Irish Consulate
Passport Applications After Covid there has been a huge increase in the number of Irish passport applications. Figures released by the Department of Foreign Affairs show that as of May 2022 a total of 560,000 passports were issued, which is 90,000 more than pre-Covid figures. The overall trend is a 50 to 60% increase this year alone. Many additional staff have been hired but there are still significant delays. We recommend that you renew your passport at least 6 months before your passport expires. In fact, you can start the application process 12 months before your passport expires. Passport Applications online All applications for Irish passports are online athttps://www.dfa.ie/passportonline/- . This includes first time passports and newborn baby applications. The paper application forms are no longer used – everything is online. Travelling in and out of Australia and Ireland if you have an Australian passport (as well as an Irish passport) you should travel in and out of Australia on your Australian passport. Please remember that you need a valid visa or an Australian passport to enter Australia. If you become an Australian citizen, you no longer have a visa- therefore you must have an Australian passport. Further, your airline at
Dublin airport (or at your stopover) may refuse to board you without a valid Australian passport or visa. Dual Irish/Australians have been refused boarding because of these issues so please ensure you have a valid passport or visa. Children’s passport/Foreign Birth Registry if you have children who were not born in Ireland and you want them to have an Irish passport, there a few things you should know. 1. If one of the child’s parents was born in Ireland, the child is automatically entitled to an Irish passport to be applied for online in the usual manner. 2. If neither of the child’s parents was born in Ireland and one of their grandparents was born in Ireland, the child must be registered on the foreign birth registry. This is currently a two-year process which should be commenced as soon as possible. 3. So that your children can pass on the right to an Irish passport to their children, your child must be registered on the foreign birth registry before they have children of their own – otherwise it will be too late. For further information on foreign birth registration, please see: https://www.dfa.ie/citizenship/ born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/ How the Honorary Consulate Perth Can Help you. We are here to help Irish citizens so please contact us if we can help on:
08 6557 5802 info@consulateofirelandwa.com.au http://consulateofirelandwa.com.au/ THE IRISH SCENE | 15
