With more and more people choosing to move or retire abroad for a multitude of reasons, to include adventure, financial motives or to simply have a plan B, Ireland is an option from a destination and immigration perspective.

The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme ("STEP"), introduced in 2012, allows non-EEA national entrepreneurs to apply for an immigration permission to establish their business in Ireland in order to work and reside in Ireland on a full-time basis.

Applications for Irish citizenship from Britain hit a record high in 2024, having increased by 15% on the previous year, with applications from North America also on the rise.

As a lawyer who has advised private clients on both Canadian and Irish immigration and citizenship for more than 8 years, it felt particularly poignant to receive Irish citizenship by naturalization in December 2024.

Please view this webinar from Deloitte.

Section 16 (1) of the Irish Nationality & Citizenship Act, 1956 (as amended) provides that the Minister for Justice & Equality can, in their absolute discretion, grant an application for citizenship in certain cases...