Should you translate your immigration documents for Irish Citizenship?

If you are applying to become a naturalised citizen of Ireland, you will need to fill out a number of documents and submit them to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for consideration. The Department typically takes six months to arrive at a decision. If you are successful, you will be invited to attend a Citizenship ceremony where you will receive a Certificate of Naturalisation and make a declaration of fidelity to the Irish nation and state.

Naturalisation Documents and Forms

To arrive at a successful outcome, it is very useful to have access to a certified translation service, since the process can vary between applicants. The guidelines concerning eligibility, application fees, certification fees, together with whichever of the four Naturalisation application forms that you must fill out, either as an adult or on behalf of any minors/dependents, can be found on the Department website. Please, ensure you are using the most recently published version of each form when making an application.

Application Forms

• Form 8 – Application by a person of full age, including ‘young adult’
• Form 9 – Application by a naturalised Irish parent on behalf of a minor
• Form 10 – Application on behalf of a minor of Irish descent or Irish associations
• Form 11 – Application on behalf of a minor born in the State from 1st January 2005 not entitled to Irish citizenship at birth

Naturally, these forms must be completed in English and the highest possible level of written fluency helps towards a favourable decision. If you or your dependents need forms translated from your native language to English as part of an application, or if the Department requires English translations of additional documentation, accessing a professional translating service will be most helpful.

You may apply to become a naturalised Irish citizen, along with your dependents under various circumstances, all of which are laid out on the Department’s website. Upon logging into the Department website, you will be able to download any of four Naturalisation application forms, depending on whether you are an adult or minor. In all cases, the Department will require additional documents as proof of residence. These may include Employment records, Mortgage documents, Payslips, Utility Bills or school reports in the case of Minors. Moreover, after each applicant’s appropriate Naturalisation form is submitted, together with proof of residence, the Department “may contact you to ask for more information or documents.”

Certified Translation Services

The Department itself recognises that you may need to translate documents prior to an application for Naturalisation. The website states: “A translator or translation company with an established professional reputation and strong relationships with official organisations may qualify to make certified translations.”

For this reason, the certified translation service offered here at DCU-LS can be a huge benefit if you are applying for Naturalisation. The DCU-LS team daily translates over a dozen types of official documents, including Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Certificates along with Adoption papers, Medical Reports, Insurance documents, educational qualifications and anything else that might be relevant to your application. Translation is offered in over 70 languages and upon filling an Inquiry form, including your name, phone/email contacts along with the source and target language, a free quote will be sent to you as soon as possible.