How to Apply for an Irish Passport

A passport is an official travel document used to confirm your identity as well as your nationality. Only citizens of the Republic of Ireland are entitled to Irish passports, and you must be at least 18 years old. The Passport Office of the Irish Department of Government Affairs issues passports in Ireland. For citizens living abroad, Irish consulates and embassies worldwide can issue Irish passports.

Acquire an Irish passport application form. Forms are available from all garda stations, any Post Office in Ireland that offers the Passport Express service, many libraries, many Citizen Advice Centres as well as from the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork. If you are living abroad, contact your nearest Irish Diplomatic and Consular Mission. A list of all Irish Missions located internationally is available from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs website, as is contact information for the Passport Offices in Ireland -- see References for links.

Complete all sections of the application form. Make sure information is complete and legible. Sign the form. Make note of the 11-digit bar code number on your application form; you will need this number for any communication about your passport application or to check the status of your application.

Arrange to have your passport photo taken. You will need four copies of the photo. If you are applying in Ireland, have two of the photos and the witness section of your application form signed and stamped by a Garda Siochana, or member of the police force. If you live abroad, see the witness section of the application form for a list of individuals in various categories who can sign and stamp your materials.

Gather additional documents you must submit. A first-time adult application for an Irish passport must include: your long-form birth certificate; a civil marriage certificate and evidence you are entitled to Irish citizenship, if applicable; an additional form of photo identification, such as a driver's license, student card, social club membership, work ID or passport from another country; documentary evidence to confirm your use of your name, such as payslips, unemployment records, disability payments, bank statements, or college registration; and evidence of residence at the address on your application, such as utility bills or official correspondence from the private or public sector.

Apply by regular post by sending your completed and witnessed application form, all related materials described in Steps 3 and 4 and the appropriate fee to the Cork passport office if you live in Munster, or to the Dublin passport office if you live anywhere else in Ireland. The "How to Obtain an Irish Passport" page of the Irish Department of Foreign Services and Trade website lists the addresses of The Passport Offices in Cork and Dublin. If you live abroad, send your application form and related materials to your nearest Irish Diplomatic and Consular Mission.

Apply in person by bringing your completed and witnessed application form, all related materials described in Steps 3 and 4 and the appropriate fee to your local Post Office. See the "Passport Fees" page of the Irish Department of Foreign Services and Trade website for a current fee schedule. Applications are sent to Dublin, or to Cork if you live in Munster.

Check your passport's status on the "Passport Application Tracking" page of the Irish Department of Foreign Services and Trade website. You must enter your 11-digit bar code number. Each stage of passport processing is posted. For applications submitted in Ireland, you should receive your passport two days after you see the "passport printed" status message. If you live abroad, contact your nearest Irish Mission for information about receiving your passport. If you made arrangements to pick up your passport at a public counter, wait until you see the status message "passport ready for collection."