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Original poster

Has anyone applied for an Irish passport this year?

66 replies

HesterLee · 08/04/2019 12:33

I'm asking about actual turnaround times please.
My application was received on 5th Feb so 63 days ago. The fee has been taken from my account. On the website it says current turnaround time is a minimum of 55 days but that has recently gone up from 50 days.
I can't get onto the live chat as they are so busy.

I appreciate just how many people are applying and I just have to wait (although I really need my UK passport back by the beginning of May).

But if anyone has applied this year, how long did it actually take to get your original passport back? I just need a rough idea of how long it actually is taking at the moment.

Thanks for any info.

OP posts:
doIreallyneedto · 09/04/2019 09:30

I'm not much help in terms of timings but I know driving licence and passport applications are taking way, way longer than normal because of Brexit.

My daughter recently passed her driving test. Normally, you could just go to the licence centre and get seen within an hour or you could make an appointment online and be seen at a specific time. She went in to the office, there were no free appointments left that day so she went online and there was nothing available for 4 weeks. They only release the appointments 4 weeks in advance so they were filling almost as soon as they were being released.

When she phoned, they told her it was due to all the people changing British to Irish licences. Apparently, passports are the same. You also have an increase in local renewals/applications at this time of year too.

Normally, you will get a passport renewal back within 2 weeks. They tend to be reasonably accurate in the time they give for turnaround so I would expect it would take less than the 55 days but not hugely so.

Wakemeuuuup · 09/04/2019 10:11

I applied for my kids and DH a few weeks ago. I went in to the passport office in London and they said at least 50 days. The money was taken after 2 weeks and last week the tracking said passports due around June 3rd.

Luckily they photocopied and certified the DH's British passport and driving license and gave the originals back to me

Original poster
HesterLee · 09/04/2019 14:52

Thank you both.
When I originally applied it said 45 days, then it went up to 50 days and now it's 55.
Given that it's been with them over 60 days now I'm not holding out much hope for my holiday at the beginning of May :(

OP posts:
doIreallyneedto · 09/04/2019 15:17

The number of days is usually working days, not calendar days. So 55 days would be 11 weeks, excluding public holidays.

ImperfectTents · 09/04/2019 15:21

I had a similar issue years ago when there was a work to rule and everything was delayed. I ended up in the Irish consulate which sped things up a bit. Did you keep the tracking number from your application?

Original poster
HesterLee · 10/04/2019 10:19

doIreallyneedto that totally hadn't occurred to me!! That's a bit of a Doh moment - thank you, so obvious now you've said it.
ImperfectTents yes I have the tracking number but it has an estimated date in February which hasn't updated.

OP posts:
Wakemeuuuup · 10/04/2019 13:08

If the estimated date online is February I think you need to get hold of them to see what's happening

DioneTheDiabolist · 10/04/2019 13:14

I applied in Feb and my passport arrived on its estimated date earlier this month. I don't think any application received in Feb would have an estimated date that same month. Are you sure you're using the Tracker correctly OP?

Original poster
HesterLee · 11/04/2019 01:34

I did think it was fairly optimistic to get it back after less than a month. Attached is a pic of the current tracker status - I'm pretty sure I am using it correctly.
Unfortunately I have not been able to speak with an advisor but I will keep trying.
DioneTheDiabolist was it a first Irish passport you applied for? Just realised I forgot to say in the op that I've applied for my first Irish passport.

Has anyone applied for an Irish passport this year?
OP posts:
Original poster
HesterLee · 11/04/2019 10:56

Well the good news this morning is that I managed to speak with someone on the live chat. Whilst they obviously couldn't tell me how much longer the application process will take, they can send me my UK passport back and will do so within the week!!

OP posts:
butteryellow · 11/04/2019 11:00

Anyone trying to get their driving license and can't get an appointment (I had the same trouble - there was a 3 hour wait just to press the button to get a ticket for an appointment!) - I just drove an hour out of Dublin and walked straight into an empty office.

Now sure, the actual license itself is taking a while, but at least it's all applied for!

