Over 775,000 passports have been issued this year, with projections suggesting that more than a million will be issued by the year’s end, according to the Passport Service, with virtually all complete applications being processed within or before advertised turnaround times.
Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin said online renewal applications are issued within two working days, emphasizing its speed, ease, and cost-effectiveness.
Through Passport Online, applicants can also apply for a passport card valid for travel in the EU, EEA, Switzerland, and Britain, with around 90pc of applicants across Ireland using this service, as per the latest figures released by Mr. Martin.
Application figures per county reveal Dublin (127,111), Cork (56,000), and Galway (26,500) as the top three counties in terms of passport applications, with the lowest application rates observed in Longford (4,100), Leitrim (3,311), and Fermanagh (3,216). The top-five counties for first-time child applications were Dublin (14,337), Cork (7,320), Antrim (4,095), Galway (3,614) and Kildare (3,420)
Through Passport Online, citizens also have the option of applying for a passport card, which is valid for travel in the EU, EEA, Switzerland and the UK.
Using the Passport Online service within Ireland, a standard 10-year adult passport costs €75, and a passport card costs €35. A bundle containing the two costs €100.
Further information is available on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.
Mr Martin said “I am immensely proud of the work done by the Passport Service so far this year, particularly in dealing with the high demand of recent months. The Passport Service continue to deliver an exceptionally high standard of service to Irish citizens and I would like to thank them for their continued hard work. With just a few months left in 2024, the Passport Service is expecting to be as busy as ever, especially as forecasts are indicating we will issue over a million passports this year. I would encourage anyone who is considering travel to check that their passport is in date, and if they need to renew their passport or apply for the first time, to use Passport Online.”
