What documents do I need to register an Irish foreign birth?

A Foreign Births Registration application is documentary: you must trace the line from your Irish-born grandparent (or citizen parent) down to you using official civil records. That means certified birth certificates, and marriage certificates where names changed, for each link in the chain, together with current photo identity documents.

Documents must be the correct official versions, and missing or inconsistent records are the most common reason applications stall. Gather and check every certificate before applying, and obtain certified copies where required.