Whether you just received your Irish citizenship or you have had it forever, this may be the time for you to get a passport. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to do if you follow these steps to apply for your Irish passport.
The most nerve-wracking part for those who have dual citizenship is that you often need to send in your home country’s passport as part of this process. However, the processing time is quick, and you receive all your documents back faster than you may expect.
There are some tips and hints based on my mother’s experience (who has Irish citizenship via descent) and my experience (where I gained my citizenship through the Foreign Birth Register) that can make the process run more smoothly.
Who qualifies for an Irish passport?
If you have valid Irish citizenship, you qualify for an Irish passport. If you are applying for citizenship through descent, naturalization, or marriage or civil partnership, you must complete this process and have your proof of citizenship prior to applying for a passport.
The exception to this is if you are the child of an Irish citizen who was born on the island of Ireland prior to 2005, then you have automatic citizenship. This means you can apply for your passport and (automatic) citizenship at the same time, which is what my mother did.
How much does it cost to apply for an Irish passport?
A standard passport for an adult costs 75 euros, but there are multiple passport options you can choose from. There is also a 15 euros fee for anyone who lives outside Ireland for postal costs.
That said, you can choose to just get a passport card for 35 euros or get a large 66-page passport if you plan to use it a lot bundled with a passport card for 130 euros. There are other options between that, with the standard passport plus passport card for 100 euros being the most common.
A child passport is just 20 euros, with the same options as adults up to 75 euros for the larger book and passport card. All children’s passports have a 5 euros postal fee for all children to return their documents or 15 euros for those outside Ireland.
Just like in the United States, you can also apply for a passport via mail through An Post, which has a slightly higher set of fees, or through the Northern Ireland Postal Service at many post offices there. Those options have administrative fees in addition to the passport fees.
You can see a full list of the current fees for the passport type you wish to get on the Irish Department of Public Affairs site.
Why would I want a passport card verus a passport book?
The passport book has been the standard passport for generations. It is valid for all forms of travel in all locations, but the passport card is a convenient alternative in some situations.
If you plan to travel within the European Union (and Switzerland) by land or by sea, you can use a passport card in place of a passport book. It is the size of a credit card, so it’s easier to store and keep track of.
That said, you cannot use the Irish passport card for air travel, and you cannot use it outside the European Economic Area (EEA). For this reason, I recommend you get the passport book and consider getting the passport card, depending on how you plan to travel.
How long does it take to get an Irish passport?
Currently a first time passport takes approximately 20 business days to approve, which translates to four weeks plus any holidays. However, you also need to account for the mail time in addition to the passport processing time.
It took 20 business days for my approved citizenship to arrive in the mail, and first-class mail from the US to Ireland takes anywhere from six to 20 days. Make sure that you plan around this timeline when you make your applications.
Is there a way to expedite an Irish passport?
If you are in a rush to get your passport because you have urgent travel or simply want to have it in hand faster, you can apply for your passport in person through public counter applications in Dublin and Cork. The passport fee is higher (95 euros for adult and 45 euros for children), and there is an admin fee of 150 euros for same day turnaround and 75 euros for four day turnaround time.
Note that you cannot do this for a first time passport, only for a renewal. It does work in a pinch, but you must be in person and book your appointment in advance, with appointments opening three days in advance for same day and three weeks in advance for four day turnaround.
How long is my Irish passport valid?
Just like your U.S. passport, the Irish passport is valid for 10 years for adults, and five years for children. The one big difference is that in the United States, you get your first passport after the age of 16, while in Ireland, you don’t apply for an adult passport until after the age of 18.
One clarifying note about a child passport. It is valid for five years whether you applied for it at one year old or at 17 years old. It does not expire on the child’s 18th birthday and remains valid until the date listed on the passport.
Can I have an Irish and an American passport at the same time?
Yes, you absolutely can. While you cannot travel on both an Irish and a United States passport at the same time, you are absolutely allowed to have a passport for both countries where you hold citizenship. The same holds true for other countries that allow dual citizenship with Ireland.
What is the process to apply for an Irish passport?
For your first time Irish passport, apply online via the Department of Foreign Affairs. This will walk you through each of the steps.
