Passport application delays

Bronco Lane said:
Just because we cannot travel at this point in time does not mean that we should not be able to renew our passports.
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I feel your pain. I’m in a similar position as I’m trying to get a passport for our youngest in good time for any possible escape later this year when things calm down.

One thing that occurred to me was that for a new passport, a Garda signature is required. I suppose the State doesn’t want people out and about travelling to Garda stations for non-essential purposes, particular with travel bans and lockdowns.

But I’d have thought with some imagination and ingenuity, this issue could be overcome.

Alas, perhaps not.
 
Jayom75 said:
I feel your pain. I’m in a similar position as I’m trying to get a passport for our youngest in good time for any possible escape later this year when things calm down.
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There will be an explosion of people wanting to travel abroad, for lots of reasons. (My own passport expires next month.) I would have thought that our Government would realise this, and use some common sense. Unfortunately, like most things that they do, there will be a last minute reactive response to this.

I also have a son who lives in China. Has a new baby. Trying to get a new Irish passport for the baby is proving extremely difficult. They need to be able to travel home to Ireland.
 
If there is to be an explosion of travel I expect the passport office won’t reopen until the mandatory quarantine is in place.
 
Difficult one to sort out. The passport office does seem to be an outlier in the State sector actually seems to be well run.
 
My advice would be to get applications in for renewals already. It can be done online and they are accepting post for the signed forms.

My guess is that when it re-opens they will prioritise people who have applied already and/or expired or close to expiring passports.
 
Purple said:
Difficult one to sort out. The passport office does seem to be an outlier in the State sector actually seems to be well run.
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Ask anyone who had to deal with the old Patent Office in Kilkenny a few years back and they'll say the Passport Office is a well-oiled rifle by comparison: geriatric, technically ignorant, confused, confabulating and most likely alcoholic - that's what it was.
 
My niece about to have baby in Berlin applied for Irish passport (mother Irish) and submitted papers incl UK passport last October and stuck since. Now has no travel documents until sorted.
 
I think the rules for european travel are that an EU passport will be accepted right up to expiry afterall EU citizens have a right to unlimited residence in other EU countries. Of course you will have to comply with all the covid stuff now. However I would not be sending my passport for renewal until the passport office is up and running properly if they still have not processed passports sent in last year.
 
joe sod said:
However I would not be sending my passport for renewal until the passport office is up and running properly if they still have not processed passports sent in last year.
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You don't have to send the old one back if there is less than six months' validity and it of course remains valid for travel.

If my passport was expiring in September I would get my renewal application in immediately.
 
I applied to renew my passport online, uploading a photograph taken at home, the new passport arrived within a week. So there are no delays if you are just renewing your passport. (It was due to expire in the middle of April 2021)
 
This may help someone so ....

I renewed online - simple online renewal .. uploaded photo etc.

Completed process - 27th December 2020.
Passport expiry date - 26 April 2021
Received passport - 19th March 2021

So they are definitely processing simple renewals but they are prioritising according to your passport expiry date which is fair enough.
 
I renewed my passport online yesterday, 8th April. I still can't believe that I got my new passport today, one day later. This has to be a new record for turnaround? Well done.
 
It seems they are processing adult renewals, even though they are tryingto discourage it.

Not clear about children's renewals or first-time applications.

They are definitely not processing passport cards at all. They confirmed this to me by chat.
 
Can you renew an 8 year old childs passport online?
Current passport expires April 2022.
 
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OMG_OMG said:
Current passport expires April 2022.
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Don't do this. If there is more than six months validity they need to old passport, if less they don't. So you could send it all in and have no passport at all for weeks or months.

I would wait until later in 2021 when the backlog is likely cleared.
 
tallpaul said:
You have a full year's validity left on the passport!! Why would you renew it? Do you usually renew passports with a full year to go??
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We definitely wont be needing it until next year, but are afraid that there will be an even worse delay next year.
 
OMG_OMG said:
We definitely wont be needing it until next year, but are afraid that there will be an even worse delay next year.
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The backlog will be cleared by the autumn. After that just submit in January/February when it's quiet.

April-July is always peak season as people wake up and realise they have to go on holiday.
 
I had my passport renewed recently. Less than 24 hours from submitting online, it was delivered through my letterbox.
 
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