Planning on applying for your Irish passport? Here's everything you need to know. 

Important Note: Due to the Level 5 restrictions which are currently in place in the Republic of Ireland, passport application processing through the Irish Embassy in the US is currently suspended as of December 24. Any supporting documentation submitted to the Embassy will be held securely and processed within 20 working days of Ireland's return to Level 4. 

If you are planning to apply for your Irish passport, but you plan to apply through your Irish-born grandparent, you must first apply for the Irish Foreign Birth Registration (FRB).  While you can learn more about applying for your Irish Foreign Birth Registration here, the processing of Foreign Birth Registrations has been paused until Dublin returns to Level 3 on the National Framework for Living with COVID-19.

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The Irish passport is the sixth-most powerful passport in the world and grants holders entry to 186 different countries, according to Henley Passport Index. 

With borders shut around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we can only dream of traveling to those 186 countries, but why not celebrate your ancestral links to Ireland by securing your Irish passport on Ireland's national holiday? 

The following information has been provided by the Embassy of Ireland, USA. 

Am I eligible to apply for an Irish passport?

You must be a citizen of Ireland to apply for an Irish passport.  You are automatically an Irish citizen if one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth and was born on the island of Ireland.

You can become an Irish citizen if:

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

In these cases, you can become an Irish citizen through Foreign Birth Registration.

Once a person is entered onto the Foreign Births Register, they are an Irish citizen and entitled to apply for an Irish passport. You can learn more about applying to the Irish Foreign Births Register here.

How to apply for your Irish passport

Once normal procedures resume, here is how you can go about applying for your Irish passport.

If this is your first time applying for an Irish passport, you must apply using a paper application form, the APS2 Form, which you can obtain from your local Irish Embassy or Consulate General (information on where to find your local Consulate General is available below.)

What documentation do I need to apply for an Irish passport?

If you were born in Ireland or Northern Ireland before January 1, 2005, and you are now a resident in Northern Ireland or abroad, submit your:

  • Full civil birth certificate (version that includes the name(s) of the parent(s).
  • Civil marriage certificate (if requesting passport in your married name).
  • Proof of address
  • Original passport from another country, national ID card, social security card or a certified (by solicitor) copy of your driver’s license.
  • Proof of name

If you were born outside of Ireland to a parent who was born in Ireland or Northern Ireland, and you are now a resident in Northern Ireland or abroad, submit your:

  • Full civil birth certificate (version that includes the name(s) of the parent(s).
  • Civil marriage certificate (if requesting passport in your married name).
  • Irish-born parent’s full civil birth certificate (version that includes the name(s) of the parent(s).
  • Irish-born parent’s civil marriage certificate (if married).
  • Proof of address
  • Original passport from another country, national ID card, social security card, or a certified (by solicitor) copy of your driver’s license.
  • Proof of name

If you were born outside of Ireland and adopted by an Irish citizen under Irish Law, submit:

  • The adoption certificate by the adoption authority where adoption was effected - if adopted before 1 November 2010, or the Intercountry Adoption certificate issued by Adoption Authority of Ireland if adopted on or after 1 November 2010.
  • Civil marriage certificate if applying in the married name.
  • Proof of Irish citizenship of adoptive parent at time of adoption, for example,
  • Irish passport.
  • Proof of address
  • Copy of your Public Services Card if resident in Ireland
  • If you're a resident outside of Ireland, submit:
    • Original passport from another country, national ID card, social security card, or a certified copy of your driver's license (certified by a solicitor or notary public)
    • Proof of name

If you were born in Ireland or Northern Ireland and adopted by an Irish citizen under Irish Law, and you are now a resident in Northern Ireland or abroad, submit your:

  • Adoption certificate.
  • Civil marriage certificate (if applying in the married name).
  • Proof of Irish citizenship of adoptive parent at time of adoption, for example,
  • Irish passport.
  • Proof of address
  • If you're a resident outside of Ireland, submit:
    • Original passport from another country, national ID card, social security card or a certified copy of your driver’s license (certified by a solicitor or notary public)
    • Proof of name

If you have a grandparent that was born in Ireland or Northern Ireland and you are now a resident in Northern Ireland or abroad, submit your:

  • Foreign Birth Registration certificate (learn how to apply for your Foreign Birth Registration certificate here.)
  • Your Full civil birth certificate (version that includes the name(s) of the parent(s).
  • Your Civil marriage certificate (if requesting the passport in your married name).
  • Proof of address.
  • Copy of your Public Services Card if resident in Ireland
  • If you're a resident outside of Ireland, submit:
    • Original passport from another country, national ID card, social security card or a certified (by a solicitor or notary public) copy of your driver’s license
    • Proof of name.

