Irish FBR witnessing requirements

The witness must be personally known to the applicant, must not be related, and must currently practise in an approved profession. Professional status alone is not enough if the witness does not personally know the applicant.

The Department's current list is broader than many applicants expect and should be checked directly before the appointment.

• Police officer; school principal, teacher, lecturer, or listed school professional.
• Member of clergy; medical doctor; nurse; physiotherapist; speech therapist; pharmacist; dentist; veterinarian.
• Lawyer; notary public; commissioner for oaths; peace commissioner.
• Bank, credit-union, or assistant manager; accountant; elected public representative; chartered engineer.

1. Watch the applicant sign the printed application form.
2. Complete the witness section with the professional and contact details requested.
3. Sign and date two of the applicant's four passport-sized photographs.
4. Certify the photocopy of the applicant's state-issued photographic identity document as a true copy of the original.
5. Apply the official stamp to the form where available, or follow the current alternative-document instruction when no stamp exists.

• Confirm the witness appears on the live approved-profession list.
• Confirm the witness personally knows the applicant and is not a relative.
• Bring the unsigned application, four compliant photographs, the original identity document, and the photocopy to be certified.
• Do not pre-sign the form or the relevant photograph backs.
• Check every witness field, signature, date, photograph, certification statement, stamp, and supporting business card before leaving.

Using different people for the form, photographs, and identity-copy certification defeats the same-witness instruction. A missing date, missing signature, incomplete professional detail, or unaddressed lack of an official stamp can also make the package incomplete.

Do not rely on a generic US notarization checklist. The Irish FBR witness instruction controls, and the official list now expressly includes notaries and commissioners for oaths when the other conditions are met.

This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Government authorities decide citizenship and document acceptance. Always confirm the live instructions before filing.