Ordering a child's passport? Here's the best way to approach your application
Corrina Stone gives her best tips on applying for a passport.
Parents ordering a replacement or first-time passport for kids are experiencing continued delays ahead of the summer holidays.
TD Emer Higgins announced yesterday that her campaign to change the name of the passport service from Passport Express to something that reflects long wait periods has been successful. However, this does not include any change to the system, and it seems wise to continue to expect long wait times.
Family blogger and award-winning travel writer Corrina Stone says the best approach is applying online.
"Applying with the paper form through An Post is not express, contrary to belief. It doesn't work, it's an old system. It takes much, much longer than applying online.
"People need to be aware as well, that when you apply online, especially for children's passports, they only start processing that passport once they receive all the documents back in from you. So even though you've completed it online, and you think, 'Oh, well, I applied last Thursday and let's finish off documents', It's not started processing at all, until they receive them physically in the office."
Corrina says there is a vast amount of passports being delayed.
"It's like they put them to the end of the queue. It's ridiculous and what's unfair on a lot of parents is if they make a simple mistake like a spelling mistake or a date wrong it can cause a real delay on the passport. Triple check your forms when you're putting them in and triple check the documents needed, that you have the right documents, and you're sending them with the right signatures in the right places.
"It's actually all on the site when you're applying online, it's really handy. It takes you through step by step and at the end you can actually print out a checklist of exactly what you need to send with it. So make sure that you are dotting all your Is and crossing all your Ts making sure everything is in line."
It's also important to have your passport photographs right for the application.
"I've always taken mine at home and I'm lucky they've always been accepted. What's happened lately is photos are being accepted online, but then it's taking a week, two weeks, maybe longer when the passport office come back and say actually, 'you know what, no, we're not accepting it.' If you're looking for a passport and looking for it quicker I suggest you go to one of their partners, one of the chemists or one of those digital partners, and it's all listed online again."
Corrina says passports are taking more than the estimated 30 days to come.
"They keep telling people not to book a holiday until they have the passport, but if you're looking way down the line, like October midterm breaks, and you decide to book it thinking it'll come on time, if it's a first-time passport you're on shaky ground, especially now with the backlogs in the passport office."
One update in the system is you no longer have to send in your expired passport when reapplying.
"At the moment, the passport office don't want you to send in your old passport, which is brilliant. That's changed. It used to be that you have to send in your passport, or if it's a child's first-time passport you used to have to send in your passport in some circumstances. Now you don't have to send in your passport, a photocopy of your passport will do. So like that, if the parents have to go away for work or for pleasure when in the middle of applying for the children's passport, you won't be without it."
When asked whether or not the local Garda station is the best option for identification, Corrina said she is considering not going down that route.
'I actually do need to get one of my own kid's passports renewed towards the end of the year and I'm considering not going to the local Garda station.
"I've always gone to the local Garda station and I've never had an issue. At the moment what I'm seeing again and again in our Facebook group is that the passport office ring the station to verify, and when they ring to verify if, like mine, it's a local little provincial Garda station that only opens certain hours, they don't get an answer back. They'll then come back to you and tell you 'no sorry, you need to go again'.
"However, for a first-time application for children you do need to have a Garda signature as a witness for their parents and guardians, so just choose your Garda station wisely. Make sure they are open during working hours that the passport office will be ringing."
Corrina advises that if you decide to go the route of using a school teacher or secretary, to be mindful of the summer holidays
"Only do that if they are prepared to give their private mobile number, and a lot of them may not want to, which I can really understand.
Corrina says there is a whole list of people who can verify passports.
"People like doctors, dentists, nurses, physiotherapists, speech therapists and pharmacists, there's a whole list, it's all online on the form for you, so make sure you do double-check everything."
Corrina also urges people not to forget that if you want to go to the UK, you are within the Common Travel Area.
"If you're a British or Irish citizen, you're within the Common Travel Area. If you want to get over to the UK and you don't have a passport, you can actually travel by ferry and some airlines, not including Ryanair. If over 17, you will need a government ID like a driver's license or a Public Service Card, and if under 17, a birth cert will work."
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