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Know Your Rights has been compiled by Kerry Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public…
Question: I have a valid passport, but it will expire two weeks before I go on holiday. Will two weeks give me enough time to get a new one?
Answer: You don’t have to wait until your passport expires to renew it.
However, if you apply for a new passport before your current one expires, your new passport is valid from when you apply, rather than from when your previous passport expires.
The website of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, dfa.ie, lists the current average processing times for different types of passport applications.
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The quickest way to renew your passport is by using the online application service. You can use this service to renew your passport if it expires any time in the next 12 months.
You must submit a digital photo with your online application. You can get a friend to take your photo with a digital camera or smartphone or you can go to a photo provider, for example a pharmacy or a photographer, who will give you a copy of your digital photo to upload.
Alternatively, you can go to one of the Irish photo booth services listed on passportphoto.ie, which will take your photo and provide you with a code.
If you enter this code when applying for your passport online, you don’t need to upload the photo yourself.
Online renewal isn’t available for children’s passports, so if you want to renew your family’s passports together, you have to use Passport Express, the postal application service.
There is an extra charge of €9.50 per application for using Passport Express. However, if you are renewing passports for the whole family you can use the ‘Family Application’ option for €16, where up to four passport applications can be sent in one envelope.
Alternatively, you can renew your own passport online and use Passport Express to renew any passports for children.
Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.
• Contact us in Tralee on Tel: 0761 07 7860 Killarney 0761 07 7820, Listowel 0761 07 7840 Kenmare 0761 07 7810, Killorglin 0761 07830 & Caherciveen 0761 07 7780.
Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, 0761 07 4000
