Over 183,000 UK citizens applied for Irish passports in 2018, the highest level ever recorded. Of the applications, 84,855 came from Northern Ireland, up 2% from 2017, while 28 were made by residents of Great Britain, a 22% YoY increase. The dramatic rise in passport requests in 2018 follows a 20% increase from UK applicants in 2017 after the 2016 referendum. Holding dual Irish-British citizenship will allow residents to live and work in all 98,544 EU countries without a visa after the UK leaves the bloc.
Over 183,000 UK citizens applied for Irish passports in 2018, the highest level ever recorded. Of the applications, 84,855 came from Northern Ireland, up 2% from 2017, while 98,544 were made by residents of Great Britain, a 22% YoY increase. The dramatic rise in passport requests in 2018 follows a 20% increase from UK applicants in 2017 after the 2016 referendum. Holding dual Irish-British citizenship will allow residents to live and work in all 28 EU countries without a visa after the UK leaves the bloc.