The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D., has today announced that Irish citizens in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America can now apply for their first Irish passport using Passport Online.
Minister Coveney said:
I am delighted to announce that Irish citizens in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US can apply for their first Irish passport using our Passport Online service.
The online service is extremely easy to use. It has won awards for its user-friendly process, including a NALA award for the use of plain English. Passport Online is for everyone from new born babies to one hundred year olds. I appreciate that some applicants may not be familiar with using a computer. In such cases, a friend or relative with basic computer skills can help them to apply – the process only takes 10 minutes to complete.
The processing of a simple adult renewal Passport Online application is up to four times as fast as a paper application. Simple adult renewals continue to have a ten day turnaround time. In addition, the cost of renewing a passport online is cheaper than alternative methods.
Minister Coveney added:
This timely expansion of Passport Online is part of the ongoing passport reform process. This programme is delivering major upgrades to passport service technology platforms and business processes as well as making significant customer service improvements to the Passport Service.
A strong take-up of Passport Online will greatly improve the capacity of the Passport Service to manage application volumes. Efficiencies in the online system mean that staff resources can be redeployed towards the processing of more complex applications, protecting the integrity of the Irish passport and enhancing the customer service we offer to citizens.
ENDS
Press Office
04 June 2021
Notes to Editors:
- The award-winning Passport Online was launched in March 2017.
- In November 2018, Passport Online was expanded to include the online renewal of children’s passports, to introduce a passport card for children, and to expand the cohort of adults eligible to renew online.
- Passport Online expanded again in November 2019 to include first time applicants in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Europe.
- This latest expansion will make the processing of passport applications for all applicants more efficient and help the Passport Service to reduce delays both in Ireland and for our Irish community overseas.
