** ALL ** Passport Related Questions in here! Please Read Post#1 first!

3 days in 'Printing' then 'Dispatched' and got it the next day.

I've had to resend photos for a child application - anyone know how long that will take ? agent on passport chat said it would not go back to square 1 processing but even with printing & post taking a week it leaving me very tight for time.

Do you mind me asking why? Was it to do with the quality/format/etc. of the photos itself, or was it anything to do with the verification piece of Garda stamp/signature etc.?


quality of photo contrast, baby bald head against white background.
replacement photos did not need to be witnessed.

Really surprised with the online application turnaround time. Applied on Wednesday at lunchtime.
Didn't even bother checking the application tracking number on the following Monday afternoon, and found the passport had been delivered at lunchtime (so 3 working days from application to delivery). The passport card came the next day. Although the tracking page also still shows an estimated date of June 27th.

Still think it would help a lot if the website was tidied up to avoid confusing, conflicting advice and make it clear that online is massively quicker if you're eligible. The main page has "3 Golden Rules" of which #2 reads

Apply at least 6 weeks before travelling. Use Passport Express if you are travelling in 3 weeks or more but make an appointment if you need a passport sooner. Remember, first-time applications take at least 4 weeks.

So is it 6 weeks or 3 weeks? That's then followed by #3 advising you to use online (2 weeks) if over 18, but chances are people will stop after #2 tells them to use Passport Express. The main passport FAQ has similarly confusing language, and a missing link to the Online page.

To be honest, they should just rebrand Passport Express. It's completely misleading, makes it sound like the most efficient method, when it's basically now the fallback method for people who aren't eligible for online

I did an application through passport express on 24/5. Issue date was due to be 5/7 and we are travelling on 7/7. I did a few web chats and they updated our travel dates. If you get through to them they are helpful, I’d advise trying at 9am. Having checked the tracker today my application is now complete and has been despatched. I definitely think contacting the passport office has made a difference, I have been so stressed out since I sent the application and was checking it religiously every 2 hours! Good luck!

Thanks for your help, I went onto webchat, was waiting maybe 20 minutes. The agent put the passport as priority and said it will be out before she plans to travel.
I'll keep you all updated if he sticks to his word.

Have travel for work next tuesday, no appointments showing online, is online the best way to do it?

bman1 wrote: »

Folk, in a bit of a bind and could do with info. I will ring the passport office in the morning but just said I'd ask on here in the mean time.
Basically my dads brother has taken a turn for the worst in his fight against cancer and they don't think he will last more than a few days. We are in kerry, my uncle is in middlesex. Dad has never has a passport in his life, typical kerry farmer, never travelled in his life. Has anyone on here ever got a temporary passport really quickly? What kinda stuff/info would we need to possibly supply them with? The few people I know who did already had passports that had expired, not starting from scratch. I've briefly looked into driving but it'd be madness, and between the ferry and fuel would be too expensive. And would he be left on the ferry and into the UK without a passport? Has anyone been in this predicament before? All info greatly appreciated.

For travel to the UK the only airline you need a passport for is Ryanair. If Aer Lingus is an option he can travel with photo Id like a driving license.

pillphil wrote: »

I need to travel for work in Sept. I can't apply online as my last passport expired more than 5 years ago, do you think I'd be safe enough with passport express or should I book an appointment?]Next appointment I can see is 12th July

Edit: I see one person on the previous page took 3 months to get it issued.

You won't get an appointment with a September travel date afaik

apply using passport express if it not back few weeks before travel contact them, i have found the web chat very good.they can then hurry it if you have travel booked.

Caranica wrote: »

Appointments are only available to people travelling in the next three weeks. You'll be grand with passport express as it's a renewal other than a first/lost/stolen passport

as far as I can tell, they consider it a lost..../etc passport, so that probably means more time. (because I lost it to be fair...)

Dovies wrote: »

You won't get an appointment with a September travel date afaik

That was the main thing preventing me from applying for it as an appointment, i didn't want to wait until mid july and then be told I couldn't apply through the office. Although, if I'm paying more for it, why the hell shouldn't I?


Although, purely hypothetical, nothing on the site seems to require you to need the passport in any amount of tine. Only for you to want it within a certain amount of days? and it costs more the less days that is?

My husbands passport is expired 7 years so we need to send in all documents that would be required for a first time application to renew. Will it still be considered a renewal or first time when it comes to turnaround time?

Sent my daughters passport in for renewal on Thursday via passport express for travel on the 28th of next month. Bricking it as she is 8 and signed her own name in the box on the form...with one letter incorrect which she then scribbled out and put the new one in its place.
What's the chances it's rejected?

Dmcgeogs wrote: »

My husbands passport is expired 7 years so we need to send in all documents that would be required for a first time application to renew. Will it still be considered a renewal or first time when it comes to turnaround time?

It's considered a first time I think, cos they have to re-establish his identity

Submitted application for a first adult passport by passport express received by passport office on May 29. (Expected dispatch time according to DFA website was 35 days). Had booked travel for June 26th. Passport tracker showed expected date of dispatch as July 17 :eek:
On June 7th I tried several times to ring. I sent an email and received no reply. I tried live chat but kept getting message to try later. My clever friends here on boards then advised me to keep clicking "chat now" which I did and eventually was successful. Betty on live chat (after a 25 minute wait)was very reassuring and placed a note in my application that travel was booked and advised me to monitor the tracker. On June 12th there was no movement on the tracker and so I clicked away 100 times again and eventually live chatted Debbie W (45min wait) who once again reassured me that if I saw no movement on the tracker by June 19, they could help me.
On June 18, tracker said passport printing and sure enough it arrived on June 21st. Happy days. Incidentally my application also included a child's passport renewal and it also arrived on June 21st though I had told them this was non urgent. 3 cheers for peeps in passport office,
Biggest problems for me were conflicting info on website, not being able to get through by phone and not knowing how live chat works. That and the tone of the website info..... felt like a bold child for not getting application in sooner. The live chat reps were brill tho.

millies23 wrote: »

Submitted application for a first adult passport by passport express received by passport office on May 29. (Expected dispatch time according to DFA website was 35 days). Had booked travel for June 26th. Passport tracker showed expected date of dispatch as July 17 :eek:
On June 7th I tried several times to ring. I sent an email and received no reply. I tried live chat but kept getting message to try later. My clever friends here on boards then advised me to keep clicking "chat now" which I did and eventually was successful. Betty on live chat (after a 25 minute wait)was very reassuring and placed a note in my application that travel was booked and advised me to monitor the tracker. On June 12th there was no movement on the tracker and so I clicked away 100 times again and eventually live chatted Debbie W (45min wait) who once again reassured me that if I saw no movement on the tracker by June 19, they could help me.
On June 18, tracker said passport printing and sure enough it arrived on June 21st. Happy days. Incidentally my application also included a child's passport renewal and it also arrived on June 21st though I had told them this was non urgent. 3 cheers for peeps in passport office,
Biggest problems for me were conflicting info on website, not being able to get through by phone and not knowing how live chat works. That and the tone of the website info..... felt like a bold child for not getting application in sooner. The live chat reps were brill tho.

Where about was your tracker before it jumped to printing? My husbands is about 25-30% full so I’m hoping it jumps up soon.