You can learn more about the documentation requirements for an Irish passport application here.

What are the photo requirements for applying for an Irish passport?

If you are applying by paper application form, you need to:

  • Include 4 identical photos, no more than 6 months old with your passport application
  • Make sure they meet the requirements on pose and visuals
  • Get your witness for your application to:
    • Write the form number on the back of two of your four photos. They can find this in Section 9 of the application form.
    • Sign and stamp the back of those two photos.
  • If this is not done, you will need to submit a new form and new photos.

Size of photos: The photos should show a close up of your face and the top of your shoulders so that your face takes up between 70% and 80% of the frame.

  • Minimum: 35mm x 45mm
  • Maximum: 38mm x 50mm

Quality of photos:

  • Photos must be printed on photo-quality paper at a high resolution.
  • Photos must be in sharp focus and correctly exposed
  • There should be no ink marks or creases.
  • Digital enhancements or changes are not acceptable.
  • The reverse of the photos must be white and unglazed.
  • Black and white photos are recommended as they're digitally printed onto the passport in black and white. But color photos are also accepted.

You can read more about the photo guidelines for your Irish passport application here.

How do I get my Irish passport application witnessed?

A member of one of the professions listed below can witness your passport application form as long as they are satisfied as to your identity and that your four photos are a true likeness of you. Make sure you bring photo identification with you and be aware that the witness may ask you for more proof of identification – this is at their discretion.

  • Police officer
  • School principal/vice principal / Teacher, School Secretary, Pre-school manager, Montessori teacher
  • Member of clergy
  • Medical doctor
  • Lawyer
  • Bank manager/assistant bank manager or Credit Union Manager or Assistant Manager
  • Elected public representative
  • Notary public/ commissioner for oaths
  • Peace commissioner
  • Accountant
  • Dentist
  • Vet
  • Nurse
  • Physiotherapist
  • Speech Therapist
  • Lecturer
  • Pharmacist
  • Chartered Engineer

You must:

  • Sign Section 8 of the form in the presence of the witness. Applicants aged seven or over must sign this part of the form themselves.

The witness must:

  • Complete Section 9 of the form, including a work landline phone number - mobile phone numbers will not be accepted
  • Insert the form number from Section 9 on the back of two of your four photos
  • Sign and stamp the back of those two photos

Your application form is only valid for six months from the date your witness signs Section 9. You can learn more about getting your application for an Irish passport witnessed here.

How much does it cost to apply for an Irish passport?

Effective March 30, 2017, these are the Irish Passport fees:

  • Standard: 34-page passport valid for 10 years (18 years and over) - $105
  • Large: 66-page passport valid for 10 years, for persons who travel frequently - $135
  • Additional fees: For the issue of an Emergency Passport outside normal Embassy hours - $90

Postage Fees, if you want your passport mailed to you:

(These payments can be added to the passport fee in one money order/draft/check). Choose only one of the following:

  • Local Courier Service: $10
  • International Courier Service (available outside the US only): $20

Applicants can pay in US Dollars via money order, draft, or certified bank check in the exact amount only made payable to “Department of Foreign Affairs - Ireland.” Cash, credit cards, and personal checks are not accepted. 

Which Embassy or Consulate General should I contact to apply for an Irish passport?

Embassy of Ireland, Washington DC

For residents of Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, or the Caribbean Islands.

The Passport Office at the Embassy of Ireland Washington D.C. is open Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 16.00. Applicants can lodge their application in person at the Embassy from Monday to Friday between these hours.

Alternatively, you can post your application to:

Passport Officer

Embassy of Ireland

2234 Massachusetts Ave NW

Washington D.C. 20008

If you decide to post your application, the Embassy strongly recommends you use registered mail or a reputable courier service. The Embassy cannot be held responsible for applications or documents lost in transit.

For residents of other states, you are required to submit your passport application to the relevant Consulate:

Consulate General of Ireland in Boston

Residents of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Contact the Consulate General of Ireland in Boston

Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago

Residents of Alabama, Arkansas, North & South Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Contact the Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago

Consulate General of Ireland in New York

Residents of Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, North & South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Contact the Consulate General of Ireland in New York

Consulate General of Ireland in San Francisco

Residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Contact the Consulate General of Ireland in San Francisco

You can learn more about applying for an Irish passport through the Embassy of Ireland, USA here.

Related: Moving to Ireland