Fresh passport statistics highlighted by Irish Border Poll show that 242,772 British citizens applied for an Irish passport in 2024, more than half of whom (128,669) live in Northern Ireland. When added to cumulative figures since 2010, the think-tank estimates that 48 per cent of the region’s population now possess Irish citizenship rights.
The trend has been accelerating since Brexit, which removed visa-free work and residence rights for UK nationals in the EU. Holding an Irish passport restores free movement across the bloc and allows easier access to long-stay visas in countries such as France, Germany and Spain.
![Nearly half of Northern Ireland residents now hold Irish passports, new data reveal]()
For mobility managers the upshot is a growing cohort of employees in Northern Ireland who can be seconded into EU posts without work-permit bureaucracy. Companies are increasingly capturing dual-nationality information in HR systems so they can assign the most cost-effective travel document to each trip.
From a policy standpoint the figures will feed into debate over a future border poll on Irish reunification: analysts argue that widespread take-up of Irish passports — even among Unionists — suggests an openness to closer integration with Dublin.
Practical advice for businesses: verify that staff using Irish passports to work in the EU also carry evidence of residence in Northern Ireland to avoid questions at border control, and update posted-worker notifications to reflect the correct nationality.
The trend has been accelerating since Brexit, which removed visa-free work and residence rights for UK nationals in the EU. Holding an Irish passport restores free movement across the bloc and allows easier access to long-stay visas in countries such as France, Germany and Spain.
For mobility managers the upshot is a growing cohort of employees in Northern Ireland who can be seconded into EU posts without work-permit bureaucracy. Companies are increasingly capturing dual-nationality information in HR systems so they can assign the most cost-effective travel document to each trip.
From a policy standpoint the figures will feed into debate over a future border poll on Irish reunification: analysts argue that widespread take-up of Irish passports — even among Unionists — suggests an openness to closer integration with Dublin.
Practical advice for businesses: verify that staff using Irish passports to work in the EU also carry evidence of residence in Northern Ireland to avoid questions at border control, and update posted-worker notifications to reflect the correct nationality.
