Rise in number of Irish seeking ‘letters of freedom’ to marry abroad

The Department of Foreign Affairs provided more than 3,000 so-called letters of freedom to Irish citizens getting married or entering civil partnerships abroad, an increase of 12 per cent on 2012.

A letter of freedom, also known as a Civil Letter of Freedom, Certificate de Coutume or a Nulla Osta, is a document stating that the person named in it is free to marry. Such documents are required by some, but not all, jurisdictions before a person may be married or enter into a civil partnership.

The most popular countries for which such letters were sought were Italy, Spain, Germany, Malta and Scotland.

Help sought
Overall, the number of citizens seeking help from Irish diplomatic missions abroad increased last year by 6.5 per cent. Over 1,500 sought consular help while in Spain, Australia, the US, Britain, Canada, France, Thailand, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines.

According to year-end statistics published by the Department, officials also registered more than 5,000 people for Irish citizenship through Foreign Births Registration, a figure expected to rise to 8,000 once all applications are processed.

Department staff authenticated in excess of 55,000 Irish documents such as educational certificates, legal documents and company documents, an increase of 10 per cent. The Department assisted relatives of 227 Irish people who died abroad this year, up from 194 in 2012. Officials also became aware of 255 Irish people arrested abroad, compared to 287 in 2012, and 253 medical cases, compared to 243 in 2012.