Consulate of Ireland, Seattle

with responsibility for Washington State

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John Keane

Honorary Consul of Ireland

Seán Ó Catháin

Consal Oinigh na hÉireann

John.Keane@honoraryconsul.ie

7511 210th St SW, Unit 1

Edmonds, WA 98026

425-582-2688 / 206-387-1970

Office meetings by appointment only

The role of an Honorary Consul of Ireland

An Honorary Consul is a private citizen who agrees to serve without pay to support the activities of the Irish government in areas where Ireland doesn't have a formal Consulate. The principal role of the Honorary Consul in Seattle is to assist the Irish Embassy in Washington, DC, through the Irish Consulate in San Francisco, in promoting contacts between Washington State and Ireland, in facilitating business and official visitors from Ireland, in supplying information on Ireland, and in providing consular services to Irish citizens who are visiting or who reside in Washington State. If you need assistance or have questions, please don't hesitate to use the contact information above.

TRAVEL TO IRELAND DURING COVID


Travel to Ireland by US and other nationalities is permitted during Covid. For the latest Covid-19 regulations applying to all travelers arriving in Ireland, visit: travelling-to-ireland-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.


Even if you are fully vaccinated, all travelers currently are still required to have a negative RT-PCR test taken in the 72 hours before departure. After arrival, "a 14-day quarantine period must be undertaken at the address specified on the Passenger Locator Form" which is presented to Immigration upon landing. However, you can end your period of self-quarantine by having a negative RT-PCR test taken at least 5 days after you arrive in Ireland.


To plan on ending your period of self-quarantine, you should schedule the RT-PCR in advance. The test is free and can be conducted by any GP (Family Doctor). To book a test for five days after arrival, just follow the instructions at how-to-get-tested. For a list of GPs, visit Find GP Services.


It is suggested that those websites above be regularly monitored for updates.

Consulate General of Ireland San Francisco

One Post Street, Suite 2150

San Francisco, CA 94104

415-392-4214

irish-consulate/sanfrancisco/

Embassy of Ireland Washington, DC

2234 Massachusetts Ave NW

Washington, DC 20008

202-462-3939

irish-embassy/USA/

Irish Passports


If you wish to apply for a first-time Irish passport, or to renew an old or expiring Irish passport, you must apply online at passportonline.dfa.ie. Applications on paper forms are no longer being accepted.


Please note that you must follow the photo guidelines at onlinephotoguidelines as the photo pose required is not a standard passport photo pose.


You must first be an Irish citizen to apply for an Irish passport. If you're unsure as to whether you are an Irish citizen, or for more information, contact John.Keane@honoraryconsul.ie. Include details as to how you think you might qualify for Irish citizenship.

Lost Passports in an Emergency?

An Emergency Travel Document can sometimes be issued in documented emergencies requiring urgent travel one way to Ireland if a person's passport is lost or stolen or expired. An emergency is defined as death or grave illness of an immediate family member with a need for urgent travel within the next few days, or for emergency medical treatment of the applicant. Note that letters from a hospital or doctor in Ireland, etc., will usually be required to verify a claimed emergency. Contact John.Keane@honoraryconsul.ie or 425-582-2688 for more details.

Irish Citizenship

Are you Entitled to claim Irish Citizenship (a/k/a FBR or Foreign Births Registration)?

* A child whose father or mother was born on the island of Ireland, is automatically an Irish citizen.

* A child whose non-Irish-born father or mother was an Irish citizen at the time of the child's birth, is entitled to apply for Irish citizenship.

* A child who has at least one grandparent who was born on the island of Ireland, is entitled to apply for Irish citizenship.

* A child whose great-grandfather or great-grandmother was born in Ireland qualifies to apply for Irish citizenship by descent ONLY if one of the child's parents had become an Irish citizen before the child's birth.

UNFORTUNATELY, because of the Covid pandemic, the processing of new FBR applications has temporarily ceased. For updates on the situation, visit the FBR website at /registering-a-foreign-birth/.

You cannot claim Irish citizenship by descent

unless you can submit state certified documents proving 

1. At least one of your four grandparents was born on the island of Ireland

OR

2. At the time of your birth, one of your parents already was an Irish citizen (for example, if one of your parents had received Irish citizenship by descent from their Irish-born grandparent before you were born). 


You can check the detailed requirements for Irish citizenship on the Irish Embassy website at www.dfa.ie.

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Irish Birth/Marriage/Death Certificates

Original long-form Irish BMD (birth, marriage, death) certificates dating to 1864 can be ordered online for about $25 each (including postage) at certificates.ie and take about 2-3 weeks to arrive. If the BMD happened in Northern Ireland after 1921, go to nidirect.gov.uk/gro. For UK BMD certificates, go to gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate, and for US BMD certificates, go to vitalcheck.com.

Original state certified long-form civil certificates are ones that have been directly issued by a government body (e.g., not a church), regardless of when issued. Long form certificates are required as they have additional information that is often not provided on short-form certificates. For example, long form birth certificates normally list the names and places of birth of the person's parents. Any certificates or other original documents submitted with an application will be returned upon approval or denial of the application.

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Irish Visas


Read the Irish Visa Guidelines on the San Francisco Irish Consulate website for detailed information about who needs a visa to visit or to work in Ireland, how to apply, etc. Whether or not you need a visa depends on citizenship - what passport do you carry when traveling? Visas cannot be issued by the Honorary Consul in Seattle. After completing the online application, the signed paper application must be submitted via mail to the San Francisco Irish Consulate, and an office visit is not required. 


The Fee for a single entry visa is $102 or $157 for multiple entry.


The normal processing time for an Irish visa is 2 to 3 weeks once the online application has been received at the Irish Consulate in San Francisco, assuming the application and required backup documentation are all in order. However, please do anticipate the possibility of additional delays because of Covid pandemic shutdowns.


Contact John.Keane@honoraryconsul.ie for more details.

Working Holiday Visa (WHA)


US citizen college students or recent graduates (within the past 12 months) may qualify to work in Ireland for up to 12 months through the US-Ireland Working Holiday Program. For the specific eligibility requirements, and also a link to the application form, see the San Francisco Consulate website at /working-holiday-authorisation/.


UNFORTUNATELY, because of the Covid pandemic, the processing of new applications under the WHA program has temporarily ceased and it is not expected that new applications will be accepted in the near future.

For additional information, contact:

John Keane | Honorary Consul of Ireland

John.Keane@honoraryconsul.ie