Irish passport: how to apply, how much it costs and who is eligible

With Brexit (supposedly) imminent, applications for Irish passports are surging. We look at the costs, explain who's eligible and reveal the application process.

With the UK set to leave the EU in March 2019 at the time of writing, there’s been a surge in people applying for Irish passports.

Since 2016, the Irish embassy in London alone has issued more than 176,000 passports: 10 times more than any other office, according to the BBC.

Whilst you’ll still be able to apply for an Irish passport after March, if you’re eligible, having an EU passport could make travel easier in the event of a ‘no-deal’ scenario.

Here we look key points like eligibility, cost, the application process and how long it takes.

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Are you eligible?

You’ll need full Irish citizenship to apply for an Irish passport.

It’s possible that you’re already an Irish citizen without realising it. If either of your parents was an Irish citizen who was born in Ireland, then you are automatically an Irish citizen, regardless of where you were born.

Alternatively, you may be entitled to Irish citizenship but you’ll need to claim it by registering your birth on the Foreign Births Register if your parents haven't registered you already.

This can take six months, after which you can apply for a passport.

You are a citizen from the date you enter the register – which means only your children born after that date are eligible.

Confused? The Irish Government’s Citizens Information board has put together a useful table to explain who’s eligible. There’s also an online tool to help you work out your status.

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	If you are:	Then you are:
A	Born in the island of Ireland on or before 31 December 2004	Entitled to Irish citizenship or you are an Irish citizen
B	Born on the island of Ireland on or after 1 January 2005	Entitled to Irish citizenship if one or both of your parents: Is Irish Is British or entitled to live in Northern Ireland or the Irish State without restriction on their residency Is a foreign national legally resident in the island of Ireland for 3 out of 4 years immediately prior to your birth Has been granted refugee status in Ireland
C	Child of A, born outside the island of Ireland	An Irish citizen
D	Child of C and a grandchild of A, born outside the island of Ireland	Entitled to Irish citizenship, but you must first register in the Foreign Births Register
E	a child of D and a great-grandchild of A, born outside the island of Ireland	Entitled to Irish citizenship, by having your birth registered in the Foreign Births Register, but only if your parent D had registered by the time of your birth.

Source: Citizens Information Board

Where to apply

Applying for the Foreign Births Register starts online, but you then need to print out your application form and post it to the address printed on the top right-hand corner of the form.

You can’t apply for your first passport online, unfortunately.

This has to be done in person, either at the Irish Embassy in London or at designated post offices in Glasgow and Liverpool. The addresses are:

Embassy of Ireland Passport Office: 114a Cromwell Road, London, SW7 4ES
Glasgow Post Office, 140 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2RD
Liverpool Post Office, 1 – 3 South John Street, Liverpool, L1 8BN

You can book an appointment at the London Passport Office online.

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You can apply for an Irish passport at the embassy in London (image: Shutterstock)

How much it costs

Like other passports and visas, it’s important to avoid dodgy middlemen, who’ll charge you extra for a service you can get directly from the Irish Government (use the links in this article).

Entering the Foreign Births Register costs €278 (or €153 for under-18s) by debit/credit card only. If you’ve lost any of the required documents, replacing these may cost extra.

Once registered – or if you’re automatically an Irish citizen – you can apply for a passport. Find out which documents you'll need here.

The costs are as follows:

Standard 10-year, 32-page passport (aged 18 and over): €95
Large 10-year 66-page passport (aged 18 and over): €125
5-year passport (aged under 18 years): €45

Payment is taken in Euros and by debit/credit card only.

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