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You can obtain an Irish passport if you prove that you’re an Irish citizen. This means that if you’re not yet an Irish citizen, you must acquire Irish citizenship before you apply for an Irish passport. You can get your first passport online from anywhere in the world, for this reason, you should know how to apply for an Irish passport.

What Is an Irish Passport?

An Irish passport is an internationally recognised travel document issued to Irish citizens to confirm their identity and nationality. The passport is an important legal document that typically bears your unique identification number. An Irish passport typically has 34 pages and lasts for 10 years.

When you obtain a UK passport, you will be allowed into more than 150 countries in the world. As an Irish citizen who possesses an Irish passport, you will have the automatic right to live and work in both the United Kingdom and the European Union.

What Are the Benefits of an Irish Passport?

When you obtain an Irish passport, you will enjoy several incentives the citizens of Ireland are entitled to. They include:

No Immigration Restrictions

Your Irish passport will allow you to live, study and work in Ireland without restrictions. You will not be restricted from buying properties, and working for any employer. As an Irish passport holder, you can travel to the UK and live there for as long as you want.

Furthermore, when you enter the UK, you will be free to take up jobs without a visa or a work permit. Generally, with your Irish passport, you will be treated as if you’re a British citizen or hold a permanent immigration status.

Free Education

You can access free education in Ireland as an Irish passport holder, provided you qualify for the Free Fees Initiative. If you have children in Ireland, they too can access free education.

Education in Ireland is free for both primary and secondary school children regardless of their nationality. Furthermore, you will be entitled to partake in free studies in other EU countries where they are obtainable.

Visa-Free Entry into EU Countries

As an Irish passport holder, you will be allowed into the countries in the EU visa-free. Ireland is a member state of the EU, for this reason, Irish passport holders are allowed to live, study, and travel to the EU countries without visas or restrictions. The free movement to EU countries will allow you to explore job opportunities in these countries.

Dual/Multiple Citizenship

If you hold an Irish passport, you are not required to renounce your citizenship status for your other country. Although some countries forbid dual citizenship, in this case, if you’re a citizen of such a country you must renounce your citizenship to be issued an Irish passport.

Who Can Apply for an Irish Passport?

You may be eligible to apply for an Irish passport, if:

  • You are an Irish citizen.
  • You are 18 years old or above applying for your first Irish passport.
  • You were born in Ireland and have no right to become a citizen of any other country.
  • You or your parents have successfully claimed your Irish citizenship by descent or birth.
  • Your parent is an Irish or British citizen with the right to live in the Irish State/Northern Ireland without residency restrictions.
  • Your parent is a foreign national who lived in Ireland lawfully within 3 of the 4 years before your birth.

How to Apply for an Irish Passport

You can apply for an Irish passport in several ways. You can complete the form at a Passport Office counter service, file your application at the post office through Passport Express or use the Passport Online service.

It’s advised you choose the Passport Online service option as it’s the most cost-effective and the fastest application method. You can apply for your Irish passport from anywhere worldwide through this method. You must gather all required original documents and send them to the Passport Service after filling out the online application form and pay all required fees via your debit or credit card.

Alternatively, you can apply via the Passport Express as it will help you track your application with the Irish passport tracker. If you want to replace your lost passport or renew an expired one immediately, the popular application method to choose is the Passport Office counter service. The counter service is already designed to help individuals in your situation renew or replace their passports because they do not have enough time to apply through other methods.

However, it’s not advisable to apply for an Irish passport via the counter service if you’re applying for the first time as you could incur more expenses. The reason is that first-time applications involve several rigorous processes such as the verification of your documents and the establishment of your Irish nationality cannot be handled at the public counter.

What Is the Processing Time for an Irish Passport?

The processing time for your Irish passport application largely depends on the application method you used. If you applied online as a first-time applicant, you should expect a decision within 40 business days.

If you’re applying for a renewal of your passport online, a decision could be made within 10 working days. However, the processing time for Passport Office applications depends on the Irish Embassy or Consulate where you applied.

How Much Does an Irish Passport Cost?

The type of Irish passport you’re applying for and your application method largely determines the cost of application you will incur. The fees you must pay to obtain a standard Irish passport include:

  • €75 through Passport Online. If you do not live in Ireland, you will pay an additional €15 for the postage fee.
  • €95 if you’re applying at a Passport Office counter service in person.
  • €80 through Passport Express plus €9.50 postage fee.

Conclusion

An Irish passport offers you several benefits, such as allowing you to travel to various countries in the world, and access job opportunities in the EU, among others. However, note that you must meet the eligibility criteria before your application for an Irish passport will be processed.

Furthermore, you must make some financial commitment to obtain the passport. If you’re applying for the first time, you may not know the specific Irish passport application method to choose. For advice on the required documents to support your Irish passport application, contact an expert immigration advisor.

 

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