** ALL ** Passport Related Questions in here! Please Read Post#1 first!

Takemyscars72

Kotek Besar wrote: »

Flying other than with Ryanair you need photo ID as per post above. Going by bus or train, a birth cert will do.

Would a birth cert do if I went over on a boat/ferry ?

Our man in Havana

Takemyscars72 wrote: »

Would a birth cert do if I went over on a boat/ferry ?

Yes.

SiOBrien

Hi everyone, forgive me for not introducing myself etc, but I'm desperate and need an answer quickly.

I live in the UK of Irish parentage, and need a new passport by the 25th of July...I was led to believe that the Passport Express service was available to the whole of the UK and not just NI, it seems this is not the case - does anyone have any advice on how to get my passport within the month? I'm a fool for leaving it so late as it is, but I genuinely thought that with the Passport Express service as a last resort it wouldn't be a problem...now I'm papping myself that I won't be able to get a passport in time.

All advice greatly received, thanks in advance!

Simon

grizzly

I've been told I can pick up a passport this week – is there a queue all day? How long is (on average)?

SiOBrien wrote: »

Hi everyone, forgive me for not introducing myself etc, but I'm desperate and need an answer quickly.

I live in the UK of Irish parentage, and need a new passport by the 25th of July...I was led to believe that the Passport Express service was available to the whole of the UK and not just NI, it seems this is not the case - does anyone have any advice on how to get my passport within the month? I'm a fool for leaving it so late as it is, but I genuinely thought that with the Passport Express service as a last resort it wouldn't be a problem...now I'm papping myself that I won't be able to get a passport in time.

All advice greatly received, thanks in advance!

Simon

The passport express service is your best bet – can you post everything to a friend in Ireland and have them drop it in to the Post Office for you?

SiOBrien

Thanks grizzly - I actually checked that very same question myself earlier on today with the Embassy and you CAN'T do that. The Passport Express system in Ireland is only available to people living in Ireland. I don't know if that is worth putting in the FAQs if there is such a document on here, it seems like the sort of thing a lot of people might think of trying and it could waste time people don't have if they are sending all their documents over only to need them sent back straight away.

Just in case anyone else is having similar problems, the advice given to me was that, while four weeks is unlikely to be long enough to get the passport back to me without my input, if I call back ten days before my holiday they will ask me for proof of travel arrangements (via fax) and, while the guy at the Embassy said he couldn't guarantee it, he said they were usually "very accommodating" to this sort of issue. Cross your fingers for me lads and lasses!

Kotek Besar

You have to say you're living in Ireland (at your friends address). The passport will go to him. He will forward it to you.

rabbid

NicoleL88 wrote: »

I submitted my passport back in April through passport express, turns out it wasn't within the required date of six months (which i wasn't aware of at time of sending) so it was sent back with a new application and Passport Express envelope for the new one to be sent off in.

I'm a little concerned by this. What "required date of six months" is that referring to? I'm relocating to the US for work in a few months time. I'll probably be out there for 3 years minimum, and my 10 year Irish password is expiring in 2014. Obviously, it's also one of the non e-passports (It's frustrating watching my wife with her e-passport breeze past at Heathrow while I'm queuing).

Because of that, I put in a renewal via the London embassy on May 25th. It's still at the first stage (naturally) but now, because of the quote above, I'm concerned that there is some unwritten rule about only being able to renew your passport within 6 months of it expiring. In my experience with other nationalities, you can renew passports at any time. I couldn't find any information about that on the official site. Only thing I could find was http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/travel_abroad/general_tips.html saying "Remember, you can renew your Irish passport at any time - you don't have to wait until your passport is about to expire to do so", but it wouldn't be the first time someone wrote something incorrect on the Internet.

Someone please tell me that I haven't wasted my time by finding a person from an obscure profession (with a stamp, no less) to verify photos, paying through the nose and waiting ages for a passport which will never come.

netopia

rabbid wrote: »

Someone please tell me that I haven't wasted my time by finding a person from an obscure profession (with a stamp, no less) to verify photos, paying through the nose and waiting ages for a passport which will never come.

I think he means that the form wasn't witnessed in the 6 months prior to applying to the Passport Office therefore it was not acceptable.

You can apply for a new passport at any time before or after expiry of your previous passport.

rabbid

netopia wrote: »

I think he means that the form wasn't witnessed in the 6 months prior to applying to the Passport Office therefore it was not acceptable.

Ahhh. Okay. Makes sense. Yeah, I knew there was a limit on that, but had forgotten that it was 6 months. Thanks for clearing that up. Much appreciated. I can now resume the 8 week wait with peace of mind.