You cannot save it and come back to it later, so be sure you are ready to complete it once you start. Gather your documents so you can quickly refer to them, and have your passport photo file ready to go.
Much of it is self-explanatory. Start by selecting either Adult (18+) or Child (under 18) passport, and choose the first time passport option. Next up, confirm the country where you live and add your birthdate in European notation, so watch the month and date order.
The next section is the first one that will require you to think a little as you select how you have Irish citizenship.
- Born on the island of Ireland (auto citizenship)
- Born abroad to an Irish Born Parent (before 2005)
- Foreign Births Registration (if you received citizenship through a grandparent – my way)
- Naturalization (became a citizen living there)
- Post Nuptial Citizenship (married and gained citizenship through marriage prior to November 29, 2005)
- Born Abroad and Adopted (adopted by an Irish citizen)
Because most of those reading this article are looking to get their first Irish passport after gaining Irish citizenship through descent, that is where I will focus this article. Again, you have to have your Irish citizenship and proof of citizenship before you apply for your passport.
Provide foreign births register certificate number, which is the number on the top right of the certificate without the FB at the start of that number. Type in the register issuance date and entry number, which you can find in both section 1 and at the bottom, and again don’t include the leading zeros.
In the next section, it will ask if the name you’re using currently is the same as on birth certificate or not, and note that the foreign birth register uses your birth certificate name and not the name you had when you registered. If it is a different name, it will ask the reason for the different name with the choices of marriage/civil partnership, proof of usage, or gender recognition.
Next up is uploading your photo where it will undergo an initial validation. Make sure you read through the photo section, but recognize that the initial validation does not guarantee that it will pass the final validation.
It then asks for Surname (last name) and Forename (first name) to appear on the passport. This is the name you legally have now NOT what is on your birth certificate if it is different.
After that, you fill in your birth certificate names, and be sure to include any middle names. That’s what the fields Forename 2, Forename 3 etc are for.
The form next asks for Gender and currently allows only male or female. Next up is the country where you were born; you don’t need city and state here.
You need your mother’s birth surname (maiden name) for the next field. After that, be aware that most people applying via the citizenship through descent will not have a PPSN or Public Services Card so leave those fields blank if you do not have one.
Next, you fill out the address to mail your passport. Make sure that you start with the country because if you add anything before that and forget the country, it will erase what you had when you select a country
Select whether your home address is the same or different as your postal address, and update your home address if you have a different postal address (e.g., PO Box or temporary residence). Finally, provide your email address and phone number, remembering that the U.S. country code is 1 and that you need to add that.
You then have a chance to review all the info you submitted and can edit as needed, but you cannot edit your passport photo once you submit it and it is conditionally approved. Answer the next declarations – that you’re an Irish citizen, you provided correct details, etc., all of which is very self explanatory.
The last bit is to make your payment via credit or debit card. Try to use a card that doesn’t have international transaction fees and make sure that it will work – you may need to talk to your bank for the credit card to go through, depending on the issuer
Finally, print your verification pages with the documents you need to provide, forms you need to sign, and mailing information. You will need to have an approved witness sign your identity verification form and any copies that require certification, and then you can mail it off.
What documents do I need?
The exact documents you need will vary based on the way you gained your citizenship, but these are the general ones that you need. For the most part, they must be the original and not a copy unless otherwise noted, and any copies must be certified.
Everyone must submit the original full civil birth certificate, not the hospital birth certificate, regardless of citizenship basis. All applicants must provide proof of address and a certified color copy of the front and back of a Public Services Card, your driver’s license, or an original passport or National ID card from another country.
If you have changed your name, you must also provide your original marriage or civil partnership certificate. You also need to provide proof of the name you use via utility bills or bank statements or government correspondence.
For those who gained citizenship through descent like me, you must supply your Foreign Births Registration certificate. You can send a color copy of this that you have certified as a true copy of the original by a solicitor or notary public. You also need to send in your original passport from country of origin/previous nationality.
Keep in mind that when you go through the application process, you will be told along the way what documents you need to provide based on your circumstances. That said, it’s possible that they will need additional documents if they determine that what you provide isn’t sufficient, so watch your email for those requests.
