Ireland is one of the most fabulous places in the world. The Emerald Island is attractive not only for tourist visits but also for permanent residency. The government allows foreigners to obtain Irish citizenship in several ways. How exactly to move to Ireland for permanent residence and how to obtain citizenship - further in the article. 

What you need to do to obtain citizenship 

There are three main ways to obtain citizenship in Ireland today:

• By origin.

One of the easiest ways to become an Irish citizen. However, you need to prove that you are a child or grandchild/granddaughter of Irish citizens first. Even if one of the parents was born on the island or the grandparents are from the country, this gives the right to apply for citizenship. It is also possible to obtain an Irish passport if one of the great-grandparents was born in the country. But for this, parents must indicate their origin in the Foreign Births Register. In general, it is recommended that each generation be registered in said Register so that future generations have the opportunity to obtain citizenship. 

To become an Irish citizen by origin, you must first contact the Department of Foreign Affairs. The first step in the application process will be the registration of births in the Foreign Births Register. To do this, you must add passport-size photos, put the signature and date, and have the signature of the witness. 

• Marriage with a citizen of the country. 

Foreigners who are married (or in a civil partnership) with Irish citizens can also quickly obtain citizenship. If a person is married to a resident for three years, they have the right to apply for naturalization.

• Naturalization. 

To become an Irish citizen by naturalization, you first need to prove that you have been living on the island for at least five years out of the last nine. In addition, it is important to confirm permanent residence in the country within one year before the application is submitted. It is also necessary to live in Ireland for at least 1460 days in the last eight years. This can be proved with the help of permits issued by the Irish immigration authorities.

To apply, you will first have to fill out the appropriate form.  There are several requirements for applying for citizenship. In particular, you need to:  

• be over 18 years old;
• meet the requirements for the place of residence or marriage;
• intend to continue living in Ireland, etc.

More detailed information can be found at: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/.

List of visas 

For a certain category of people, a visa to Ireland is not required. Citizens of the UK, EU, EEA, and Switzerland are free to come to the country, reside there, work or study. However, citizens of non-EU/EEA countries must apply for a visa and obtain a work permit to live or work in Ireland.

The following main types of visas are distinguished:

• short stay;
• long-stay;
• re-entry;
• transit;
• multiple entries.

It is worth remembering that a visa allows foreign citizens to enter the country and stay there for a certain period. However, when it comes to employment, you also need to have a work permit. There are nine kinds of them in Ireland, each designed for different work situations.

What are the types of stay in the country?

If we are talking about citizens of non-EU/EEA countries, in this case, a long-term visa is required for a long stay and residence in Ireland. There are several types of them: 

• study visa;
• employment visa;
• join a family member visa;
• internship visa; 
• employment (researcher) visa;
• minister of religion visa;
• volunteer visa.

Usually, long-term visas can be permanently extended for several years, after which there is a high chance of obtaining citizenship by naturalization.

Summary information

Emerald Island is a great place to live and work. In addition, Irish citizenship has many advantages. For example, an Irish passport allows you to travel without a visa to 183 countries around the world. Ireland also ranks 6th in the world in terms of freedom of movement. Another advantage of citizenship is the ability to vote in elections and, even, apply for a position in the government.