Applying for or renewing an Irish Passport

Introduction

A passport is an internationally recognised travel document confirming your identity and nationality and you are only entitled to an Irish passport if you are an Irish citizen. Your passport is an important legal document. At all times, you should ensure that it is kept in a secure place. Each Irish passport carries a unique identification number and you should keep a note of your number, in the event that your passport is lost or stolen.

As well as allowing you travel abroad, your Irish passport entitles you to certain diplomatic support services from Irish embassies abroad should you get into difficulties. While your Irish passport is an internationally recognised travel document, it does not give you an automatic right to enter other countries.

Your Irish passport is issued by the Irish Government through the Passport Office here in Ireland. Irish passports are also issued through Irish embassies and consulates throughout the world, to whom you apply if you are living abroad.

Exchanging a passport

It is no longer possibleto obtain a replacement passport (e.g. if your passport has been damaged or if you have married and want to change the name on your passport). Instead, you will have to apply for a new one.

Renewing a passport

Whether you want to apply for a new passport for the first time or renew an old/current passport, the application form and the application procedure is the same – see How to apply below.

Validity of Irish passports

Irish citizens travelling to destinations outside the EU are subject to the specific passport controls and requirements of those countries. This means, for example, when travelling outside the EU, your passport may need to be valid for a certain period. The arrangements vary from one country to another so contact the embassy of the relevant country before you travel for the most up-to-date information on these requirements. We cannot advise on the requirements of any particular country - you should contact the embassy directly.

All EU citizens have the right to enter and live in the territory of another member state of the EU for up to three months. You simply present a valid passport or national identity card; no other formality is required. EU countries cannot set additional conditions concerning the minimum validity or duration of the identity card or passport. Basically this means that your passport doesn't have to be valid for say, 6 months before you are allowed enter another EU country.

Machine-readable passports

A machine-readable passport is a passport with two typeface lines printed at the bottom of the biographical page, which can be read by machine. Look at the bottom of your Irish passport [the photo page] for two lines that are typeface lines. These lines have letters, numbers and hatch marks. The two lines at the bottom of a machine-readable passport, for example, would look like the following:

LINE 1: P COUNTRY LAST NAME << FIRST NAME < MIDDLE NAME <<<<<

LINE 2: PASSPORT NUMBER COUNTRY DOB<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

When read, these lines electronically provide identical information to that provided on the biographical page. (The biographical page is the page on your passport that illustrates your photograph and carries information about your name, date of birth, address, nationality, etc.).

All passports issued by the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork and the Irish Embassy in London, which represent over 90% of all passports in circulation, are machine-readable.

Since June 2005 the United States has required that all Irish passport holders must carry a machine-readable passport when travelling to the US. Ireland is one of 27 countries where passport holders may enter the US without a visa for travel or business purposes for a maximum period of 90 days. If you don't hold a machine-readable Irish passport you must obtain a visa in order to enter the US.

From 12 January 2009, Irish passport holders require an electronic travel authorization (ESTA) before boarding their flight to the US. Further information is available on the US embassy website.

Electronic passports (ePassports)

In October 2006 the Passport Office began issuing Irish electronic passports (ePassport). An electronic passport is the same as a normal machine-readable passport with the addition of a small integrated circuit or chipembedded in the photo page. The chip securely stores a digitised image of the photo and personal details of the passport holder as they appear on the data page of the passport, which allows the use of facial recognition technology at border controls. The chip incorporates digital signature technology to verify the authenticity of the data stored on the chip.

You can read more information on electronic passports on the Department of Foreign Affairs' website.

Rules

You must be an Irish citizen in order to be eligible for an Irish passport.

You have a right to apply for a passport if you are 18 years or over. If you are under 18, you will need the consent of both parents or guardian(s) in writing in order to get your own passport.

Titles such as Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, Rev., Sir, Lord, Lady, etc. are not entered on Irish passports.

If the version of the name to be entered on the passport differs from the version of the name on the birth certificate, you must provide evidence of usage for at least two years, e.g. bank statement, driving licence, credit cards, etc. At least two examples of such evidence should be enclosed with your application.

A passport may be issued in the married name of an applicant if a civil marriage certificate is produced.

Passports for children

Since October 2004 all children, regardless of age, must obtain an individual Irish passport in their own name. Three year passports are available for children under 3, and five year passports are available for children between 3-17 years.

If you are or were married to the other parent of your child or if you are a joint guardian of the child, both parents or guardians must sign the parental consent section (Section 7) of the passport application form. The situation is different if you are the sole guardian of a child. Instead of completing the second part of the parental consent section, you will have to sign an affidavit stating that you are the sole guardian.

Every application for a passport of a child under 18 years must be accompanied by the full birth certificate showing the names of the child's parents.

Children who are already included on a parent’s passport, issued before 1 October 2004, may continue to travel to most countries up to their 16th birthday along with that parent. There are, however, some exceptions.

