Long-term residents
Long-term residents planning to apply for naturalisation
What you get
- A full review of your immigration history, stamps and IRP cards
- A year-by-year calculation of your reckonable residence and absences
- A review of character and compliance issues
About this service
Eligibility Check
Before applying for Irish citizenship, it's worth knowing for certain that you qualify, because applications are slow, fees are non-refundable and mistakes about residence or absences can lead to refusal after a long wait. Our Eligibility Check is a thorough review of your residence history, permissions, absences, character and documents. You'll know which route fits you, when you can apply and what you need to fix first.
€1229
Fixed fee
5
Areas we cover
6
Documents to prepare
5
Simple steps
Who it's for
Who this is for
Whether you're moving, hiring, staying or starting over, this is the place to begin.
Special routes
Spouses and civil partners of Irish citizens, refugees and people with Irish connections
Unsure applicants
Anyone unsure whether their stamps, absences or past issues affect their eligibility
At a glance
What we assess
01
Reckonable residence
5 years in the last 9, including 1 year of continuous residence immediately before applying (3 years for spouses of Irish citizens)
02
Absences
Up to 70 days outside Ireland in the final year, with up to 30 more in exceptional circumstances
03
Permissions
Which stamps count (for example Stamp 1, 3 and 4) and which don't (such as Stamp 2 student time), and any gaps
04
Good character
Convictions, immigration history and Garda vetting issues
05
Documents
Whether you can meet the 150-point proof of identity and proof of residence requirements for every year
Our promise
What's included
Eligibility Check
€1229
Before you start
Documents you'll need
Tick each item as you gather it. Bring whichever apply to you.
Your preparation checklist
0 of 6 ready
Tap items as you go
You're fully prepared. Let's get you booked in.
5-step journey
How it works
- 1Step 1
Book the check and send us your documents.
- 2Step 2
We review your history and calculate your residence and absences.
- 3Step 3
We identify any risks, gaps or missing documents.
- 4Step 4
We explain the results and your best route and timing.
- Step 5
If you're ready, we can prepare your application as a separate service.
Good to know
Our fee
€1,229 VAT included. The citizenship application itself is a separate service.
Government fees
If you apply: €175 application fee (non-refundable) and €950 certification fee if approved. Reduced or no certification fees apply in some cases.
Processing time
There's no statutory time limit. The median was 8 months in 2024, but by August 2026 more than 13,000 applicants had been waiting over a year.
Proposed changes
A draft Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2026 proposes longer residence and new language and civics tests. It isn't law yet, and we'll tell you how it could affect your timing.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Before applying for Irish citizenship by naturalisation, it's worth being certain that you qualify. Applications take many months, the €175 application fee is non-refundable, and mistakes about residence or absences can lead to a refusal after a long wait. A citizenship eligibility check reviews your history against each requirement before you apply. The central test is reckonable residence: legal residence that counts towards citizenship. For the standard route, you need 5 years of it in the last 9 years, including 1 year of continuous residence immediately before you apply. In that final year, you can be outside Ireland for up to 70 days, with up to 30 more allowed in exceptional circumstances, and there must be no gaps in your permission. Reckonable residence is counted from the dates of your immigration permissions. Time on Stamps 1, 3 and 4, for example, counts, while time on student permission (Stamp 2 and 2A) and time spent waiting for an international protection decision doesn't. You must also be of good character, which is checked through Garda vetting and your immigration history, and you must be able to document your identity and residence under ISD's points system: 150 points of identity evidence, and 150 points of residence evidence for every year you claim. Spouses of Irish citizens and refugees have their own residence periods.
Generally no. Time on student permission (Stamp 2) doesn't count as reckonable residence.
It may affect your final year. We'll calculate your absences and tell you when you'll meet the 70-day rule.
It depends on the offence, how long ago it was and your overall record. We'll give you an honest assessment.
If you already qualify, applying under the current rules is usually better than waiting. We'll explain the proposals and timing.
Ready when you are
Get started with Eligibility Check
€1229
€1229
Eligibility Check