Getting an Irish passport for your baby

The short version

Every child needs their own Irish passport. The Passport Service states that children can no longer be included on their parents' or guardians' passports, and that passports for children under 18 are issued with a validity of 5 years. Through Passport Online, a standard child passport costs €20, plus a €5 postal fee for returning your documents. The current average turnaround for a first-time online application is 20 working days, counted from when your supporting documents arrive.

Plan for two steps: consent from every guardian, and a Garda witness for a first application made in Ireland.

Before you apply: the birth registration

Register the birth first; our guide to registering a birth in Ireland explains how. For a child born on the island of Ireland after 2005, the Passport Service says Passport Online applicants do not need to send the original birth certificate, because it retrieves the record from the General Register Office, provided:

• the birth was registered with the General Register Office
• you give your child's PPSN
• your child is under joint guardianship as shown on the birth certificate, or single guardianship has been granted by a court order

Otherwise, and on a paper application, you send the full original civil birth certificate, the version that includes the parents' names.

Proving your baby is an Irish citizen

For a child born on the island of Ireland after 2005, the documents depend on the parents at the time of the birth. The Passport Service asks for:

• An Irish citizen parent: a photocopy of their Irish passport if it was issued before the baby was born (do not send the original), or the Irish-born parent's full civil birth certificate, or their naturalisation, Foreign Birth Registration or Post Nuptial certificate.
• A British citizen parent: their original British passport issued before the birth, showing British Citizen, or their full civil birth certificate if they were born on the island of Ireland.
• An EU citizen parent: their original ID card or passport, proof of residence in Ireland for 3 of the 4 years before the birth, and Declaration Form A.
• Neither parent Irish, British or EU: the parent's passport showing permission to reside for 3 of the 4 years before the birth, their IRP or GNIB card, and a signed summary of the stamps.

The Passport Service notes that a child may not qualify where the parent's residence was for study, while an application for international protection was being decided, unlawful, or under diplomatic immunity. For a baby born abroad to an Irish parent, start with the Department of Foreign Affairs' guidance on registering a foreign birth.

Guardian consent: who has to sign

The consent of all the child's guardians must be received. The Passport Service explains that a mother is automatically a guardian. A father is a guardian if he is married to the mother, by a statutory declaration of joint guardianship with her, by court order, or after living with the mother for 12 consecutive months after 18 January 2016, including at least three months with the mother and child after the birth. That last route cannot yet apply to a newborn.

A sole guardian sends a sole guardian affidavit (AFF1), completed before a solicitor or commissioner for oaths, with the original birth certificate signed and notarised as it sets out. If one of two guardians is unwilling or unavailable, you need a District Court order dispensing with that guardian's consent.

How consent and witnessing work online

At the end of the online application you print a Child Passport Identity and Consent Form; it can be opened for up to 5 days, a maximum of 5 times. The guardian who applied takes the baby to a witness, who confirms the child's identity and witnesses that guardian's consent; the second guardian can use the same witness or another. In Ireland a Garda must witness all first-time applications, consent must be witnessed in the country where you live, and witnesses must give a work landline number, not a mobile.

Photo rules for babies

Passport Online needs a digital photo, and the Passport Service gives specific guidance for babies:

• If your baby cannot support themselves, photograph them lying down on a plain, white surface.
• No one else should appear, and hands or arms supporting the child must not be visible.
• No soothers or dummies, because they hide facial features.
• Try to get a natural expression, with your baby not smiling and their mouth not open.

The photo must be no more than 6 months old. For children up to 36 months, the online system may prompt you to frame the face with a cropping tool. The Passport Service accepts most photos from its approved digital photo providers and says photos taken at home are less likely to meet its requirements. On paper, you send 4 identical photos.

How much does a baby passport cost in Ireland?

Post Passport also charges €9.50 for a single paper application, or €16 for up to four made at the same time.

How long does it take?

The Passport Service's current average turnaround for a first-time online application, adult or child, is 20 working days, and 6 weeks for a Passport Assist application. The clock starts when your supporting documents arrive, and postage is extra. The Passport Service also states that first-time applications cannot be expedited, and advises against booking travel until the passport has arrived.

If it emails you for clarification, reprocessing takes about 5 to 10 working days once the issue is resolved. Original documents are returned within 20 working days of the passport issuing. If the required documents have not arrived within 20 weeks, the Passport Service may decide on what it has, which can mean a refusal.

Travelling before the passport arrives

Because a first passport cannot be fast-tracked, the only safe plan is to apply as soon as the birth is registered and book once the passport is in your hand. A baby cannot travel on a parent's passport (see can babies travel without a passport?).

Whether an airline will carry a newborn is a separate question: see when babies can fly and the travel with a baby checklist. Families in Northern Ireland, or with a British parent, can compare the UK route in our guide to a UK passport for your baby.

Where to get help

The Department of Foreign Affairs' Passport Service is the official source; track an application with its 11-digit number. If you live in Ireland or Northern Ireland and do not want to apply online, the Passport Assist Service is on +353 1 613 1795. For the other deadlines after a birth, use our new baby paperwork deadlines calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add my baby to my passport in Ireland?

No. The Passport Service states that children can no longer be included on their parents' or guardians' passports, and that a child under 18 must have their own passport to travel. A first child passport through Passport Online costs €20 plus a €5 postal fee, and it is valid for 5 years.

How much is a baby passport in Ireland?

Through Passport Online, a standard 5-year child passport costs €20, with a €5 postal fee for returning documents, or €15 if you live outside Ireland. A passport and Passport Card bundle for under-18s costs €45. A paper application through Post Passport costs €30, plus €9.50 for a single application.

Who can witness a baby passport application in Ireland?

For a first-time application made in Ireland, a member of An Garda Síochána must witness the Child Passport Identity and Consent Form and confirm the child's identity. The guardian who applied must bring the baby. A second guardian can have their consent witnessed separately, and witnesses must give a work landline number.