• Tuesday 20 May 2025

The following is a press release from the ITAA:

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 Association 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. You can apply for a new passport if your passport is due to expire in the next 12 months however, if your last 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 here, 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.

Shandon Travel is a member of the ITAA. To speak with our team, please get in touch via info@shandontravel.ie, 021 4277094 or 01 6965135.