Irish Passport Application

In order to be eligible for an Irish passport, you must first and foremost be an Irish citizen.

You’ll have to provide proof of your Irish citizenship when you apply for a passport for the first time. This will vary depending on how you’re eligible to claim Irish citizenship, such as if you’re eligible to claim through descent, naturalisation, or through the Foreign Births Register.

To be eligible, you must also provide a range of supporting documents, which are listed in the relevant section below.

If you’ve recently become an Irish citizen or are in the process of becoming an Irish citizen, you will need to know how to apply for an Irish passport for the first time.

An Irish passport is the primary way you can prove your Irish citizenship status, and is essential for travelling to and from Ireland and the European Union.

When applying for a passport, you’ll have to provide a range of documentary evidence to prove your eligibility, such as proof of Irish citizenship and identification documents.

There are also separate considerations to consider if you’re applying for a passport on behalf of a baby or child.

It is also possible to apply for a first Irish passport on behalf of a child or baby.

Note that there are a few additional things to consider when doing this, however:

• Each child must have their own passport when travelling, as they can no longer be included on their parent’s or guardian’s passport.
• For children’s passports, consent of all the child’s guardians must be included in the passport application.
• The guardians granting consent must sign their signatures on the passport application. This must also be witnessed by an eligible witness.
• Guardian consent must be witnessed in the country that the guardians reside in.

You may also have to include some additional documents with the passport application, such as birth certificates, passports or documents of the parents or guardians, and marriage or civil partnership certificates.

Because under 18s cannot apply for Irish passports by themselves, they require legal consent and additional witnesses to verify their identity.

Alongside the general requirements to be met, proof of parent’s citizenship is the main crux of a children’s passport application.

If the child was born in Ireland before 1 January 2005:

• You will need the child’s civil birth certificate which includes the name(s) of the parent(s)

If the child is the offspring of an Irish citizen but was born abroad before or after January 2005:

• You need the child’s civil birth certificate which includes the name(s) of the parent(s) and;
• Proof of the parent’s citizenship using birth certificates or Irish passports and;
• The parent’s civil marriage certificate (if married)

If the child has gained citizenship by descent, i.e. through their grandparents:

• A full civil birth certificate is required and;
• The child’s original Foreign Birth Registration Certificate

If the child has gained citizenship by naturalisation:

• The full civic birth certificate must be submitted and;
• The Naturalisation Certificate and;
• If born outside of Ireland, the original or copy of the child’s passport from their country of birth

Apply online

To apply for a first Irish passport online, you must be resident in one of the eligible countries. These include Ireland, the UK, US, Australia, and numerous other countries around the world.

To start your online application, you must first access the Irish Passport Online portal. Here, you can use the online form to input your personal details such as your name, age, country of residence, and the type of Irish citizenship that you have.

You will then need to upload your supporting documents, including a digital photo of yourself that fits the passport photo requirements.

You will also need a valid email address and credit/debit card to pay the application fee.

Once you’ve filled in the form with all your details, supplied the relevant documents and paid the fee, the form will be submitted for processing.

Apply through Post Passport

If you wish to apply for a first Irish passport by post, the method in which you do so will vary depending on where you live.

If you live in Ireland, you’ll need to obtain an APS 1E passport application form from a Garda station or An Post office.

You’ll then need to bring the completed application form and your supporting documents to any An Post office and hand it to the clerk. You’ll then need to pay the application fee.

If you live in Northern Ireland, the process is almost the same, except you’ll need to collect and complete an APS 2E passport application form from a post office.

If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you’ll also need to collect and complete an APS 2E form. This form can be obtained from any Irish Centre, The Passport Office in London, the Consulate of Ireland, or the Embassy of Ireland.

The completed form will then need to be returned to one of the following post offices:

• Cardiff Post Office, 83 – 85 Queen Street, Cardiff, CF10 2NX
• Glasgow Post Office, 140 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2RD
• Liverpool Post Office, 1 – 3 South John Street, Liverpool, L1 8BN

If you live anywhere else in the world, you will need to submit your application to the Irish embassy or consulate in your country of residence.

Apply in person

It is not advised to apply for a first Irish passport in person at a Passport Office. This is because applications made in person through the Passport Office are intended to serve urgent passport renewals rather than first-time applications.

If you’re an Irish citizen applying for an Irish passport for the first time, it’s highly advised that you do so online.

As part of the application process, you must submit relevant evidence and supporting documents to uphold your claim.

