Ireland - First time passport applications timelines -2021

[jgclancy]

Ugh.....Tracker said my passport posted to me a14/02/2022 .Mail from Ireland arrives but missed it. Finally go down to post office to sign for it--just return of my FBR certificate...no passport? Of course, passport webchat is closed until Monday now so gotta wait...aggravating.

jgclancy

and now just realized that no passport but sent FBR certificate but not my USA birth certificate? Grrrrr

jgclancy

[Suro]

My husbands first time Irish passport (done online) had an estimated date of the 28/1/22. Its now 4 weeks overdue. I am so nervous whether or not we should use the webchat to chase it up...

I was fine before, as a few people stated theirs were 4 weeks or 5 weeks late. But now seeing people who applied after him getting their passports, I am wondering if I should poke the tiger of webchat or not?

I see many people who did getting asked for more documents and going to the back of the line...
Does anyone know if the date it changes to processing is where I should count from and not from their estimated date?

I think the misleading estimated date is based on the online application date and not from the date the documents went into 'processing/verifying' so it could mean that the actual estimated date should have been 24/2/22?
I just have no idea lol!

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Current Status: "Processing application. We have received your supporting documents. We are now verifying these documents. "

[Patpatriot]

I believe the estimated due date is the same for everyone in that it is automatically generated for approx 40 working days/8 weeks which is what their web site continues to say is the turnaround time for first time applications. I also read somewhere that supposedly 90% of the applications are completed within this time frame. Yours seems a bit excessive in that you are so far overdue with the status still being "verifying". As for webchat....They didn't seem very helpful to me other than they could confirm they could see my application and I kept being told everything was fine...except in the end it wasn't, so I won't be chasing them the second time around. At this point what do you have to lose though?

[Wow90]

My husbands first time Irish passport (done online) had an estimated date of the 28/1/22. Its now 4 weeks overdue. I am so nervous whether or not we should use the webchat to chase it up...

I was fine before, as a few people stated theirs were 4 weeks or 5 weeks late. But now seeing people who applied after him getting their passports, I am wondering if I should poke the tiger of webchat or not?

I see many people who did getting asked for more documents and going to the back of the line...
Does anyone know if the date it changes to processing is where I should count from and not from their estimated date?

I think the misleading estimated date is based on the online application date and not from the date the documents went into 'processing/verifying' so it could mean that the actual estimated date should have been 24/2/22?
I just have no idea lol!

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Current Status: "Processing application. We have received your supporting documents. We are now verifying these documents. "

There's no poking the bear whatsoever when chatting with them.

They have no decision over the approval or verification team. All they can see is if the docs have been scanned and they can tell you if they are alright for what they think. That's as far as you can go on this stage.

So yeah, if I were you I would contact them

[babyhalloween2]

My husbands first time Irish passport (done online) had an estimated date of the 28/1/22. Its now 4 weeks overdue. I am so nervous whether or not we should use the webchat to chase it up...

I was fine before, as a few people stated theirs were 4 weeks or 5 weeks late. But now seeing people who applied after him getting their passports, I am wondering if I should poke the tiger of webchat or not?

I see many people who did getting asked for more documents and going to the back of the line...
Does anyone know if the date it changes to processing is where I should count from and not from their estimated date?

I think the misleading estimated date is based on the online application date and not from the date the documents went into 'processing/verifying' so it could mean that the actual estimated date should have been 24/2/22?
I just have no idea lol!

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Current Status: "Processing application. We have received your supporting documents. We are now verifying these documents. "

Does your husband have a particularly complicated set of documents or unusual path to citizenship? I know it's frustrating although I did read that there were a lot of applications sent in January, so perhaps he has been caught in an unfortunate period where there are a lot of applications. I know you said it seems they're being processed out of order but if the passport processing is anything like the processing of foreign birth registrations, they're probably not done in strict date order anyway, it might just depend on whose desk the application landed on.

