Make Sure to Renew your Passport for Summer Travel
Top advice from the Irish Travel Agents Association for your holidays for 2025
Summer is fast approaching and with it the relaxing dreams of a holiday in the sun. Until you realise you haven’t looked at your passport since last year and it might be expired. The summer months are the busiest time for travelling. Which means it’s vital that you have a valid passport or enough time to renew before the demand in the Passport office increases turnaround times.
The Irish Travel Agents Assocation recommends using the fantastic online passport service. The turnaround time for a ‘simple adult renewal’ is 10 working days for online applications, with many arriving even sooner. The website is easy to navigate and extremely user friendly.
Be aware that most non-EU destinations require you to have your passport in date for at least six months after your arrival date. First-time passport applications have a turnaround time of 20 days. If your passport was issued over 15 years ago, you need to apply as though you were a first-time applicant.
Applications through the post have a waiting time of at least eight weeks and you also need to factor in postage delivery times. You can renew your Irish passport from anywhere in the world online here.
The current passport turnaround times are:
- 3-5 working days for passport card applications
- 10 working days for simple adult online renewals
- 15 working days for complex or child online renewals
- 20 working days for first time online applications
- 8 weeks for Post Passport (paper) applications
To apply using Passport Online you will need*:
- credit or debit card
- an email address
- a digital photo that meets the photo guidelines
- your passport
*some applications, for example the first passport for a child, may require further documentation and access to a printer.
It’s important to get the photo submitted with your application to meet specifications. Photos can be taken at home, in photo shops or using a participating photo booth which gives a code to add the photo to your online application. A full guide can be found https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/passports/photo-guidelines/ including a video guide.
The Passport Office also offers an Urgent appointment service for passport renewal at their offices in Dublin, Cork & London. Full details can be found here
Same day renewal service. Appointments can be booked 3 days in advance.
Four day renewal service. Appointments can be booked 3 weeks in advance.
Five day renewal service (London only). Appointments can be booked 3 weeks in advance.
About the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA):
The ITAA represents Ireland’s travel Industry, bringing together 100 travel agent members and 70 partners. ITAA members cover over 140 outlets in different towns and cities throughout the Republic of Ireland. All travel agent members are licensed and bonded with the IAA (Irish Aviation Authority) to trade in the Republic of Ireland.