Original poster
HesterLee · 11/04/2019 11:03

3 hours to just get the ticket is crazy!
Everything is in such limbo at the moment.

OP posts:
Isthisafreename · 11/04/2019 11:21

@butteryellow I just drove an hour out of Dublin and walked straight into an empty office.

The other option is to get there before they open. That's what my dd did. She was first in and had a wait time of 7 minutes. By the time she was seen (which was on time), the wait time was 3 hours!

The licence was posted 5 working days later and she had it the following working day.

Isthisafreename · 11/04/2019 11:23

@HesterLee - 3 hours to just get the ticket is crazy!

It's normally never like that. It's the panicked UK licence holders converting to Irish ones. The lack of certainty is causing chaos.

Original poster
HesterLee · 11/04/2019 11:42

It certainly is causing chaos. I wish I had applied years ago but never thought I would need to.

OP posts:
bellinisurge · 11/04/2019 11:49

I thought about doing it years ago for ease of international travel - I went places where being Irish was less controversial than being British but I liked the protection of the UK Foreign Office . And then after 1992, I felt I had access to any EU country's embassy for support if necessary so it didn't matter that I had a UK passport if I had access to any EU Embassy.
I'll be getting one (as will dh who is separately entitled to one) once my dd gets her Irish citizenship through in tbe next few months - applied last autumn.

GiantKitten · 11/04/2019 12:32

DH applied much more recently than that & the website says his “issue date” is today Confused

He’s a citizen via his mother who was born in Belfast. He thinks all he had to send were original certificates of her birth, her marriage & his birth - maybe a copy of his UK passport details but he’s a bit vague on that, certainly not his actual UK passport.

Original poster
HesterLee · 11/04/2019 12:35

Agreed bellinisurge The protection we have under the eu when abroad is always such a safety net. I have a couple of health conditions and I have only ever really worried when visiting non-eu countries.
Having an Irish passport (my Mum is Irish) means I keep that reassurance and help if needed.

OP posts:
Original poster
HesterLee · 11/04/2019 12:39

GiantKitten the application form requested current passport and long form birth and wedding certificates of applicant and Irish relative plus something like a utility bill and bank statement (for proof of address). They do not accept short form certificates.

OP posts:
DioneTheDiabolist · 11/04/2019 12:52

It was my 1st one OP. But I'm from NI and was married in RoI. I think applications on the basis of an Irish parent are taking much longer. FiL applied round the same time as you and hasnt got his yet.

FreeButtonBee · 11/04/2019 12:54

I called them up and they sent my UK passport back to me as I explained I needed to travel. They were fine with that as they'd completed that part of the check - worth a try. I did have to pick it up from the London office but I think they would have couriered it if I'd needed it.

Emma

Original poster
HesterLee · 11/04/2019 12:59

Yes and I've just read this, dated 31 Dec 2018:
"Almost 200,000 Irish passport applications were received from the UK this year, the department of foreign affairs in Dublin said on Monday."

No wonder it's taking so long.

I've also just had another look at the application supporting info which said;
"Applicants must submit their existing passport...if it has more than 12 months validity...will accept certified photocopies...with less than 12 months...or if the passport is expired"

OP posts:
Original poster
HesterLee · 11/04/2019 13:02

FreeButtonBee thank you - yes that's exactly what I have done this morning. I was so relieved when he said that could be done. Did you get all your certificates back at the same time?

OP posts:
SwedishEdith · 11/04/2019 13:04

It's definitely taking longer. I follow these threads on FBR but they give updates on passport times as well. You don't need to send your actual passport.

www.immigrationboards.com/ireland/foreign-birth-registration-t277641.html

and this one (which is locked now)

www.immigrationboards.com/ireland/foreign-birth-registration-t214839.html

GiantKitten · 11/04/2019 13:06

HesterLee

DH says he requested an APS2E form issued by An Post - they sent it to him, he completed & returned it with documentation, they received it on 17th March.

The website today says his passport was “issued” on Tuesday (9th)

I don’t understand how using that form, posted from UK, makes it so much quicker but apparently it does Confused