Today I became Irish

It was a bit of gallows humour.

Galloway humour? sorry, I’ll get my coat!

@longdog and anyone else with kids about to study.

son who has mentioned about going to Germany to study, not that he’s been there or talks German.

Three years residency, especially of studying or working, in Germany is enough to qualify for applying for citizenship. Used to be eight, currently five but being lowered to three. Language is relatively easy to pick up, certainly to the standard required for the citizenship test.

Anyone with children who qualifies, can I encourage you to get your European citizenship?

I’m watching a 22 year old and 19 year old who are keen to study or work in Europe. Both are blocked from doing so without significant costs or impassible barriers as UK passport holders. Ridiculously they are likely to end up in Canada (maybe NZ) and Japan instead.

I’m watching colleagues become Portuguese and Danish citizens for similar family links, the aim being thier children can travel, study and work in Europe.

My great grandparents are Irish, but they’re one generation too old.

**** Brexit.

comhghairdeas agus fáilte a chur roimh

“Is a visa for that stuff actually difficult to get”

yeah kinda – side question, did you vote in the referendum?

LOL (not) at the general lack of knowledge about what we and more importantly our children lost. Disproportionally cross doesn’t come in to it…

My daughter is planning to work in Europe next summer for several months as a gap year…her best friends parents heard about her plans and thought it would be an excellent idea if their daughter went with her. Unfortunately for them, my daughter has an EU passport and theirs does not. It took me a while to explain the issue to them.

“but she has a British passport they said…..”   I just had to laugh at their absolute certainty this was the best thing ever

They voted for Brexit.

****wits.

“But she has a British passport they said…..”   I just had to laugh at their absolute certainty this was the best thing ever

And that is why there should never have been a referendum. If the electorate aren’t engaged and don’t understand the issue how can you get a sensible answer.

Also, was born in England, have lived in Scotland all of my adult life and am now an Irish citizen. Means I have three times the opportunity a winning team to cheer in the rugby!

if asked, what nationality would you say you were? ?

I should get my Irish citizenship sorted but for me it would be about €1,300 as I don’t have the Irish relative route. As a Scot living in Ireland (longer than I lived in Scotland these days) and married to an Irish national, the kids are Irish ( I do try to tell them they are half Scottish but funnily they have no interest in a British passport) I get to stand in a different queue at passport control for the time being. I will get round to it one day but the cost has put me off up to now.

if asked, what nationality would you say you were?

When asked, I say I’m from Scotland. I’ve lived here since I was nineteen, spent 25 years working in the public sector, have raised three kids here and do a lot of community type work. I think I’ve earned it. Also, its just better.

“Is a visa for that stuff actually difficult to get”

yeah kinda – side question, did you vote in the referendum?

Which one? 😉  Yeh.

No for Brexit. No for independence.

As someone who rarely travels abroad I just wasn’t sure how awkward the actual visa situation is now, as opposed to people’s fears. I’ve never had to get a visa for anywhere.

“Is a visa for that stuff actually difficult to get”

yeah kinda – side question, did you vote in the referendum?

Which one? 😉  Yeh.

No for Brexit. No for independence.

As someone who rarely travels abroad I just wasn’t sure how awkward the actual visa situation is now, as opposed to people’s fears. I’ve never had to get a visa for anywhere.

I got my Polish citizenship through my Polish grandparents.

it’s a lovely feeling isn’t it.

My wife and I can now spend as much time as we want within the EU come retirement in 12 years or so.

Hopefully things will change significantly for the better, in the future, so that my kids (6 and 9) will enjoy the late teens, early 20’s/30’s that my wife and I had working in the EU.

xxxx Brexit.

Next phase of the project is to fully explore what option my wife has via her Italian grandmother. I’m then really, really hoping that one of these routes will extend through to my kids. They would never have voted for Brexit, but it is them who are missing out the most. I would love to be able to get them an EU passport.

I will obviously be popping out for a pint of something (not sure what….) to celebrate but also planning a 4-5 day bike tour in Ireland next year to get to know my fellow Irish citizens. Any routes / trails / tours / areas to recommend?

Congratulations, give me a shout when you are coming over and I can show you around the popular trails in Dublin and Wicklow.

@franksinatra How long did yours take? I sent off my application in June.

I’ve never had to get a visa for anywhere.

Well, that’s alright then. No in-person interviews at the consulate and seemingly random fees for you.

My nieces have managed to get Italian passports through their grandfather on the other side. Just before he died.

My own kids, well, no dice… my only “claim” is that I was born in Germany. But for the Germans, residency trumps all else, so I’d have to be living back there… which I wouldn’t mind at all… but it wouldn’t help my kids, and I can’t move there anyway, because I only have a UK passport… because…

Arrived in about 8 weeks. Needed to get my mums long form birth certificate. Really annoyingly it’s cheaper to get than a “blue” UK one. Oh and it was nice to glide past the queue at Barcelona in the summer.alsonquicker back in as the non-UK queue was so much shorter.

On behalf of everyone in Ireland, I’d like to apologise for the lack of blue covers. That said, welcome aboard.

Missed it by one generation – my great-grandfather was Irish, but then if I could include my other genealogy, I could claim Guyanese, Mali, Senegal and Nigeria depending on how far you go back. If I go back on my mother’s side, I could probably claim residency at Armley prison as a few of my ancestors lived there. 😉

Aha, I’ve discovered another route into the EU, if my heritage of Irish great grandparents is outwith the criteria

ITALIAN 😀

My G/GF was Italian, and if parent, grand or great grand was from Italy, you can apply for citizenship.

Interestingly, if Scotland gains independence, and NI is reunified with southern Ireland, i could end up with Scottish, English, EU, Irish and Italian passports

How long did yours take? I sent off my application in June.

I sent everything away in January this year, confirmation of applicaiton email received at the beginning of Feb.

My mum’s Irish, and still has an Irish passport although she’s been in this country since 1962.

Should I apply for an Irish passport? The issue is my wife will still have a British passport so if we go anywhere I’ll still have to wait for her to clear the non-EU section anyway.

Assuming I do apply and receive an Irish passport, does that mean my children can then apply? Freedom to work and travel through the EU zone would be more useful to them than to me.

I’m too far removed- great great grandads family moved from Cork to the Rhondda in the mid 1800s

My mum’s Irish, and still has an Irish passport although she’s been in this country since 1962.

Should I apply for an Irish passport? The issue is my wife will still have a British passport so if we go anywhere I’ll still have to wait for her to clear the non-EU section anyway.

Assuming I do apply and receive an Irish passport, does that mean my children can then apply? Freedom to work and travel through the EU zone would be more useful to them than to me.

Generally speaking, Irish citizenship extend to grandchildren, not great grandchildren. So your kids should be eligible through Foreign Births Register as their grandparent is Irish.

Wife and kids doing the same thanks to her mum. I’ll be billy no-mates in passport control!

Before we get the pitchforks out can we establish whether you voted for Brexit or not? 😉

so I can get a Ukrainian passport as my grandparents came from there, but it’s not much use unless they get allowed into the EU and they remove that renounce your GB passport clause

I looked into trying for an Irish passport, after an Ancestry DNA test revealed I’m 14% Irish, and my mothers side of the family had the  Magee surname.

My family tree now traces back to early 1700s (7x great grandparents), and still no trace of an Ireland born relative, so I’m resigned to sticking with the brexit passport edition 🙁

Hurrah for the Irish side of my family. It’s great skipping through passport control whilst the Brits all get to queue and complain.