Ask a solicitor: Can I become an Irish citizen without losing my passport for my home country?

Unfortunately, if you become an Irish citizen, you will lose your Lithuanian passport as Lithuania does not allow duel nationality, writes solicitor Angela O'Connor

Is it possible to be citizens of both countries and hold both an Irish and Lithuanian passport?

I am from Lithuania and have been living in Ireland for 10 years. I moved here in my 20s and after attending college, I was lucky enough to get a good job and ended up staying as there are more opportunities here for me in my area of work, which is in the agri-food industry. 

I am now married and am expecting my first child. My husband is a French national. I was wondering whether I could apply to become an Irish citizen. However, I go back to Lithuania often to visit my parents and other family and don’t want to lose my Lithuanian passport. 

Is it possible to be citizens of both countries and hold both an Irish and Lithuanian passport?

Dear Reader 

It is possible for you to apply for Irish citizenship or naturalisation. You could do this on the basis of having lived in Ireland for five years. This would need to be the full year before your application is submitted as well as four years in the preceding eight years.

To apply under the residency rules you will need to provide the following:

• Proof of your identity, eg a certified copy of your current passport; 
• Employment detail summary, P60, annual contribution or bank statements (for three consecutive months showing at least three transactions in Ireland) for each of the years that you are relying on that you have lived in Ireland;
• Either a credit card statement, rent agreement, annual mortgage statement, phone bill, utility bill for each year of residence. There is a point-based system in place and in the event you don’t meet the points required, then you can still apply but will have to swear an affidavit explaining why you have not met the required points. In these cases, applications are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and whether to grant them is at the discretion of the minister for justice. Therefore, applying in this manner should be used as a last resort.

When making citizenship applications, you will also be asked whether you are of good character. Therefore, when you submit your application, if the paperwork is in order, the gardaí will be asked for a report on your background, and as such it is important you disclose any criminal record, including offences for driving and any warnings or cautions you have received.

You will also need to intend to live in Ireland in the future and provide the details of referees who can vouch for you. The references could be from anyone and don’t necessarily need to be from your employer.

Applications are now being dealt with through an online portal with Immigration Service Delivery. Unfortunately, applications do take a long time to be processed — you can expect it to take at least 18 months.

There is a fee of €175 when the application is submitted and then if your application is successful, a fee of up to €950 is due. You will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony and will be given a naturalisation certificate, which you can use to apply for an Irish passport.

However, if you apply to become an Irish citizen, it appears you will as a result lose your Lithuanian citizenship, as Lithuania is one of the countries that does not permit dual nationality except in exceptional cases, for instance where the person has been born abroad but acquires Lithuanian citizenship by virtue of their birth to Lithuanian parents. Therefore, you would not be able to hold both and Irish and Lithuanian passports.

Angela O'Connor LLB specialises in family law, enduring power of attorney and applications in respect of mental capacity and assisted decision-making and is a solicitor practising in Walsh & Partners Solicitors LLP, 88 Main Street, Midleton, Co Cork.

Email: [e-mail] 

Web: www.walshandpartners.ie

• While every effort is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this article, solicitor Angela O’Connor does not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, howsoever arising. Readers should seek legal advice in relation to their particular circumstances at the earliest opportunity.