[Suro]

My husbands first time Irish passport (done online) had an estimated date of the 28/1/22. Its now 4 weeks overdue. I am so nervous whether or not we should use the webchat to chase it up...

I was fine before, as a few people stated theirs were 4 weeks or 5 weeks late. But now seeing people who applied after him getting their passports, I am wondering if I should poke the tiger of webchat or not?

I see many people who did getting asked for more documents and going to the back of the line...
Does anyone know if the date it changes to processing is where I should count from and not from their estimated date?

I think the misleading estimated date is based on the online application date and not from the date the documents went into 'processing/verifying' so it could mean that the actual estimated date should have been 24/2/22?
I just have no idea lol!

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Current Status: "Processing application. We have received your supporting documents. We are now verifying these documents. "

Phew... we have an update at last!!! No bear/tiger poking done (yet!)

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Status changed to Processing application 28/02/22

Fingers crossed the rest goes smoothly for him. Then hopefully it will be me too in +/- 2yrs when my FBR is finally looked at, which was also sent in November 2021

[Suro]

My husbands first time Irish passport (done online) had an estimated date of the 28/1/22. Its now 4 weeks overdue. I am so nervous whether or not we should use the webchat to chase it up...

I was fine before, as a few people stated theirs were 4 weeks or 5 weeks late. But now seeing people who applied after him getting their passports, I am wondering if I should poke the tiger of webchat or not?

I see many people who did getting asked for more documents and going to the back of the line...
Does anyone know if the date it changes to processing is where I should count from and not from their estimated date?

I think the misleading estimated date is based on the online application date and not from the date the documents went into 'processing/verifying' so it could mean that the actual estimated date should have been 24/2/22?
I just have no idea lol!

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Current Status: "Processing application. We have received your supporting documents. We are now verifying these documents. "

Phew... we have an update at last!!! No bear/tiger poking done (yet!)

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Status changed to Processing application 28/02/22

Fingers crossed the rest goes smoothly for him. Then hopefully it will be me too in +/- 2yrs when my FBR is finally looked at, which was also sent in November 2021

Wow.... started cooking food, thought I would look once last time before closing my browser, and...

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Status changed to Processing application 28/02/22
Status changed to Printing 28/02/22

[babyhalloween2]

My husbands first time Irish passport (done online) had an estimated date of the 28/1/22. Its now 4 weeks overdue. I am so nervous whether or not we should use the webchat to chase it up...

I was fine before, as a few people stated theirs were 4 weeks or 5 weeks late. But now seeing people who applied after him getting their passports, I am wondering if I should poke the tiger of webchat or not?

I see many people who did getting asked for more documents and going to the back of the line...
Does anyone know if the date it changes to processing is where I should count from and not from their estimated date?

I think the misleading estimated date is based on the online application date and not from the date the documents went into 'processing/verifying' so it could mean that the actual estimated date should have been 24/2/22?
I just have no idea lol!

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Current Status: "Processing application. We have received your supporting documents. We are now verifying these documents. "

Phew... we have an update at last!!! No bear/tiger poking done (yet!)

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Status changed to Processing application 28/02/22

Fingers crossed the rest goes smoothly for him. Then hopefully it will be me too in +/- 2yrs when my FBR is finally looked at, which was also sent in November 2021

Wow.... started cooking food, thought I would look once last time before closing my browser, and...

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Status changed to Processing application 28/02/22
Status changed to Printing 28/02/22

Amazing, congrats to him. A perfect demonstration of sod's law.

[Suro]

Amazing, congrats to him. A perfect demonstration of sod's law.

Haha thank you! It was a very straightforward application via his Irish Father, so no real idea why it took this long.
After a 4 week overdue verifying time, that has to be a record for processing time! It was about 1 hour haha! I am guessing his application might have fallen on the floor and someone picked it up and said oops and kicked it off again!!
Hoping to see it dispatch today, fingers crossed!

[maguis]

Spoke too soon.

They are saying my proof of name and proof of address were photocopies...

Which one wasn't and the other one was from an online bill. I have ebill for electricity. This is ridiculous.

