Irish Passport Application

In order to apply for an Irish passport, you will first have to become an Irish citizen. There are numerous routes to becoming an Irish citizen, including descent, marrying an Irish citizen, and living and working in Ireland for a sufficient period of time.

Once you have obtained Irish citizenship status, you can then apply for an Irish passport. This will allow you to access a number of travel benefits; at the time of writing in 2025, the Irish passport grants visa-free access to 126 countries, according to the Passport Index.

Indeed, the Irish passport is amongst the strongest in the world; it comes in joint 3rd place in the Global Passport Power Rank 2025. While the UAE passport scores higher in the ranking – coming in 1st place – the UAE does not generally allow dual citizenship, whereas Ireland does.

Overall, holding an Irish passport provides a range of travel options and professional opportunities. The Irish passport is amongst the strongest in the world and is thus popular with dual citizens.

Page Contents

• Irish Passport: Guide for UAE Nationals
• How to Apply for an Irish Passport?
• Passport Application Documents
• Online Passport Application Service
• Valid Digital Photographs for Passport Application
• Postal Passport Application Process
• Passport Application Fees
• Processing Time for Passport Applications
• Emergency Irish Passport
• Information on Passport Postal Offices
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

When submitting an application for an Irish passport, there are a number of documents which you will need to provide. For naturalised Irish citizens who were not born in Ireland, these are generally as follows:

• Identity verification form (this is generated automatically when you submit your online passport application)
• Two forms of photo ID
• Original copy of your Naturalisation Certificate
• Birth certificate. In situations where you are unable to obtain your birth certificate but can prove that you have taken reasonable steps to try and obtain it, alternative documentation might be accepted, but this is decided on a discretionary basis
• Marriage Certificate or equivalent document (if you are married and are applying for a passport using your married name)
• Proof of name (e.g. government correspondence)
• Proof of address (e.g. government correspondence or, when necessary, utility bills or bank statements). Note that the document provided for proof of address must be different to the document provided for proof of name

Note that the exact documents which you need to provide will vary based on your route to Irish citizenship.

The Irish government strongly recommends that passport applicants use the online service, rather than submitting an application via post. Using the online service allows you to easily track your passport application and to receive your passport significantly more quickly.

The online system is called Passport Online and can be found via the Irish government website. The online application process generally takes around 10 minutes and requires access to a digital photo, credit or debit card, email address, and a printer.

If you are applying by post, there are only limited avenues through which you can do so; these avenues are outlined later in this article.

When applying for your Irish passport online, you can submit a digital photo as part of your application. This photo must satisfy certain criteria, including:

• You should use a device which takes digital photos, such as a smartphone or iPad
• The photo must not be a selfie – you must have someone else take the photograph for you
• The photo must be in colour
• The photo must not be scanned
• The photo must not be digitally enhanced or changed and must not be distorted
• The photo must not be zoomed in or out – the camera should be set to its usual settings

If you are struggling to take a photo which meets the criteria, you can also use a participating photobooth, such as a Photo Me booth. if you choose this option, you will be provided with a code upon using the booth which you can add to your application.

Many applications are rejected or delayed because the submitted photo fails to meet the necessary criteria, so it is important to ensure your photo is compliant before submitting.

Note that, if you are a first-time applicant who needs to have their identity confirmed by a witness, you will need to take 4 physical passport photos with you when you meet with your witness, 2 of which they will need to sign, date, and stamp.

The Irish government strongly recommends that passport applications are submitted using the online application system. However, in some cases, it is also possible to apply via post. In order to do so, you must use the official Post Passport postal service; applications submitted via usual postal methods will not be accepted.

The Post Passport postal service can be accessed from within the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the UK.

In order to submit a postal application via Post Passport, you will first need to obtain a paper application form. If you are applying from within the Republic of Ireland, the correct form is the APS 1E passport application form, which can be found in both Garda stations and An Post offices.

If you are applying from either Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK, you will need to obtain an APS 2E passport application form. In Northern Ireland, there are over 70 post offices which provide these forms, the details of which can be found on the Irish government website. In the rest of the UK, you can obtain these forms from one of the following places:

• An Irish centre
• The Passport Office, 114A Cromwell Road, London, SW7 4ES
• The Consulate of Ireland in Edinburgh
• The Embassy of Ireland in London (you will need to contact them and they will send the form to you by post)

If you live in the Republic of Ireland, you will need to return your completed form to an An Post office, buy a Post Passport envelope, and give the completed application to the counter clerk.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you will need to submit your application via one of the aforementioned 70 post offices. If you live in the rest of the UK, you will need to submit your application via one of the following 3 post offices:

• Cardiff Post Office, 83 – 85 Queen Street, Cardiff, CF10 2NX
• Glasgow Post Office, 140 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2RD
• Liverpool Post Office, 1 – 3 South John Street, Liverpool, L1 8BN

Due to the limited postal application routes, it is strongly recommended that applicants from outside Ireland and the UK apply online. Applications which are submitted via ordinary post will not be accepted, even when the correct application form is used; your application will be returned to you without being processed.

Passport application costs vary significantly based on the type of passport application in question.

The different costs for Irish passport applications are as follows:

Note that all of the postal options listed above refer to applications submitted via Post Passport; applications submitted via the usual post will not be accepted.

Processing times for Irish passport applications vary significantly based on the type of application in question and how many other applications are simultaneously being processed.

At the time of writing in November 2025, passport waiting times are as follows:

Note that these times are only averages; your own wait time may be shorter or longer, depending on how many other applications are also being processed.

As shown in the above table, postal applications take significantly longer to process. As such, it is strongly recommended that you submit your application online where possible.

In limited cases, it is possible to apply for an emergency Irish passport.

Emergency passports will only be issued in emergency situations such as the death of an immediate family member who is overseas or if you need to travel in order to receive emergency medical treatment.

In order to request an emergency passport, you should contact the Customer Service Hub of the Irish Passport Service. Note that you will be expected to provide evidence of the emergency in question.

It will not be considered an emergency if you were hoping to travel for tourist reasons but your passport has not arrived in time.

When submitting an Irish passport application via post, there are specific post offices which you will need to use.

In the case of applications submitted from within the Republic of Ireland, you can submit your application via any An Post office.

For applications sent from Northern Ireland, you will need to submit your application to one of the 70 post offices which offer the Post Passport postal service. The full list can be found on the Irish government website and includes locations in Belfast, Derry, Dungannon, and Ballymena, amongst a number of others.

For applications submitted from the rest of the UK, there are only 3 eligible post offices: Cardiff Post Office (83 – 85 Queen Street, Cardiff, CF10 2NX), Glasgow Post Office (140 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2RD), and Liverpool Post Office (1 – 3 South John Street, Liverpool, L1 8BN). As such, it is generally recommended that UK applicants apply online.