Summer is fast approaching and hundreds of thousands of Irish holidaymakers will be jetting off for a well-deserved break over the coming months.
This time of year can be particularly busy for the Irish Passport Service, as people rush to renew their passports before the busy tourist season. The passport service advises all applicants not to book flights until they have received their passport but they have published average turnaround times to give you an idea of how long you will be waiting.
The turnaround times vary depending on whether you are applying for a simple adult renewal, first time application or postal application. Here is everything you need to know about applying for your passport this summer:
Read more: Warning to Irish passport holders traveling to the United States on holiday
Simple online renewal
When renewing your adult passport online, the average turnaround times are just 10 working days. The Passport Service normally do not require any supporting documents for these applications.
First time applicants
First time applicants have an average turnaround time of 20 working days as these are "the most complex as all documents need to be verified". The Passport Service advises that you should not book any travel until you have received a passport as these applications cannot be expedited.
For first time applicants, you need to submit extra documentation and for children, the consent of all guardians has to be verified.
Complex renewals/child renewals
The current turnaround times for complex renewals online is 15 working days. A complex renewal is when you are renewing a passport and you are required to submit extra documentation or you are changing information on your passport.
This includes changing your name or notifying the Passport Service about a lost or stolen passport. All applications for children are considered complex renewals because the consent of all guardians has to be verified.
Post Passport (paper) applications
Applying for your passport via post takes significantly longer than the Passport Online service. The average turnaround time for paper applications is eight weeks but the Passport Service warns that this is not a service guarantee.
They advise you to not book flights until you have your passport. Once you have made a paper-based application, it cannot normally be expedited and the Passport Service cannot return your supporting documents to you before the application is complete.
For more information about the Passport Service, click here.
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