The following contribution is from another author.
The Republic of Ireland has presented itself as one of the best countries, not only in Europe but globally, where you can live and settle in peace without having to worry about the economy, wars, and other natural disasters. Thus, many people have seen Ireland as a place to make their lives much better and achieve more financial success.
It is now understandable why many people want to apply for Irish citizenship and get their hands on the much-coveted Irish passport. However, due to their excitement, they tend to forget many things during the Irish passport application process.
Thus, the processing becomes longer and more complicated simply because they forgot some requirements or found out they are not qualified for the application.
Now, to avoid any problems or complications during your Irish passport application process, here are some things you should know before you apply for an Irish passport.
Everything You Should Know Before You Apply for an Irish Passport
Here are some things you should know before signing up for the Irish passport application process.
English-speaking countries have more advantages compared to other nations.
According to Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, if you are an Irish citizen that happens to live in countries such as:
- The Republic of Ireland
- Northern Ireland, Great Britain
- Europe
- Canada
- Australia
- United States
- New Zealand
Then the application process would be much easier. However, for Irish citizens living in countries not mentioned, you would have to coordinate with the Irish Embassy in your country of origin to check what other requirements are for your first-time passport application.
You can now apply online.
Back then, it was not allowed to apply for an Irish passport without showing yourself to the government office tasked to handle passport applications.
Thanks to the technological advancements of today, any Irish citizen can now apply anywhere in the world online. The Passport Online system of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has allowed Irish citizens to apply for their passports wherever they are in the world.
All they need to do is to prepare the following basic requirements:
- Their working email address
- Credit or debit card for the processing fees
- A digital photograph
You will only be asked for access to a printer if you are applying for the first time or if you are applying on behalf of a child. Aside from the basic requirements, they might also ask you for other additional documents for verification purposes.
Your passport will be delivered to your house free of charge.
That is if you reside in Ireland. Your passport will be delivered to you free of charge through Express post, and you do not need to sign anything.
Free delivery might also exist for applicants outside the country, and your passport will be sent to you through registered post. The only difference here is that you are required to sign a form of receipt, so you must accept it personally.
You can get your passport posted in Ireland for free.
For adult applicants, postage is free of charge. At the same time, for children, it would cost you €5 because of the attached documentation, such as the guardian’s consent, which requires additional fees for postage purposes.
You can also claim your passport to the Irish Embassy.
Some countries do not have reliable postal services, so instead of risking it getting lost in transit or stolen, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs sends your passports to the nearest Irish Embassy.
From there, they will contact you for the possible options: either by claiming it there personally or having it sent to your chosen address, arranged by the Embassy free of charge. You may want to inquire to the Irish Embassy in your country about the current setup in passport applications to know what your strategy can be.
You can track the status of your passport application online.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has designated a website where you can track the status of your passport application, from processing to delivery.
Passport processing can take a while.
Due to the restraints caused by COVID, there might be delays in your passport processing. However, you can always inquire to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs about the schedules of passport processing so that you can be guided appropriately. Once everything is okay, passport processing will be smooth again.
Conclusion
The Irish passport application process is now much more accessible, thanks to online innovations. However, you should still check with the government agencies or the Irish Embassy, wherever you are, for the most updated news on passport processing so that you can plan accordingly.