How do I take a photo for my Irish passport?
The good news is that just like the United States new online passport renewal process that allows you to apply completely online, you take a digital photo and submit that rather than the printed copies you may be used to. That said, it is important to follow the guidelines to get your photo approved and avoid delaying your passport approval.
Do not take a selfie. They will not take selfies, so get someone to take your photo for you, or you can have a digital passport photo taken and sent to you that you then upload.
Additionally, you can get a photo code from a participating photo booth or pharmacy. The biggest challenge is that these are only in Ireland itself except that has a very few locations in the U.S., for example a couple in New York City but none in Chicago or Boston.
When you take the photo, you cannot wear any headwear unless for religious reasons, though you can wear glasses so long as there is no glare. You must have a neutral facial expression, as well, so no smiling.
It must be a color photo, and you cannot add any filters or enhancements to it. Make sure you save it as a jpg (and not a PNG) and that it is under 9MB.
The photo should include your head in about 70-80% of the photo and also include the start of your torso. They will crop the photo as needed, so it’s better to be slightly further away than too close and have to redo it.
Once you upload the photo, there will be an initial review. Just because they approved it initially, that does not guarantee the full approval. My mom had her photo rejected upon manual review three times before she finally uploaded one that they accepted – and all four times, it passed the initial screening.
The key is to have no shadow and have a solid, neutral background. To be honest, I ended up using a background remover for her photo to remove anything they may reject, and that was the photo the ended up approving.
What is the best way to mail my application?
Whenever you sent critical documents, you should always send them registered mail. However, you can do registered mail with a variety of classes.
First-class mail is the least expensive at a little over $7 to send your application to Ireland, plus the $21.75 surcharge for registered mail. First class mail to Ireland takes six to 20 business days to arrive, so factor that into your decision.
You can also send Priority Mail International, which costs $46.25 plus the fee for registered mail. This will arrive in six to 10 business days.
The most expensive option is Priority Mail Express International. This gets your documents to processing in three to five business days, but it also costs $72.80 plus the fee for registered mail.
It is a big jump from first-class mail to the next classes in terms of price, so you need to weigh how important it is to get your passport processed a week or two faster. Keep in mind that your passport from Ireland will still take another 20 or so days to arrive, and that cannot be hurried.
Who can be my witness for my identity verification form?
You must have someone from the approve list sign your form, as well as any certified copies you are required to provide. Be sure that you sign your form in front of your witness and not before, as that is a requirement.
The good news is that there is a wide variety of approved witnesses, so you should be able to find someone. It must be someone from this list, and they cannot be retired.
- School Principal or Vice Principal
- Teacher or Lecturer
- School Secretary
- PreSchool Manager or Montessori Teacher
- Medical Doctor
- Dentist
- Vet
- Nurse
- Physiotherapist
- Speech Therapist
- Pharmacist
- Manager or Assistant Manager of a Bank or Credit Union
- Member of An Garda Siochána or Police Officer
- Elected Public Representative
- Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public
- Peace Commissioner
- Engineer
- Lawyer
- Accountant
- Member of the Clergy
If your witness does not have a stamp like a notary public, they must provide a business card with your application. Your witness must also certify any photocopies that you provide as true originals.
It sounds a lot harder than it is, but that’s because I provided every detail I could think of. Honestly, gather your documents, and just do it.
Will they really follow up with the witness to my application?
Yes, your witness from the approved list who verified your application and any required documents will receive a phone call from the passport agency, so be sure that they are aware of this and prepared for it. They must provide their work phone and not a mobile number, or it will not be approved.
From our experience, the phone call will ask four questions. It is not an onerous return call, but make sure your witness knows that they will be called and your application cannot be processed until this is completed.
They will ask:
- Did the applicant sign the identify verification form in your presence?
- Please can you confirm how the applicant is known to you (e.g., a colleague, a neighbor, a friend, presented identification)?
- Can you please confirm your profession?
- Can you please confirm whether your signature is also on the identity verification form?
What’s stopping you? You’re ready now