Estimated delivery date was 22nd of February.

On the queue of the webchat now. See what happens

So sorry to hear that! Curious on your status now - have you got your passport yet? Or are you back in the queue again? I sent all my documentation from online bills and printed my revenue docs form their website..very concerning

[maguis]

Timeline

1 month 3 weeks 4 days ago
14/12/2021
Alert
We have received your application. You must submit your supporting documents to proceed with the application.

1 month 3 weeks 1 day ago
17/12/2021
Processing application
We have received your supporting documents. We are now verifying these documents.

7/02/2022
Processing application
Your application is being processed

Fingers crossed that it goes smoothly and no more documents are required.

Update:
2 days ago
21/02/2022
Printing
Your Passport Book is being printed. Any\all documents submitted will be returned separately

Yesterday
22/02/2022
Dispatched
Your Passport Book was posted on 21/02/2022

Received my passport today. 1 day before the estimated issue date

End of the journey for me. All the best to everyone still waiting!

That's great news! So I assume in the end the fact that you sent printout documents as proof of address / name was not an issue? I sent a print from the revenue website and a print on an eletricity bill (which is online only) so hopefully is ok

[Suro]

Hoping to see it dispatch today, fingers crossed!

===========================
His Timeline for reference:
===========================
Online application : 28/10/2021
Tracking shows documents delivered: 18-11-2021
Passport processing date started: 24/11/2021
Estimated issue date: 28/01/2022
Status changed to Processing application 28/02/22
Status changed to Printing 28/02/22
Status changed to Dispatched
Your Passport Book was posted on 01/03/2022

[Wow90]

Spoke too soon.

They are saying my proof of name and proof of address were photocopies...

Which one wasn't and the other one was from an online bill. I have ebill for electricity. This is ridiculous.

Estimated delivery date was 22nd of February.

On the queue of the webchat now. See what happens

So sorry to hear that! Curious on your status now - have you got your passport yet? Or are you back in the queue again? I sent all my documentation from online bills and printed my revenue docs form their website..very concerning

Haha no

Talked to them last week and only then my 'original docs' were received. When an post delivered them one week before that.

That weren't scanned yet. The girl said it was a Huge backlog so to check again in 2 weeks.

Passport tracker still showing processing

[Patpatriot]

Sounds like operations normal then if you are 1 week past due date and they are saying check back in two weeks. For most of us they were going 2-3 weeks past due date.

[Suro]

Sounds like operations normal then if you are 1 week past due date and they are saying check back in two weeks. For most of us they were going 2-3 weeks past due date.

Four weeks late for my husbands. I don't think Omicron and Christmas helped. But they seem to be getting much faster now. Hopefully the FBR will speed up too

[Mimi2016]

Hi
I will apply for irish passport but i am not sure if I have to send the original documents or copy (certified)because a lot of documents.
Could you help me please.

[Suro]

Hi
I will apply for irish passport but i am not sure if I have to send the original documents or copy (certified)because a lot of documents.
Could you help me please.

Where possible they advise sending originals.
We sent originals of both birth certificates needed, and the only certified copy we did was of his current non Irish passport. For the proof of address both letters were originals.

[Bebika]

Hi all,

This is part of my case with the Irish Passport Office for the last few weeks as they refuse to return my original Passport. I started a legal investigation over that Office with independent public service complaints in Ireland. I'm in contact with my lawyer who is preparing my court case. So do not make my mistake, do not send your original Passport even if they ask you. You can ask your government who issued your Passport a letter that says that the Irish Passport Office doesn't have justified reasons to ask for your passport. You are Irish citizens and have the right to your Irish Passport based on your Naturalization Certificate.

"Any institution has the right to retain the Original Passport, from citizen/residents/anyone, is ONLY in case:

Legal investigation in country of residence,
Legal investigation in citizen original country,
International investigation,
Permission from the Passport owner.

