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

I understand that up until you had applied that was the case, October I believe.
However, the person on the phone told me that now (and she didn't say from when) you do need to submit a passport with the application. However, since an applicant such as myself cannot foresee that they will require this, and it does not state it on their website, they are basically excluding people like me from the express service by extension, since the application is sure to be delayed by their request for a passport.

I was given an A4 flyer at the ceremony I attended on 15th October, stating the documents required for a first-time passport application. It mirrored those stated on the DFA website, linked to a few posts above, but it also listed the foreign passport as a required document.

I ignored that request, simply because it's absurd, and I received my passport a week later.

Perhaps, at that time, the requirement was new and the staff handling my (and my wife's) application weren't aware of it.

If we were asked for our foreign passports, I'd have said no and, if necessary, complained at EU level. I realise that not everyone might have the time to do this though, since they might simply be in a hurry for their passport, however I do feel it's important that we don't just bend over and let civil servants of this country take us any way they like.

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Do the passport office record details of visas/stamps in passports of Irish citizens sent in for renewal?

No, because they accept (or at least they used to accept) a photocopy of the photo page of an expired Irish passport as proof of citizenship for a renewal application.

This business of requesting the foreign passport(s) of naturalised Irish citizens is downright discriminatory and absolutely unconstitutional.

Interesting post, thank you. If I could just respond to some of your points there..

LittleNipper wrote: »

I used to work in the passport office and this is what i was told and trained to do.

Request a foreing passport when an application is made for a child that is born pre 2005 so residency periods of parent can be checked.

I think you mean for a child born post 2005. In any case, that's not what's being discussed at the moment. Nobody is disputing that evidence of entitlement to Irish citizenship should be submitted with an Irish passport application. Every Irish citizen must submit this, and for children born on this island after 01/01/2005, to parents one of whom is neither Irish nor British nor a third country national with either permission or entitlement to reside in Ireland or Northern Ireland without restriction, evidence of the child's entitlement to Irish citizenship comes in the form of evidence of the lawful, reckonable residence of at least one parent on this island for at least three out of the previous four years immediately before the child's birth.

The issue at hand is unrelated to the above. It's the demanding of the foreign passport(s) of an Irish citizen (who has already proven his citizenship by means of a certificate of naturalisation) as a condition of issuing an Irish passport. That is what is discriminatory and unconstitutional.

LittleNipper wrote: »

Foreign Passorts are only required for naturalisation applicants so that we can photocopy the ID page. The only cases that you may have to submit the passport is when you are posting or using passport express. This is because they cannot accept a photo copy as it is not physically presented by the applicant and we cannot see the individual to match up with the ID on the passport and naturalisation cert.

That's untrue, I'm afraid. Photo ID is required, sure, but according to the DFA website that can be a certified copy of a drivers licence, work ID; student card; social club membership; passport from other country etc.;. Irish citizens by naturalisation are currently being requested to submit their foreign passport in addition to regular photo ID, examples of which are above.

LittleNipper wrote: »

Just a note for some. The staff need to be very careful and thourough when it comes to applications because in some cases their jobs depend on not making mistakes. Also, there is so much fraudulant applications that come in to the passport offices and therefore need to be precise.

Hope this was in some way helpful.

Of course they need to be careful and thorough, that is not disputed. The issue is with the policy makers, more than the front-of-house staff. Whoever deemed it mandatory to make issuance of an Irish passport to an Irish citizen conditional on having sight of that Irish citizen's foreign passport is, frankly, breaking the law.

Has anyone applied recently ,

First time applicant:

I was wondering that I have sent the application on 14 th dec via passport express can it be posted on the 24 seeing that its Christmas Eve that is if the application has full documents and its straight forward?
Also is there a chance if I call them asking that my appication could be prioritised as I do wish to travel after Christmas.

Gatica wrote: »

I don't know about speeding up an application that's already sent in, but I don't think you should count on it being ready for the 24th.
As the an-post staff processing my application said, it's 10 working days, not 10 calendar days. Considering civil servants have lots more "bank" holidays than normal people, they may not be operational for days you may consider working days outside of the Xmas bank holidays, kind of like the post office itself.
You may get lucky and they'll send it to you "early", but I wouldn't count on the "10 day" guarantee.

Could I try getting a ticket or paying 150 as I need to travel for family circumstances?

netopia wrote: »

Why didn't you just apply in time??

Had citizenship ceremony on 13/12 and applied on the the same day but posted it late so was taken on Friday and got to the passport office today.

netopia wrote: »

Well it is a 10 working day turnaround

Which can be reduced.

Our man in Havana wrote: »

And in December the actual turnaround is closer to 5 working days.

... with 3,800 people who were naturalised last week applying??

Our man in Havana wrote: »

They won't all be applying this week surely?

I had my passport back in 5 working days in December last year.

No guarantee as I cAlling today and was told that may not be available for the 23rd.

Absolutely I think the states don't allow passports to be less than 6 months till expiration. Not 100% on that, but I think it'd be the best option to get it now.