Renounce or Reacquire Irish
Citizenship

Irish law allows dual citizenship, so most Irish citizens never need to give it up. Some do, usually because another country requires it before granting its own citizenship. Irish citizens aged 18 or over who live outside Ireland, and who are, or are about to become, citizens of another country, can renounce Irish citizenship by making a declaration of alienage on Form 13. It can't be done while living in Ireland. Renouncing is a serious step. It ends EU citizenship through Ireland, means the person would need immigration permission to live in Ireland unless they hold another EU citizenship, and can affect the entitlement of future children. It's worth checking first whether the other country really requires it. Reacquiring citizenship is possible only in limited cases. A person who renounced Irish citizenship and was born on the island of Ireland can make a declaration of citizenship on Form 1 to become Irish again. Someone who was Irish through descent or naturalisation and renounced can't reacquire it by declaration, and would need to apply again, for example through naturalisation. Only the latest versions of the forms are accepted, and ISD doesn't list fees for these declarations.

No. You must live outside Ireland to make a declaration of alienage.

Renunciation affects you personally, but it can affect future children's entitlement. We'll explain how.

Not by declaration. You would need to apply for naturalisation again.

Yes. Without Irish or other EU citizenship, you'd need immigration permission to live in Ireland.

Possibly. Irish law allows dual citizenship, and many countries do too, so confirm whether your other country actually requires you to renounce.

ISD doesn't publish a processing time. We'll follow up on your behalf.

Once you renounce, you're no longer an Irish citizen and can't use an Irish passport. We'll advise on the practical steps.