Irish nationality law
History and regulations of Irish citizenship / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Irish nationality law?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The primary law governing nationality of Ireland is the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, which came into force on 17 July 1956. Ireland is a member state of the European Union (EU) and all Irish nationals are EU citizens. They are entitled to free movement rights in EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and may vote in elections to the European Parliament.
| Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Oireachtas | |
| |
| Citation | No. 26 of 1956 |
| Territorial extent | |
| Enacted by | Dáil Éireann |
| Enacted | 11 July 1956 (with amendments from the Seanad)[1] |
| Enacted by | Seanad Éireann |
| Enacted | 5 July 1956[2] |
| Commenced | 17 July 1956 |
| Administered by | Department of Justice[3] |
| Legislative history | |
| First chamber: Dáil Éireann | |
| Bill title | Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill, 1955 |
| Introduced by | James Everett, Minister for Justice[4] |
| First reading | 13 July 1955[4] |
| Second reading | 29 February 1956[5] |
| Third reading | 10 April 1956[6] |
| Second chamber: Seanad Éireann | |
| Bill title | Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill, 1955 |
| Second reading | 16 May 1956[7] |
| Third reading | 5 July 1956[2] |
| Repeals | |
| Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1935 | |
| Status: Amended | |
All persons born in the Republic before 1 January 2005 are automatically citizens by birth regardless of the nationalities of their parents. Individuals born in the country since that date receive Irish citizenship at birth if at least one of their parents is an Irish citizen or entitled to be one, a British citizen, a resident with no time limit of stay in either the Republic or Northern Ireland, or a resident who has been domiciled on the island of Ireland for at least three of the preceding four years. Persons born in Northern Ireland are usually entitled to – but not automatically granted – Irish citizenship, largely under the same terms. Foreign nationals may become Irish citizens by naturalisation after meeting a minimum residence requirement, usually five years. The president of Ireland may also grant honorary citizenship, which entails the same rights and duties as normal citizenship, although this is rare.
Ireland as a whole was previously part of the United Kingdom and Irish people were British subjects. After most of Ireland's independence as the Irish Free State in 1922 and departure from the Commonwealth of Nations in 1949, Irish citizens no longer hold British nationality. However, they continue to have favoured status in the United Kingdom and are largely exempt from British immigration law, eligible to vote in UK elections, and able to stand for public office there.