In 2025, applications for Irish citizenship filed by American citizens have increased by 63% compared to the previous year. According to official Irish data, cited by the Financial Times, there were about 19 thousand applications in 2025, up from just over 11 thousand a year earlier.
It is not an “exodus” or mass departure in the classic sense, but this trend is still seen by many analysts as a sign of a quieter change in the way a part of American society sees its future.
“POINT B” AND THE PASSPORT AS SECURITY
Most applications come through the Foreign Birth Register, a mechanism that allows people with Irish parents or grandparents to gain citizenship. Although this option has existed for a long time, it is being used more frequently and with a greater sense of urgency today.
According to lawyers and advisers quoted by the Financial Times, one factor is the political climate in the US, especially after Donald Trump’s return to the White House and his policies on immigration and civil rights. However, experts emphasize that reducing this phenomenon solely to politics would be excessive.
More than an immediate reaction, a long-term strategy is taking shape: passports as a “plan B,” a way to keep options open for the future. This trend, called “contingency planning” by some analysts, is spreading beyond the traditional elites.
PSE IRELAND?
Ireland is one of the most attractive destinations for Americans seeking European citizenship, as it is estimated that around 55 million Americans are of Irish descent. Other factors that make the country attractive are the common English language, strong economic ties with the US and access to the European Union market.
According to Financial Times data, a large portion of applications end with the actual granting of citizenship.
A WIDER EUROPEAN TREND
The phenomenon is not limited to Ireland. The United Kingdom has also recorded an increase in citizenship applications from Americans, around 8,800 in 2025, an increase of over 40%.
According to Bloomberg and Reuters analyses, increasing interest is also being noted for countries such as Portugal, Spain and Italy. In each case, the motives vary, but the main idea is the same: the search for flexibility and alternatives.
NOT A DEPARTURE, BUT AN “OPEN OPTION”
Although some Americans are moving to Europe, it is not a mass migration wave. The US continues to attract capital, students and professionals from around the world.
What is changing, however, is the mindset: more and more Americans are seeking to have alternatives open, diversifying “geographic risk” and maintaining the ability to move to different legal systems. It seems like a silent cultural shift in a society that has traditionally been seen as self-centered.