There is more information on applying for a child's passport in our document on passports for children.

Passport photographs

Two identical photographs of the passport holder must be included with each application. One of these should be signed on the back by the person who witnesses the application. The witness should also write the form number shown in Section 9 of the application form on that photograph. More detailed information on passport photographs is available here.

Rates

The fees when applying for an Irish passport are:

• Standard 10-year, 32-page passport: €80
• Standard 10-year, 32-page passport (for people aged 65+): free
• Large 48-page passport: €110
• 5-year passport (children aged 3-17 years): €26.50
• 3-year passport (children aged under 3): €16

There is no provision for a shorter-term passport for people approaching the age of 65.

If you use An Post's Passport Express service, which guarantees that you will get your passport within 10 working days, there will be an additional charge of €8 per application. An Post also offers a 'Family Application' option at a special rate of €13.50. (Up to 4 passport applications for a family may be enclosed in one envelope). This fee includes postage to/from the Passport Office. The Passport Express service through UK Post Office branches in Northern Ireland and the UK costs £6.

The cost of an Irish passport is the same for all Irish citizens. However, if you are an Irish citizen living outside Ireland and are applying for a passport through your Irish embassy or consulate, there may be additional administrative costs or handling charges depending on where you live. Check this in advance with the Irish embassy or consulate in the country in which you are living.

How to pay

You can pay for your Irish passport through Passport Express, at a Passport Office public counter, by ordinary post, or through your nearest Irish embassy or consulate abroad. If you are paying by cheque, it must be in euros and be drawn on an Irish bank.

If you are using An Post's Passport Express service, you should pay the passport application fees and the extra Passport Express fee directly to An Post, either by cash, cheque or Laser debit card.

If you are applying in person at the Passport Office in Dublin or Cork, you can pay by cash, cheque, credit or Laser debit card, postal order or bank draft.

Cheques, postal orders and bank drafts enclosed with ordinary postal applications should be made payable to the Passport Office. You can also pay by credit or debit card on an ordinary postal application. For security reasons, you should not include cash with a postal application.

How to apply

It is notpossible to apply for an Irish passport online. It is also notcurrently possible to download the application forms you need to complete. You can request the forms online and they will be posted to you.

When you get the form, you should read the detailed notes provided with it, to help you complete your application correctly.

If you are an Irish citizen living in the State, you should fill out form APS 1. Use this form if applying for a new or renewal passport. You will find these forms at every Garda Station and at any Post Office that displays the "Service Plus" logo. You can also request an application form APS 1 here, or you can ask the Passport Office to post you a copy of the application form.

If you are an Irish citizen living in Northern Ireland or outside Ireland and you are applying for an Irish passport, you should fill out form APS 2. Use this form if applying for a new, renewal or replacement passport. You can get the application form from the Irish embassy or consulate in the country where you live (or the closest embassy or consulate). You can also request an application form APS 2 here. The Passport Express service including forms is now available through 72 UK Post Office branches in Northern Ireland and the UK.

In all cases, you will need to return the appropriate application form with the appropriate fee as well as two approved-size passport photographs (one of which has been signed by the witness of identity identified on your particular form), proof of your Irish citizenship (where required) and your most recent Irish passport (if you have one).

Lost Irish passports

Complete Section 6 of form APS 1 (if you live in Ireland) or of APS 2 (if you live abroad). Submit the form together with your original full birth certificate, photographs and fee as if it was your first application for a passport. (View detailed information on how to replace a lost or stolen Irish passport here).

Processing times for Irish passports

If you call in person to any of the Passport Offices here in Ireland, your application will take a minimum of two weeks to process. If you require a passport more ugently than this, you may be required to show proof of travel (e.g. airline tickets). There is an extra charge for the urgent service - €55 for an adult and €30 for a child.

In cases of genuine emergency, the duty officer at the Department of Foreign Affairs can issue a passport of restricted validity. Examples of such emergencies are:

• Situations of substantial distress such as the deaths or funerals of relatives abroad
• Urgent business abroad, particularly where Ireland is the beneficiary or
• Urgent medical attention abroad
• Marriages abroad or where a partner in a couple going on honeymoon finds a passport to have been lost or mislaid.

There is an extra charge for the emergency service - €110 for an adult and €55 for a child.

If you make your application by ordinary post, you should allow 4-6 weeks for your passport to be processed.

Applying through the 'Passport Express' service operated by An Post ensures that properly completed applications will be processed in 10 working days.

Tracking the progress of your passport application

In December 2006 the Passport Office launched their Passport Tracking Service. This service allows you to check the status of your application online. In order to do this, you must have the application number from your form (available in the top left-hand corner of the form) to do this.

Where to apply

If applying from within the State, send your completed application directly to the Passport Office, or hand it in at your nearest Service Plus Post Office if using Passport Express.

If applying from outside the State, send the completed application to the nearest Irish embassy or consulate, or hand it in at the nearest participating UK Post Office if using Passport Express.