Has anyone become Irish? (Or other EU Nationality)

[Martynt74]

My wifes grandparents were Irish, and since we want to emigrate to Spain in the next few years, it makes a lot of sense for her to become Irish and get all the juicy EU benefits.

She's already started eating potatoes and drinking Whisky and fortunately she has always been partial to a pint of Guinness so all is good there. We've applied for copies of birth certificates

I had hoped to become Hungarian through my Grandad and had started eating Goulash and sitting in outdoor spas, but sadly because he left during WW2 and then settled in the UK after the war, he's classed as disowning the country and so i'm not eligible.


Has anyone else gone through this process and how did you find it?
Are you looked at with disdain because it's fairly obvious there's only one reason for applying?
Are there huge delays in processing because there's suddenly been a huge influx of applications?

 

[Martynt74]

Do you not have to live in Ireland?

Not if applying through descent

 

[Martynt74]

Bah. Whiskey then!

I’m too used to people being shouted at for including the e!

 

[Martynt74]

How far back does it go? Great-great-great-something grandmother was Irish mother still has the birth certificate, or is it marriage, I can't remember

Just to grandparents i believe. Possibly Great Grandparents, but certainly no further than that.

I wonder if there'll be a craze of people about to give birth heading abroad to give birth to get the sweet sweet dual citizenship

 

[Martynt74]

I have applied for Greek residency, on the back of my wife being Greek, and us living in Greece (but not before the deadline for automatic residency).

It is a bit of a drawn out process, despite being almost a certainty..... There is up to a 2 year waiting list to have my application processed, (during which time I can live in Greece but not work). I am then given 5 year temporary residency, with no working rights, and no GR passport. After that 5 year period, I am then eligible for 10 year residency and a passport, though apparently the passport can take up to 7 years during that period to issued.... fortunately I only want to live here, but is a process...

Apparently there are only 3 ways for brits to move here, 1. Birth, 2. Marriage, 3. A lot of money that you will invest in Greece.

Interesting cheers.

Sounds like Greece is much stricter on it's entry criteria vs Spain. My parents have got residency which they got prior to the withdrawal and then obviously a lot of people on shows like a New Life in the Sun etc move over there. The no working thing would be a big issue for us, but luckily i don't believe Spain has that restriction.

I am hoping having her EU benefits makes things easier after the 5yr mark when we apply for permanent residence.

 

[Martynt74]

Bit dodgy of Hungary to take that stance today considering which side they chose in WW2!

Interestingly Germany and Austria take the opposite stance re: Jewish people, I know someone who had a Jewish grandfather and can get a passport because he fled just prior to WW2.

Sounds like you're sorted with the wife's Irish passport anyway.

Yeah, although to be fair i believe he was well up for it. He was from around Cluj which is now a bit confusing re Hungary/Romania. I think he actually left Hungary to join the war in Italy with Romania because Hungary hadn't joined in yet!