Irish Passport Applications
Brexit
Following on from the decision taken during the EU referendum by the U.K. to leave the European Union, many of our members have expressed interest in applying for an Irish Passport for the first time based on their need as musicians to work and travel freely within Europe once the U.K. exit from the E.U. takes place.
We have created this information page not to encourage our members to apply for an Irish Passport, but to inform them of the requirements and process involved if they should wish to do so, ensuring the process is explained to them thoroughly and it is made as straight forward as possible.
If you have found this information helpful, or indeed if you have any suggestions to help improve the information we have provided, please let us know by emailing info@comhaltas.co.uk
Eligibility
You may be eligible for an Irish Passport if you fulfil one of the following criteria:
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You were born on the Island of Ireland (Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland)
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One or both of your birth Parents were born on the Island of Ireland
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One or more of your Grandparents were born on the Island of Ireland*
*For option C – if your entitlement is only through a Grandparents birth place, you are first required to apply for Irish Citizenship through the ‘Foreign Births Register’. This process carries an additional fee – €278 for adults over 18, and €153 for applicants under 18 – on top of the standard Passport application fee of €80. You can apply to the ‘Foreign Births Register’ online – www.fbr.dfat.ie
Foreign Birth Registration is a lengthy process with current turnaround times in excess of 12 months. Once you have completed the FBR process and have been granted citizenship, you can then apply for an Irish Passport.
As of November 2019, anyone who would like to apply for an Irish Passport for the first time and already meets the eligibility requirements (i.e. does not require the process of Foreign Birth Registration) they can apply online for their password using the online service here - www.dfa.ie/passportonline.
This process is significantly quicker than the manual application method and is a welcome move by the Irish Passport Service. Please note, first time applications are restricted to those resident on the island of Ireland, the UK, The EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland & Liechtenstein.
Documentation
If you meet the eligibility requirements, to complete the Passport application, you will require the following documents. Please note that only original or certified copy documents are acceptable for the application process and in the case of letters, these must be dated within 3 months.
Your long-form Birth Certificate
Photographic ID (e.g. Passport or Driving Licence)
Proof of Name (e.g. official letter from body such as HMRC or Local authority)
Proof of Address (e.g. Utility bill or bank statement.
*If your application is dependent upon a Parent being born in Ireland, then also:
Your eligible Parents long-form Birth Certificate
If your eligible Parent is Female and her name has changed then
her marriage Certificate is required for proof of name change.
Obtaining lost documentation / certified copies
If you have misplaced long-form Birth Certificates or Marriage Certificates of your own, or indeed do not have access to your Parents documents, certified copies are available from the following relevant bodies depending on the individuals’ birthplace
Great Britain: https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate
Northern Ireland: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/ordering-life-event-certificates
Republic of Ireland: http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/bdm/Certificates/
Obtaining Application Forms
Irish Passport forms (paper forms) are now no longer available from Comhaltas and are becoming increasingly harder to locate as the entire Passport application service has moved online. This has streamlined application turnaround times significantly. You may still be able to obtain a paper form from the Embassy in London.
Further Information
If you require further assistance with your application, please contact Paddy Callaghan,
E-mail: paddy@comhaltas.co.uk, Tel: 07708949919
Comhaltas in Britain provides this service free of charge and is not affiliated in any way with the Irish Passport department of the Irish Government. However, if you have found this service useful and wish to make a donation to our organisation, you can do so by clicking the button at the top of the page 'Donate to Comhaltas' to do so.