Introduction
A passport is an internationally recognised travel document that confirmsyour identity and nationality.
You must be an Irishcitizen to be eligible for an Irish passport.
You can get Irish citizenship by birthor descent or through naturalisation.If you are the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen you can apply forcitizenship through naturalisation if you meet certainconditions.
Your passport is an important legal document. You should always keep it in asecure place. Every Irish passport has a unique identification number. Youshould keep a note of this number, in case your passport is lost or stolen.
Your Irish passport allows you to travel abroad and entitles you to certaindiplomaticsupport services from Irish embassies if you get into difficulty abroad.While your Irish passport is an internationally recognised travel document, itdoes not give you an automatic right to enter other countries.
Your Irish passport is issued by the Irish Government through the PassportService of the Department of Foreign Affairsin Ireland. Irish passports are also issued through Irish embassies andconsulates throughout the world. You apply to the relevant embassy or consulateif you are living abroad.
You can also get information on:
- How to apply for your first Irish passport as an adult
- Renewing an Irish passport
- Your child's first Irish passport
- Renewing your child’s Irish passport
- Replacing a lost or stolen passport
- Irish passport cards
Machine-readable passports and electronic passports (ePassports)
A machine-readable passport is a passport with 2 typeface lines printed atthe bottom of the biographical page [the photo page], which can be read by amachine. When they are read, these lines provide identical information to thatprovided on the biographical page.
An electronic passport (ePassport) is the same as a normal machine-readablepassport but it also has a small integrated circuit or chip embedded in thephoto page. The chip securely stores a digitised image of the photo andpersonal details of the passport holder. The chip allows facial recognitiontechnology at border controls. The Irish Passport Office has issued ePassportssince October 2006.
Passport cards
The Irish passport card is atravel document that you can use for travel in the European Union, the EuropeanEconomic Area (which includes Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) andSwitzerland instead of the passport book. It is similar in size to a creditcard.
Second passport for business travellers
If you travel a lot for business, you may need a second passport for whenyour current passport is being held by an embassy for visa-issuing purposes. A second passportallows you to travel when this happens.
Where can I travel on my Irish passport?
All EU citizens have the rightto enter and live in another EU member state for up to 3 months. You justneed a valid passport or national identity card. EU member states cannot setadditional conditions concerning the minimum validity or duration of theidentity card or passport. This means that your passport doesn't have to bevalid for, say, 6 months before you are allowed to enter another EU state.
Irish citizens travelling to destinations outside the EU are subject to thespecific passport controls and requirements of those countries. You may need avisa to travel to your destination, and/or a transit visa if you have totransfer flights. Your passport may also need to be valid for a certain period.These arrangements vary from one country to another, so contact the embassy of therelevant country before you travel for the most up-to-date information onthese requirements.
Names and genders on Irish passports
In general, your passport is issued in the name and gender on your birthcertificate. However, you can request that your passport carry a different nameand/or gender for the following reasons:
- Marriage or civil partnership: If you want to have your passport issued in your married or civil partnership name you should submit your civil marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate.
- You are known by a different name to your birth certificate: If the name you are known by is different from the name on your birth certificate and this is not due to marriage, civil partnership or adoption, you have to supply documentary evidence that you have been using the name continually for at least 2 years. This applies even if you have received a Gender Recognition Certificate.
- You are known by the Irish version of your name: If the name you are known by is the Irish version of your name but, you do not have proof of 2 years’ usage, proof of at least 6 months’ usage may be accepted. If the proof of 6 months’ usage is accepted, the English version of your name will also be noted on the passport.
- Gender recognition: You can apply in your preferred gender if you have received a Gender Recognition Certificate from the Department of Social Protection. You need to submit your Gender Recognition Certificate and your birth certificate as re-issued after gender recognition. You also must supply documentary evidence that you have been using the name continually for at least 2 years.
Documents that show proof of usage include driving licences, bankstatements, insurance, tax, and social welfare documents. You should include atleast 2 documents with your application.
If the name on your passport is not exactly the same as the name on yourbirth certificate, you can indicate on the application form that you also wantyour birth certificate name noted on the passport. This is known as recordingan observation on your passport. It can help to avoid difficulties if you applyfor a visa or work permit abroad.
Titles such as Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, Rev., Sir, Lord, Lady are not entered onIrish passports.
Can my application be refused?
If the Passport Service is not satisfied that you have proved your identityor citizenship status, your application may be refused. However, the PassportService will normally contact you to request further documentation orinformation before issuing a formal refusal.
Your passport application may be refused if:
- Issuing you with a passport would pose a danger to national security, the security of another country, or might endanger public safety
- You provide false or misleading information or documents
- The courts have issued an order for the surrender of a child’s passport
- You already have been granted an Irish passport, and you have not given a valid reason for applying for a new Irish passport
If your application for an Irish passport is refused, you have a right toappeal the decision – see ‘Passport appeals’ below.
Can my passport be cancelled orrevoked?
If your passport is lost or stolen andyou notify the Passport Service of this, your passport will be cancelled.
The Passport Service has the power to revoke your passport if:
- Your citizenship by naturalisation is revoked by the Department of Justice
- The passport was issued in error, or fraudulently
- Cancelling the passport is in the interests of public safety or security, either in Ireland or abroad
A child’s passport may be revoked on the order of a court, if the courtbelieves removing the passport is in the child’s best interest.
Consent for your child's passport
Your children must have their own passports, and cannot travel on thepassport of their parents or guardians. Notall children born in Ireland are automatically Irish citizens.
A child’s passport can only be issued with the consent of each of thechild’s guardians. You can read moreabout the guardianship of children.
You can get more detailed guidance on how to apply for your child’s firstIrish passport, or howto renew your child’s passport.
Passport appeals
You can appeal a decision to refuse your application for an Irish passport,or to revoke your Irish passport, to the Passport Appeals Officer. You shouldappeal in writing.
The Passport Appeals Officer will either uphold the decision of the passportoffice or recommend that the original decision be changed.
The Passport Service does not have to follow the recommendation of thePassport Appeal Officer. If this is the case, the Passport Service shouldinform you of the reasons why it is not following the recommendations of thePassport Appeals Officer.
The Passport Appeals Officer should not be used to appeal a decision torefuse your application for Irishcitizenship through naturalisation.