Irish passport application documents

Generally speaking, the Irish passport requirements involve proving your age, your address and your identity. This can be achieved with:

• Official photo identification such as a passport, driver’s licence or national ID card from another country
• Evidence of your Irish citizenship (the documents required will depend on the type of citizenship you have)
• 4 photographs of yourself
• Notarised consent by parents/legal guardians for under 18s
• Utility bills, bank statements or forms of government correspondence

To prove your identity, you must have an eligible witness in a position of authority to verify your identity, including signing and dating 2 of your 4 photographs.

You must provide separate documents to satisfy each requirement individually.

It is important to note that the Passport Service only accepts original documents which must be supplied with your application.

Photocopies, laminated copies and short-term birth certificates which do not mention your parents’ identities will not be accepted and may result in your application being refused.

The type of citizenship you have will impact the type of application and evidence you need to submit.

If you hold Irish citizenship through descent, naturalisation, or marriage, or you were adopted by an Irish citizen, the information you submit will vary depending on your circumstances.

To maximise your chances of a speedy and successful application, you should ensure that you have all the evidence ready to submit with your application.

It is advised to apply for your passport at least six weeks in advance of your intended date of travel to avoid disappointment.

How can I download the Irish passport application form online?

The above image is an example of the Irish passport application form. It is not possible to download the paper version of the Irish passport application form. You can get the application form from a Garda station, post office, or Irish passport office (if in Ireland). If you are in Britain, you can get the form from an Irish centre, London Irish passport office, Irish consulate, or Irish embassy.

Simple adult passport renewals take approximately ten working days from the date of submission of the application.

Complex renewals (including all children) and first-time passport applications can take between six to eight weeks.

The Passport Service recommends that applicants plan for at least six weeks for their passport application to be processed.

Current turnaround times can be viewed on the Department of Foreign Affairs’ website.

You can track the status of your Irish passport application via the tracking portal on the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs (DFE) website.

To do so, you will need your 11-digit passport application ID, which you will have received on your application form or your An Post receipt.

If you’ve lost your tracking number, you should contact the DFE with the name to appear on the passport, your date of birth, your mother’s surname, address and Irish Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) and they should be able to find the status of your application.

Irish citizenship by descent is the term for when an individual born outside of Ireland can claim Irish citizenship through either their Irish-born grandparents or their parents.

This is in contrast to other pathways to citizenship such as citizenship by birth or naturalisation.

In order to obtain an Irish passport by descent, you must first establish your eligibility for citizenship. You may be eligible for citizenship by descent if either:

• One of your grandparents was born in Ireland, or
• One of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, even though they were not born in Ireland

If either of these are true, you may then register as an Irish citizen through the Foreign Births Register. You’ll then be able to apply for a passport after becoming an Irish citizen.

The Irish State considers all those who were born on the isle of Ireland before 1 January 2005 to be an Irish citizen. However, must register and apply to your nearest Irish Embassy if you live outside Ireland.

This may involve registering with the Foreign Births Register and seeking Irish citizenship before making an Irish passport application.

Gaining citizenship through descent is different from citizenship gained by naturalisation. Irish citizens applying for a passport for the first time must submit the proper documentation that supports their existing status.

Since proving identity is a key part of acquiring your passport, it is crucial that applicants send the correct evidence.

In addition to the general evidence that needs to be submitted, applicants must also consider the following:

If you gained Irish citizenship by your birth parents:

• You need to supply your Irish born parent’s civil marriage certificate which includes both of their names.

If you gained Irish citizenship by descent:

• You need to submit your Foreign Birth Registration certificate

If you gained Irish citizenship by naturalisation (e.g., citizenship through marriage)

• You need to submit your Naturalisation certificate and
• An original or certified copy of your passport from your country of birth

Our immigration consultants in Ireland are highly qualified in all areas of immigration law, just like an immigration lawyer. Contact us on (+353) 061 518 025 for more information.

Because under 18s cannot apply for Irish passports by themselves, they require legal consent and additional witnesses to verify their identity.

Alongside the general requirements to be met, proof of parent’s citizenship is the main crux of a children’s passport application.

If the child was born in Ireland before 1 January 2005:

• You will need the child’s civil birth certificate which includes the name(s) of the parent(s)

If the child is the offspring of an Irish citizen but was born abroad before or after January 2005:

• You need the child’s civil birth certificate which includes the name(s) of the parent(s) and;
• Proof of the parent’s citizenship using birth certificates or Irish passports and;
• The parent’s civil marriage certificate (if married)

If the child has gained citizenship by descent, i.e. through their grandparents:

• A full civil birth certificate is required and;
• The child’s original Foreign Birth Registration Certificate

If the child has gained citizenship by naturalisation:

• The full civic birth certificate must be submitted and;
• The Naturalisation Certificate and;
• If born outside of Ireland, the original or copy of the child’s passport from their country of birth