Irish passport renewal: current Passport Online turnaround times

The Department of Foreign Affairs publishes current Passport Online turnaround times by application type: a simple adult renewal is quoted at 10 working days, a complex adult renewal or a child renewal at 15 working days, and a first-time application (adult or child) at 20 working days. These figures do not include postage time and can change, so DFA's own turnaround-times page, not this or any other article, is the number to check close to when you apply. Paper applications are slower, with DFA quoting a current estimate around 6 weeks and at least 8 weeks for the Post Passport Service, not including postage; DFA explicitly recommends Passport Online over paper if you plan to travel within the next 3 months.

Check your Ireland passport photo against the official spec → Free check, accepted-or-money-back.

Check your photo right here, free

Measured against the official Ireland passport spec: head size, eye line, background, brightness and file limits. We never edit your photo.

Upload a photo

Click anywhere here, or drag and drop your photo. Use a clear, front-facing photo against a plain white wall in even light. We measure and crop it. We never edit the pixels you submit.

Passport Online turnaround by application type

DFA's published turnaround times, current as of mid-2026, are: 10 working days for a simple adult renewal, 15 working days for a complex adult renewal or a child renewal, and 20 working days for a first-time application at any age. None of these include postage time, and DFA states plainly that they are current estimates, not a service guarantee, so book travel only once the passport is actually in hand.

Paper applications are meaningfully slower

Paper-based applications carry an estimated 6-week turnaround, and applications routed through the Post Passport Service are estimated at least 8 weeks, neither including postage in each direction. Since 1 December 2025 the Passport Service no longer accepts the older green APS1/APS2 paper forms; anyone who still needs a paper route is directed to the Passport Assist Service instead. DFA's own guidance is to use Passport Online whenever your travel is within the next 3 months, since it is the fastest route by a wide margin.

Get the photo right on the first submission

An Irish passport photo upload must be a genuine photo, not a selfie, at least 715 x 951 pixels, JPEG, up to 9 MB, with the face filling 70-80% of the frame against a plain light grey, white, or cream background, and it cannot be a scan or a digitally altered image. A rejected photo means resubmitting and losing days off whichever turnaround applies to your application. Check yours free below first; we measure, crop, and export, never edit, and you pay $9 only if it passes.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an Irish passport renewal take in 2026?

DFA's published Passport Online turnaround times are 10 working days for a simple adult renewal and 15 working days for a complex adult renewal or a child renewal, not including postage. Paper applications are estimated around 6 weeks or more.

Should I use Passport Online or a paper application?

Passport Online, if at all possible. DFA recommends it whenever you plan to travel within the next 3 months, since it is significantly faster than the paper route, and paper APS1/APS2 forms have not been accepted since 1 December 2025.

Can I take my own Irish passport photo?

Not as a selfie. Someone else must take it without zoom, though you can still do this at home. It must be a genuine, unedited color photo, at least 715 x 951 pixels, not a scan.

Now check your photo against the official spec

Free, in your browser, in under a minute. You pay $9 only if it passes, accepted or your money back.

Check my photo free

Check your photo free →