Irish citizenship, EU citizenship and Passport

I am filing for citizenship in Ireland. The paperwork will take about 12 months to process by the Irish government. It is based on my mother and grandmother. It could also be based on my dad and his mother. The cost about $375 depending on the value of the USD to EUR. It could be less right now.

The first reason is to have an escape route after 2024. Not that I think I need it but it will be there.

The other depends on how much money I have in retirement. My sisters and I are planning homes in Dublin. We can city hop across the EU sightseeing for our early to mid retirements. A lot more fun than going to Florida.

The Passport will be done separately later. It is not needed.

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My bestie from high school and her husband did this during the run up to Brexit. They’d actually retired to (and still live) in Jerez, Spain but wanted a bolt hole …not England…pending the outcome (haven’t wanted to move yet) Her mum and his grandparents were Irish.

Ireland would attract me.

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I can get German or Austrian (or perhaps Italian*) citizenship, but I’ve been led to believe that it costs quite a bit more than $375 in total. More like $2,500+.

* My mom was born in Italy, but doesn’t have much paperwork due to the war.

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Ireland is the easiest country in Europe or at least Western Europe to gain citizenship for ex pats’ offspring.

Yes you can. A convenience we took for granted when it was available. Mind you, there are plenty of places in the US way funner than Florida but still, there’s something about the cultural differences over a short distance that isn’t reproduced here.

From my vast experience of a whopping 5 day stay last year, you could do a lot worse than looking just outside of Dublin. Malahide, for instance, where the NAFLD meeting was held or nearby Portmarnock where we stayed. Right on the coast and everso convenient for both Dublin and the airport.

Oh no we want southern Dublin. We totally get we do not want anything north of the River Liffey. Our family is in southern Dublin. Trying not to be snobby. There are a lot of jokes about this. In southern Dublin you are address as how is your day going? In northern Dublin you address the judge as your honor.

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@MarkR You might want to check out getting an Italian passport.

I spoke by chat with the Irish consulate in NYC this afternoon. I already am an Irish citizen. My parents were born in Ireland I am Irish. We knew that decades ago but thought it went away at a certain age, it does not.

I am rounding up the paperwork to apply for an Irish passport so that my Irish citizenship is fully known to the Irish government. May as well say EU government as well by extension.

Instead of paying $300 or $350 roughly in EUR? The actual price is not fully known to the dollar by me…I will end up paying 75 EUR for the Irish passport.

Coming and going from America has to be with the US passport. Traveling in Europe is easier with the Irish passport. Ireland can issue a small card for the wallet for this purpose instead of carrying the Irish passport all the time. I may get both, the cost rises to 100 EUR.

Paid the 100 EUR after all to get that card.

The turn around time for a first time application is 20 days.

I need to see my dentist as my witness. He is the only doctor I have in one location to answer a phone from the Irish bureaucracy call to verify my identity. He is just back from a vacation. I will see him this coming week. Then the paperwork gets mailed off certified mail. Really very little to it.

The more important business is putting time together to learn C# and deal with the ERC 721 smart contract.

I have my Estonian Passport now and it only cost me $44 with senior discount. I held off getting my Estonian Passport for years because I did not see the advantage. But now with all the craziness in America with anti-democracy, anti-education, anti-voting rights, pro-guns, anti-abortion, anti-climate change, pro-fossil fuels, high healthcare costs, racist and white-supremacists I wanted a way out if I wanted to live in the EU.

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I would never want to live in or around Dublin. Traffic is horrible and lousy mass transportation. I prefer to live in West of County Cork or County Kerry or County Mayo. One needs a car for transportation in the West of Ireland - but the traffic is much better and no pollution.

Jaak,

Looking at that list nothing ever changed here. But who gets a say has shifted. Again.

It is about the economy. Those who would endlessly mess up v those who want to build out our industrial base. And with dollars and cents not just one cheap lie and no money.

I know southern Dublin well. My family is there. I am not worried about the traffic. Mass transit is excellent. There are taxis everywhere.

I do not drive on the left hand side of the road. Not sure I will do much of that ever.

Dublin is much cleaner now. I think peat fires are illegal. The buses more and more are running on hydrogen. The streets are swept down town every night. It is no longer dirty little Dublin.

I have spent weeks and months at a time in Ireland and driven on the left side with no problems. I doubt that Dublin area automobile traffic is much better now than in the past.

I may end up driving in Dublin. I do not know yet. Once there I might.

Hartford CT is the same size as Dublin. The traffic is worse in Hartford. I have driven a lot in Hartford. That does not bother me.