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An Honorary Consul of Ireland is a private citizen who agrees to serve without pay to support the activities of the Irish government in areas where Ireland doesn't have a formal Consulate.
The principal role of the Honorary Consul in Seattle is to assist the Irish Embassy in Washington, DC, through the Irish Consulate in San Francisco, in promoting contacts between Washington State and Ireland, in facilitating business and official visitors from Ireland, in supplying information on Ireland, and in providing consular services to Irish citizens who are visiting or residing in Washington State. If you need assistance or have questions, please don't hesitate to use the contact information below.
John Keane
7511 210th St SW, Unit # 1
Edmonds, WA 98026
425-582-2688
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OTHER QUESTIONS?
If you need information that is not provided here, please don't hesitate to contact John Keane at 425-582-2688 or email
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IRISH PASSPORTS
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WHO CAN APPLY? You must be an Irish Citizen before you can apply for an Irish Passport.
ARE YOU AN IRISH CITIZEN? If you were born anywhere on the island of Ireland, then you were an Irish citizen at birth (there are some exceptions if you were born after 2005). If either your mother or father was born on the island of Ireland, you were an Irish citizen at birth. In those two cases, you can immediately apply for an Irish passport.
HOW TO APPLY? At this time, the Passport Application forms are not downloadable and cannot be emailed. All Irish Passport applications must be submitted on an original numbered and barcoded paper application form which must be sent to you via USPS mail. To receive a passport application / renewal Form, EMAIL your name and postal mailing address, along with details on the type of request (1st time Irish passport application, renewal, adult or minor, etc.) to [email protected].
WHERE TO APPLY? Residents of the western states of the US must submit their passport applications / renewals by mail to the Irish Consulate in San Francisco. If you do not reside in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam or the Marianas, you must apply through the Irish Consulate which handles the area where you reside.
PASSPORT PHOTOS? For Passport Photos, please make sure to follow the Irish Passport Photo Guidelines (which will be sent to you) as the Irish Passport Photo requirements are slightly different from the US photo requirements.
FEES? Fees must be paid via bank-certified check or money order - credit card payments are not accepted. The current fees are $128 for a standard 10-year adult passport, $54 for a 5-year passport for Minors 17 & under, and $40 for a 3-year passport for an infant under 3.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? First-time Passport Applications can take 12-16 weeks from the time all the required documentation has been received at the San Francisco Irish Consulate, while Renewal Passport Applications can take from 8-12 weeks.
EMERGENCY TRAVEL? For an Emergency Travel Document (required for urgent travel where a Passport has expired or been lost or stolen), please contact [email protected] or call 425-582-2688.
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IRISH CITIZENSHIP
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IRISH CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT?
- A child whose father or mother was born on the island of Ireland is automatically an Irish citizen.
- A child whose non-Irish-born father or mother was an Irish citizen at the time of the child's birth is entitled to claim Irish citizenship.
- A child who has at least one grandparent who was born in Ireland is entitled to claim Irish citizenship.
- A child whose great-grandfather or great-grandmother was born in Ireland may claim Irish citizenship only in rare circumstances, such as when one of the child's non-Irish-born parents had become an Irish citizen before the child's birth. Irish citizenship is not retroactive in this regard.
NOTE: The process of applying for Irish Citizenship by Descent is also called FBR or Foreign Births Registration.
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants who do not reside in the western states of the US (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Mariana Islands) should contact the Consulate that handles the area where they reside as application procedures and fees often differ from Consular area to Consular area.
CLAIMING IRISH CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE? Since 2005, the right to claim Irish citizenship by marriage is no longer available. However, spouses of Irish citizens are normally entitled to live and work in Ireland with their spouse, and after legal residence in Ireland for 3-5 years, a person can usually apply for Irish citizenship by Naturalization.
IRISH BIRTH / MARRIAGE / DEATH CERTIFICATES? Order state-certified Irish Birth, Marriage and Death (BMD) Certificates at www.Certificates.ie. The cost is about $30 each including postage, and assuming you have all the necessary ordering details, takes about 2 weeks. If the BMD happened in Northern Ireland after 1921, order those certificates at nidirect.gov.uk.
IRISH GENEALOGY RESOURCES? For those who need help tracing information on their Irish ancestors, there are many helpful genealogy services in the Seattle area. The Seattle Genealogical Society has an Irish Interest Group that meets on the third Saturday of each month at the SGS library, 6200 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle. Email [email protected] for details. There's also Bellevue's Family History Center. Click here for more Genealogical Resources as listed by Seattle's Irish Heritage Club. The Irish Heritage Club also has a volunteer genealogist who may be able to help - email Jean at [email protected].
OTHER DETAILS ON IRISH CITIZENSHIP? Check the San Francisco Irish Consulate's website for more details on claiming Irish Citizenship.
FEES? Citizenship Application Fees are charged in Euros once the application has been approved, €250 for an adult or €125 for a minor (17 and under). In the past year, the Euro has ranged in value from a high of about $1.30 to a low of about $1.05.
HOW LONG? Irish Citizenship Applications take about 6 months for approval after everything required has been received in Ireland.
LOST CERTIFICATES? If you have lost your Irish Citizenship (FBR) Certificate, email [email protected] for details on how to apply for a replacement certificate.
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IRISH BIRTH/MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES
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IRISH CERTIFICATES? Order state-certified Irish Birth, Marriage and Death (BMD) Certificates at www.Certificates.ie. The cost is about $30 each including postage, and assuming you have all the necessary ordering details, takes about 2 weeks. If the BMD happened in Northern Ireland after 1921, order those certificates at nidirect.gov.uk.
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IRISH VISAS
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WHO NEEDS A VISA TO VISIT IRELAND?
Click to read the Irish Visa Guidelines on the San Francisco Irish Consulate website which provides detailed information about who does need a visa to visit or to work in Ireland, how to apply, etc. After completing the online application, the signed paper application must be submitted via mail to the the San Francisco Irish Consulate, and a personal visit is not required. Visas cannot be issued by the Honorary Consul in Seattle.
All Irish Visa Applications must initially be submitted online with the signed paper copy of the application then being mailed to the Irish Consulate in San Francisco. The Fee for a single entry visa is $102 or $157 for multiple entry. Contact [email protected] for all the details.
The normal processing time for an Irish visa is 2 to 3 weeks once the online application has been submitted, assuming the required backup documentation is all in order and has been received at the Irish Consulate in San Francisco.
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RETIRING TO IRELAND
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WHAT IS NEEDED TO RETIRE IN IRELAND?
This Irish government website discusses the practicalities involved in moving to Ireland from another country. It covers issues like housing, social security entitlements, taxation, driving licenses, etc. Www.citizensinformation.ie also provides information on public services and entitlements in Ireland.
Not everyone has the right to live in Ireland. Your right to reside in Ireland depends on your nationality and your particular situation.
As a US citizen, you may enter Ireland as a visitor for up to 90 days without applying for a visa in advance. When the 90 days in Ireland are close to expiring, you must apply at the local Garda (Police) Headquarters for permission to remain beyond the 90 days. You cannot apply from outside the country and you cannot apply upon entry into Ireland.
An extension of the 90 days can only be granted by the Garda� (Police). Assuming you are in a position to show that you have the resources to cover your stay in Ireland without recourse to public funds, services or State benefits - if you can show you have the necessary funds, do not need to work, have health insurance coverage, etc. - there should not be any problem with your being permitted to stay longer in Ireland. Then, after 3-5 years living legally in Ireland, you can qualify to apply for Irish citizenship by Naturalization.
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Please direct all inquiries for additional information to the Honorary Consul at [email protected]
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