Apply for British Passport for Irish Citizens

Where you apply from depends on where you’re based, inside the UK, or overseas, including the Republic of Ireland.

Applying From Within the UK

Resident in the UK? You can apply online or by post for your first adult passport.

Online, you’ll need a digital passport photo, a countersignatory who can vouch for your identity, proof of British citizenship among your supporting documents, and a card to pay the fee.

Your countersignatory gets an email link once you’ve given their details, answers a few questions to confirm it’s really you in that photo, and from there, HM Passport Office emails you back with instructions on what else to send and how. Some first-time applicants get asked to do a short identity interview, too.

By post, it’s a bit more hands-on, a completed paper form, two identical passport photos, your countersignatory, and your supporting documents. Pick up the form at a Post Office that runs the Check and Send service.

You fill in your part, your countersignatory fills in theirs, signs the form, and signs and dates one of your photos on the back.

From there, either the Post Office checks everything over and sends it on by Special Delivery, or you post it yourself using the envelope that comes with the form.

One thing worth flagging: first-time adult applications can’t use the Premium or Fast Track services. Those are for renewals and replacements only, a first passport goes through the standard service, no shortcuts.

Who Can Be Your Countersignatory

Not just anyone. For UK-based applications, they need to be:

• 18 or over, and living in the UK
• A current British or Irish passport holder
• Someone who’s known you at least 2 years and can genuinely vouch for you, a friend, neighbour, colleague
• Of good standing in the community, or working in a recognised profession
• Unrelated to you, not in a relationship with you, and not living at your address

When applying by post, they’ll also need to add their passport number and the correct wording on the back of their photo, then sign and date it.

Applying From Overseas, Including the Republic of Ireland

Living outside the UK, in Ireland or anywhere else, or heading abroad after becoming a British citizen? You can still apply for your first UK passport from wherever you’re based.

Start with the government’s overseas guidance for your specific country; it’ll point you to the right online service. If you’re in Ireland or most other non-visa-national countries, that means the Overseas British Passport application is done online.

You’ll need a digital photo, the online form, a countersignatory where one’s required, documents proving both citizenship and identity, and the fee.

HM Passport Office tells you exactly what to send and where, by post or courier, and everything comes back once a decision’s made. An identity interview sometimes comes into it, too, about 30 minutes, often over video call.

The countersignatory rules shift slightly here: a current British, Irish, EU, US, or Commonwealth passport works, though if it’s not British or Irish, you’ll likely need to include a colour copy of their photo page. Everything else stays the same, 2 years knowing you, good standing, no family or household ties.

Need help applying for a British passport? Contact us at +353 19039449 or get in touch with us online.

Once approved, HM Passport Office sends the new passport by secure courier or recorded delivery to whatever address is on the application, whether that’s in Ireland, elsewhere overseas, or in the UK.

Worth double-checking that the address is right, and that someone will be around to receive it.

Supporting documents are returned separately, and the method depends on the delivery option chosen at the time of application.

Paying a bit extra for secure, trackable delivery is usually worth it too, especially for original certificates or anything hard to replace.

How to Pay

Payment method depends on how the application goes in: online, by post, or through the Post Office Check and Send service.

Online, it’s a debit or credit card on the form, nothing more complicated than that.

Paper applications work a little differently depending on the route. Sending directly to HM Passport Office by post means paying by card, using the payment form in the application pack, or by cheque or postal order made out to “HM Passport Office.”

Going through the Post Office’s Check and Send service instead opens up the option of card or cash at the counter; postal orders are payable to “Post Office Ltd”; cheques aren’t accepted there.

One thing to flag: payment options and who cheques or postal orders are made out to can change, so it’s worth confirming the current details in the application pack or on the government website before sending anything off.

Passport fees depend on the type of passport you apply for and how you submit your application.

The following fees apply to standard applications made from within the UK and are the same for eligible Irish citizens who apply as British nationals.

British nationality is the whole requirement here, a child under 16 can only get a British passport if they hold it.

The application itself has to come from whoever holds parental responsibility and signs on the child’s behalf, regardless of whether the child also holds Irish citizenship and lives in Ireland.

That parent (or guardian) is the official applicant, and the form asks for details of both parents where possible.

Can’t provide full details for one or both? Explain why, either on the form itself or in a covering letter, so HM Passport Office understands what’s going on.

A child’s passport lasts 5 years, no exceptions, carried over from anything issued before. And there’s no shortcut around it either, every child needs their own passport to travel; they can’t just be added to a parent’s.

HM Passport Office can refuse or delay issuing a British passport if it cannot confirm the applicant is entitled to one, or if serious concerns arise during checks.

Some common situations where a passport application may not be approved include:

• The Passport Office cannot verify all of the details on the application, such as the applicant’s identity, British nationality, or supporting documents
• The applicant is under investigation in relation to their citizenship status, including where deprivation of citizenship is being considered
• The application form is incomplete, contains inaccurate information, or does not match the supporting documents provided
• The application fee has not been paid in full, or the payment has not gone through, meaning the application cannot be processed
• There are serious concerns that the passport could be used to facilitate terrorism‑related activities, serious crime, or other actions that pose a risk to national security or public safety

In some cases, HM Passport Office may ask for additional documents or explanations before making a decision.

If concerns cannot be resolved, the application may be refused, and the applicant will normally be informed in writing of the main reason for refusal.