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The United Kingdom has opted to leave the European Union, this may make travelling and visiting my holiday home abroad more difficult, or even stop me from working abroad in the future.

My mother is about about to get an Irish passport, as her mother (my grandmother) is Irish. After the paperwork is complete I can also apply for an Irish passport.

Question: What negative things may happen if we get a second passport? I do not want to have to fight in the army, face any tax issues on my savings, nor would I want to lose any of my inheritance money if my mother were to pass on.

Additional info: I am 22, a British citizen with a UK passport, I was born in UK along with both parents. I spend almost all my time within UK, except maybe a short holiday every few years. Currently I am a university student, but in future I will just work an ordinary 9 to 5 job, I do not believe I will operate a business or invest in anything more serious then a few Funds. This also applies to my mother. All our banking is within UK.

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    This question might get a better reception on Expatriates.
    – phoog
    Nov 20, 2016 at 19:39
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    Worth noting that the passport itself isn't the important thing. If you're a UK citizen, you can't get an Irish passport until you apply for, and receive, Irish citizenship.
    – Sneftel
    Apr 23, 2018 at 9:47
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    Also, if your grandmother was born in the island of Ireland, you are on that basis entitled to Irish citizenship. Your mother being granted Irish citizenship now, in contrast, will not entitle you to Irish citizenship (as you've already been born).
    – Sneftel
    Apr 23, 2018 at 9:49
  • @Sneftel it is, however, possible to be both a UK and an Irish citizen without having to apply for either citizenship. Such a person can apply for an Irish passport immediately (or indeed never, or at any point before or after the UK leaves the EU). My (very superficial) understanding of Irish nationality law suggests that k1308517 is not such a person, however, given the facts related in this question.
    – phoog
    Feb 14, 2019 at 16:01

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There is no risk to getting an Irish passport. If at some point in the future they did decide to introduce conscription or tried to apply taxes to you (extremely unlikely) you could simply destroy it and renounce any Irish citizenship.

The law on this subject is well developed due to the open Irish border and many people who already have dual citizenship. Things like taxation and inheritance rules are designed so that you don't have to pay twice, they are simply levied in the country where you are living.

The Irish government is keen to avoid any negative consequences and encourage people to take up an Irish passport and citizenship.

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    "Destroy it": it would probably be better to surrender it to Irish authorities for cancellation.
    – phoog
    Apr 23, 2018 at 16:16

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