United Kingdom - Passport & Nationality - Ireland and Northern Ireland (Birth in Foreign Country)

Northern Ireland is an anomaly in both Irish and British nationality law. Both countries recognise the territory as falling within their own jurisdiction and sovereignty for the purposes of granting nationality. So where you have a grandparent born in "Ireland", it is important that you are clear as to which part of Ireland they were born in:

• Northern Ireland is recognised by both both Ireland and the UK for nationality purposes; AND
• The Republic of Ireland (the southern part of the island) is not recognised by the UK for British nationality purposes (but only in exceptional/rare circumstances).

A grandparent's birth in Northern Ireland will result in:

• a claim to Irish nationality (as long as both generations were born in wedlock); AND
• a claim to British nationality if the candidate was born in what was referred to as a "Foreign Country".

A grandparent's birth in the Republic of Ireland will result in claim to Irish nationality (as long as both generations were born in wedlock).