Our man in Havana

I'm concerned that there is some unwritten rule about only being able to renew your passport within 6 months of it expiring. In my experience with other nationalities, you can renew passports at any time. I couldn't find any information about that on the official site. Only thing I could find was http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en...eral_tips.html saying "Remember, you can renew your Irish passport at any time - you don't have to wait until your passport is about to expire to do so", but it wouldn't be the first time someone wrote something incorrect on the Internet.

You can renew it at any time. I renewed mine with a year left on it no problems.

Our man in Havana

Kotek Besar wrote: »

You have to say you're living in Ireland (at your friends address). The passport will go to him. He will forward it to you.

Won't work. He would need to appear in person at a Garda Station to sign the declaration.

noodler

Just some information for people who have to apply for a new Passport because the original was Lost or Stolen:

I reapplied earlier this year but two months later (last week) recieved a letter stating that they needed three additional pieces of information (the passport fee was taken from my card over a month ago) for people who are reapplying in this situation.

My fault for losing it but unfortunately it does not state you need this extra ID in the Passport Form so I thought I would post this to save people time in the future.

Tenger

Today should be the day for passport express, (Day 14 today) hopefully I will see a result by close of business:

Status: Application No.xxxxxx. Received on 09/06/2011 and has been registered.

Issue Date: 22/06/2011 (This is the target date and is for applications received by Passport Express only, however the passport office is currently experiencing delays of 4 working days, which you should add to this date)

Website Last Updated: 28/06/2011 at 7:45

lollypop2

Can anyone please tell me if my application is in trouble?????? I used passport express in the post office on Monday 13th June. I am aware that their is a delay but when I go online to track my application it hasn't even been registered yet....... Needless to say I have been trying to get through on the phone but it would be easier to get connected to the White House!
I would have thought that my application would have been registered once received..... or does the online tracking only get updated once the application is finalised???? Should I be worried......... The passport is for my daughter and we are travelling on the 24th of July. I don't mind having to go up to the office but it's the not knowing where the application is at that's annoying me.......

LarMan

Tenger wrote: »

Today should be the day for passport express, (Day 14 today) hopefully I will see a result by close of business:

Status: Application No.xxxxxx. Received on 09/06/2011 and has been registered.

Issue Date: 22/06/2011 (This is the target date and is for applications received by Passport Express only, however the passport office is currently experiencing delays of 4 working days, which you should add to this date)

Website Last Updated: 28/06/2011 at 7:45

My Childrens application was registered on the 8th of June and is still in "registered" Limbo so I would be surprised if your status changes today. We are travelling in a weeks time so am getting nervous. I have tried ringing but with no luck and emailed yesterday but have not received a reply as yet.

Has anyone who was registered in June received their passport yet?

lollypop2

I will have to wait and see if you get replies LarMan..... Your application was in the week before mine so hopefully you'll get your soon..... I won't hold my breath waiting on the email reply so....... It's so frustrating!

tbh

LarMan wrote: »

Has anyone who was registered in June received their passport yet?

Yeah - they received the wee mans application on the 3rd of June and we got it on the 23rd.

You need to start ringing at 9am to have any chance of talking to someone, but be warned - the first time I got through the information they gave me was so vague as to be useless, and the second time they told me things that turned out to be completely incorrect

Tenger

tbh wrote: »

Yeah - they received the wee mans application on the 3rd of June and we got it on the 23rd.

You need to start ringing at 9am to have any chance of talking to someone, but be warned - the first time I got through the information they gave me was so vague as to be useless, and the second time they told me things that turned out to be completely incorrect

So 14 working days turnaround for yourself then?
Registered 4 days ahead of myself. Was received 9th, today was day 14.

Website now showing 13-15 days wait from 27th June 8th July

I think I will start calling early in the morning to check on any progress. Need it by Monday. (Day 18!) As with LarMan am travelling in a week.

Does the passport tracking update to anything else from registered and target date? Might I log on tomorrow and suddenly see processed and/or sent?

tbh

Tenger wrote: »

tbh wrote: »

Yeah - they received the wee mans application on the 3rd of June and we got it on the 23rd.

You need to start ringing at 9am to have any chance of talking to someone, but be warned - the first time I got through the information they gave me was so vague as to be useless, and the second time they told me things that turned out to be completely incorrect

So 14 working days turnaround for yourself then?
Registered 4 days ahead of myself. Was received 9th, today was day 14.

Website now showing 13-15 days wait from 27th June 8th July

I think I will start calling early in the morning to check on any progress. Need it by Monday. (Day 18!) As with LarMan am travelling in a week.

Does the passport tracking update to anything else from registered and target date? Might I log on tomorrow and suddenly see processed and/or sent?

Yeah - your application is in a queue to be processed. It'll be opened, then checked, processed, printed and ready for collection / sent. In my experience (not just with our own application) once the passport application is plucked, the rest happens quite quickly - generally everything happens in one day and it's sent out the next.

Masala

WhooHoo..... passport arrived today. Sent in by ordinary post on 03 May and was sweating bricks. But arrived anyway....

