 18th July just under the 6 months. The certificate confirms I became an Irish citizen on 14th November 2018.

To say I am happy is an understatement . It has been a good ending to a crappy week .

So in the next couple of days I will send off my passport application.

I hope that those of you still waiting for news will hear something soon!

[Bluegill]

I just realized I only sent two passport sized photos with my fbr application. I just read that I needed 4 in total. Ugh I feel sick.

[Michael123]

I just realized I only sent two passport sized photos with my fbr application. I just read that I needed 4 in total. Ugh I feel sick.

After reading this, I went to the FBR site, it says 4 required. This must be new, When I applied in Aug it said they required 2

Maybe this is the new training / why the phones lines were not operational.

[Bluegill]

Pretty sure, almost positive, my application online was already submitted prior to this change.

Interesting how they just change things willy nilly.

I applied about 4 days ago...that’s how new this change is.

[Michael123]

Pretty sure, almost positive, my application online was already submitted prior to this change.

Interesting how they just change things willy nilly.

I applied about 4 days ago...that’s how new this change is.

When I get home I will verify that it was 2 photos. I have my printed application at home, but its from August. I hope Im not in trouble also, I sent two photos that were witnessed by the same person who witnessed my application.

[Michael123]

Does anyone have any timescales for passport applications??

zippy12

DFA states that first time applications take at least four weeks.

If you submit an application to a consulate or embassy, they perform some initial checks before forwarding it to Dublin. My timeline is a few months old, so things may have changed. But here it is:

Application received by San Francisco consulate: 22-August 2018. It didn't appear in the passport tracking portal until 08-October 2018. After that, these statuses were observed:
Estimated issue date: 12-November 2018
Passport printed: 22-October 2018
Passport dispatched: 22-October 2018 (returned to San Francisco consulate)
Passport received: 01-November 2018

Tom, did you submit 2 or 4 photographs for the FBR?

[Bluegill]

Pretty sure, almost positive, my application online was already submitted prior to this change.

Interesting how they just change things willy nilly.

I applied about 4 days ago...that’s how new this change is.

When I get home I will verify that it was 2 photos. I have my printed application at home, but its from August. I hope Im not in trouble also, I sent two photos that were witnessed by the same person who witnessed my application.

My application says 2 photos as well. My application was paid for and submitted online Jan 9th.

[Michael123]

Pretty sure, almost positive, my application online was already submitted prior to this change.

Interesting how they just change things willy nilly.

I applied about 4 days ago...that’s how new this change is.

When I get home I will verify that it was 2 photos. I have my printed application at home, but its from August. I hope Im not in trouble also, I sent two photos that were witnessed by the same person who witnessed my application.

My application says 2 photos as well. My application was paid for and submitted online Jan 9th.

Ok good. When your application was printed, it will show TWO required and NOT FOUR, which means you should be fine as only new applicants will be affected by the change. My cousin did her online application on 8/10 and mine on 8/17 and we sent both applications together with seperate supporting documents. Dublin recieved our applications in 8/20.We could have shared some, our Irish born grandmother’s birth, marrage 1, marriage 2 and death certificates. We decided to keep everything seperate should our applications become seperated / make this easier for processing.

I am expecting to get the email any day now and I am looking forward to getting my FBR certificate. Our plan is to complete the passport applications, Drive into Boston, have brunch and go to the Consolate to hand deliver them. Cant wait for that brunch!

[Bluegill]

I created a dummy application as well just to see if the new applications ask for 4 photos at the end. They don’t. It asked for 2 photos as well. I’m guessing there’s a mix up. I think the passport application might require 4 photos, but the fbr application shouldn’t.

[Michael123]

Well, then I think two will be fine then. There is always conflicting information! Where in the world are you from anyway? Boston, Massachusetts USA here. Yes, I think that the passport requires 4

[Bluegill]

Chicago

[Michael123]

The windy city! As seen on SNL “Da Bears”

[Bluegill]

You got it.

[Michael123]

Check your private messages.