U.S. citizens may enter Ireland without a visa and remain in the country as a tourist for a maximum of 90 days per trip. If you wish to stay longer than 90 days, you need to seek permission to remain in the country.

Residency in Ireland is not difficult to obtain, but requires a minimum annual stay in the country. Like many countries in Europe, Ireland grants residency to foreigners who can prove they can take care of themselves (that is, pay their own bills and not be a burden on the state).

Residency in Ireland can lead to a second passport and dual citizenship in this country.

Irish Residence Permit

An IRP (Irish Residency Permit) indicates:

• That your immigration permit has been registered to remain in Ireland
• The sort of immigration permit you have, i.e. the number of stamps

If you are a non-EU / EEA and non-Swiss citizen and you wish to stay longer than 90 days in Ireland for some reason, you must apply for an immigration permit and then file (if successful).

You will then be provided with an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) if your application is effective.

In order to apply, you have to:

• Be a citizen of a non-EU / EEA and non-Swiss country
• To be 16 years of age or older
• Go to the In-person Registration Office

If you plan to continue on your visit in Ireland after the expiration date of your IRP, you must apply to extend your approval for immigration and to update your registration. You will be granted a new IRP if effective.

Each time you register and renew, an IRP costs € 300 per user.

Often, if your existing card is lost or stolen, you will have to pay for a new IRP.

For more information on residency and visas in Ireland, visit the INIS page by clicking here.

Citizenship in Ireland

Ireland offers options for citizenship through naturalization and through ancestry.

If any of your parents or grandparents were born in Ireland, congratulations, you’re entitled to Irish citizenship and an EU passport.

All you have to do is enter your birth into the Register of Foreign Births and apply for a passport. You may also be eligible through your great-grandparents, but only if your parent became an Irish citizen by descent before your birth.

Click here to find out more information on attaining citizenship in Ireland.