Question: How far out can you sent for a new passport. My wife's is out on 30th Jan 2012. Can I apply for a new one in say Sept 2011 and keep using the current one while the Application is in the Passport office??? That will mean that I use teh Birth Cert option rather than the 'old passport'.

OR.... If I send in the 'old' passport in Sept ..will the new passport run from the end of the Jan 2012 OR from the renewab date (say 01 Nov 2011??)

Just want to be ready for the next renewal ......don't want to make the same mistakes again

Our man in Havana

Passport will run for 10 years from the date of issue not the previous expiry.

rcjh82

My partners passport has been registered on the system from the 21st june, it says there is a target date for the 4th july and add 4 days because of the increase in applications. We fly on the 9th, does anyone know how accurate these target dates are?
Its a nightmare because we live in belfast and will have to travel to pick up the passport, not that we mind as long as its ready.
Does anyone know what the process is for an emergency passport?? Its vague on the website and impossible to get through on the fone, could we go down and wait and get it same day? Or is it 5 working days? Im really panicking, feeling like we wont be going anywhere!!

lollypop2

I sent the application on the 13th June through the Post Office. When I go online I get......

The application number PXxxxxxxxxIE entered by you can not be found and this may be due to:
a) you may have entered the incorrect number, or
b) your application is not yet registered by the Passport Service in Ireland

I would have thought once received it would have been registered....... Can anyone tell me when I should see it as "REGISTERED/RECEIVED"

Our man in Havana

Try putting in the application number and not the An Post tracking number. It is on your receipt above that tracking number.

lollypop2

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Try putting in the application number and not the An Post tracking number. It is on your receipt above that tracking number.

Oh thank you so much........ I really don't know who is worse. I was told by the Old Biddy in the Post office to use the PX number to track it online..... You have just saved someone an attack in the Passport Office......
I have now being able to see that the application is registered and is due in the coming days......

LarMan

So today (wednesday) it is 21 days since the passport was registered. 16 working days since they received it. No update on the website and no answer to email, when I ring I get a voicemail that due to the number of people ahead of me I can't be added to the queue. Has anyone actually got through to them (Dublin Office) by phone in the last few days. I am starting to think they are just not taking calls and leaving the message there to fob people off.

Has anyone who applied by Passport express gone into the passport office in Molesworth street and got a status of their application. I know we are not allowed to rant but it is the lack of information that is so frustrating.

Tenger

LarMan wrote: »

.....16 working days since they received it. No update on the website and no answer to email, when I ring I get a voicemail that due to the number of people ahead of me I can't be added to the queue. Has anyone actually got through to them (Dublin Office) by phone in the last few days. ........I know we are not allowed to rant but it is the lack of information that is so frustrating.

Got through to Dublin office today. Spent an hour dialling every 3-4 mins. Got that 'we're busy' messagea bout 10 times! Eventually got through, had to hold for approx 10 mins. Got a helpful lady. She acknowledged my problem (today is 15th working day) and told me she has flagged them due impending travel, the application has been placed on an urgency list. If there is a problem I will get a call, if not (hopefully) I can collect on Monday morning.

LarMan

Update to my earlier post. Well I rang again and this time I got through. Not much information though. She opened the applications and told me that it was registered on the 8th of June. (I know this). She tell s me there is a 4 or 5 day delay due to the volume. I tell her that this is working day 16 so it is now 6 days over. She then says that they are prioritising those who are leaving this weekend. I tell her I am leaving on Wednesday next and she says she will note that and my passport will be prioritised on Monday and to ring back then. She took my number in case of an error with the forms.

So what I have learnt is that the current 5 day delay may not be accurate. if you need your passport soon you need to let them know that. So in reality I know as much or as little as I did before I spoke to her.

lollypop2

Turn on 2fm. They are discussing the various problems with the Passport Office......

nmhmcdonnell

rcjh82 wrote: »

My partners passport has been registered on the system from the 21st june, it says there is a target date for the 4th july and add 4 days because of the increase in applications. We fly on the 9th, does anyone know how accurate these target dates are?

They are VERY inaccurate! Phone them now, and keep hitting redial until you get through to them. My application was registered on June 8th. I expected to receive my passport today (factoring in delays etc.) When it didn't arrive, I phoned them and, after constantly hitting redial for about 45 mins. (no joke) and being on hold for 20, I got through to the rudest man in the world. He went on the attack from the get-go, although I was only looking for help/reassurance.

It turns out my passport hasn't moved since they received it. He said it would be sent to Balbriggan today (where apparently they process them) and should be posted out by Friday, therefore I should receive it Mon. or Tues. I hope to god this happens, as we are supposed to be travelling on Thursday! You can't collect it once its gone to Balbriggan (according to rude man). Anyone know how long it takes once the application hits Balbriggan? I'm really worried now.