Americans use ancestry to get passports

APPLICATIONS from Americans seeking Irish citizenship through ancestry surged by 63% last year as the Trump administration's divisive policies sparked concern.

- BY KIRSTIE McCRUM and CHEYENNE UBIERA

Demand for alternative passports has intensified since President Donald Trump's return to the White House.

According to the Financial Times, US applications to Ireland's Foreign Birth Register rose from 11,601 in 2024 to 18,910 in 2025, marking the highest total since digital records commenced in 2013.

The register provides a citizenship pathway for individuals with Irish grandparents or parents.

Legal experts say the Trump administration’s approach to immigration and transgender rights has prompted increasing numbers of Americans to explore backup options.

Carol Sinnott from law firm Sinnott Solicitors told how numerous American clients were pursuing a “plan B” in a “safer and less hostile society,” noting that life under the Trump regime had elevated securing an Irish passport to a “matter of priority”.