Can you hold both British and Irish passports?

Can You Hold Both a British and Irish Passport?

Yes, it is entirely possible to hold both a British and Irish passport—provided you qualify for Irish citizenship. Unlike many countries, Ireland permits dual nationality, meaning you can become an Irish citizen without giving up your British citizenship.

Eligibility for an Irish passport often depends on ancestry. If one or both of your parents were born in Ireland, or if you have an Irish-born grandparent, you may be entitled to claim citizenship. Since 2005, the rules changed slightly for those with Irish grandparents, but descendants can still register in the Foreign Births Register, which grants citizenship and, by extension, the right to an Irish passport.

An Irish passport gives you full rights as an EU citizen, including the freedom to live, work, study, or retire in any of the 27 EU member states. For British citizens post-Brexit, this is especially valuable—while the UK is no longer part of the EU, an Irish passport restores that access. Meanwhile, the British passport remains a strong travel document, offering visa-free access to many countries worldwide.

Practically, having both passports means flexibility. You could, for instance, use your Irish passport when traveling within Europe and your British one when entering the UK or other non-EU countries. It’s also a safeguard—political or economic shifts may impact one citizenship more than the other, so having both offers greater security.

The process of applying for an Irish passport involves first confirming your citizenship status through documentation—birth certificates, ancestral records, and registration on the Foreign Births Register if needed. Once approved, obtaining the passport is straightforward.

For many, holding both a British and Irish passport isn’t just a legal possibility—it’s a strategic advantage, linking heritage with opportunity in an increasingly complex world.