Any other reason is considered illegal/criminal. According to the law, the Irish Passport Office does NOT have legal rights for alienation of my original Passport on either mentioned conditions, they are in a breach of the law.
It is also illegal to require anyone's Original Passport if they do NOT have the justified reasons mentioned above.

Further, they indeed required my Original Passport, retain the same and refused to return WITHOUT justified reasons which are at this point at Garda office jurisdiction and investigation for alienation of only my Original Passport.

As my Original Passport is not the only one that is currently in possession of the Irish Passport Office they become part of organised crime which is in the jurisdiction of Interpol.

If they do NOT return every one of the Original Passports they hold without justified reasons, mentioned above, they can become part of the investigation for organised crime as well as they continue to require anyone's Original Passport if they do NOT have justified reasons mentioned above.

Further, each Irish citizen has legal rights to Irish Passport without breach of their legal rights mentioned above therefore Irish Passport Office does NOT have justified reasons to refuse ANY Irish Passport applications for not submitting Original Passport, together with the application, from their country."

[duffy1867]

Hi
I will apply for irish passport but i am not sure if I have to send the original documents or copy (certified)because a lot of documents.
Could you help me please.

Where possible they advise sending originals.
We sent originals of both birth certificates needed, and the only certified copy we did was of his current non Irish passport. For the proof of address both letters were originals.

How did you certify the passport copy? I'm **hopefully** a few weeks away from FBR, so want to be ready...

Are there options like FBR, or does it need to be a solicitor?

[Suro]

Hi
I will apply for irish passport but i am not sure if I have to send the original documents or copy (certified)because a lot of documents.
Could you help me please.

Where possible they advise sending originals.
We sent originals of both birth certificates needed, and the only certified copy we did was of his current non Irish passport. For the proof of address both letters were originals.

How did you certify the passport copy? I'm **hopefully** a few weeks away from FBR, so want to be ready...

Are there options like FBR, or does it need to be a solicitor?

We got the same Veterinary surgeon who signed his passport form to verify it with a statement and signature and business stamp. I don't think this option is valid if you're IN Ireland, only if you're outside of Ireland when you apply.
See here: "If you do not have a Public Services Card, you must submit an original government issued photographic identification. This could be an original passport from another country or a certified copy of your driver’s licence (certified by a solicitor or notary public)."
https://www.dfa.ie/passports/documentar ... .en.357801

On the actual form printed once you apply it states this:
Government issued photo identification (Copy of front and back of Public Services Card, or
original passport or National ID card from another country, or original Driving Licence). Please
note: If resident outside of the State, certified copies of ID are accepted. A copy can be certified
by a police officer, a solicitor, the witness who signs your Identity Verification Form, or by the
issuing authority.

[babyhalloween2]

Hi
I will apply for irish passport but i am not sure if I have to send the original documents or copy (certified)because a lot of documents.
Could you help me please.

Where possible they advise sending originals.
We sent originals of both birth certificates needed, and the only certified copy we did was of his current non Irish passport. For the proof of address both letters were originals.

How did you certify the passport copy? I'm **hopefully** a few weeks away from FBR, so want to be ready...

Are there options like FBR, or does it need to be a solicitor?

Likewise with the post above mine, I didn't use a solicitor. I work at a university and asked the head of the department to sign my form and also certify my passport copy. I then stamped the photocopy with the university stamp.

[MacTire]

Applied on 21/01 online
Sent the docs around 23/01
Application processed on 01/03
Passport received on 04/03
Still waiting for the passport card

[rox88]

-Online application : 24/11/2021
-Tracking shows documents delivered: 10/12/2021
-Estimated issue date: 12/2/2022
-The Dreaded Further documents needed (Garda forgot to log Identity Verification Form): 10/1/2022
-New documents sent received by office (as confirmed by An Post): 11/1/2022

Tracker was still showing that documents weren't processed. Spoke to support 4 times over 3 weeks. First 2 times was asked to wait more for processing due to backlog, 3rd time support said they will ask the team to investigate if the document is lost, 4th time they confirmed that my application is back in process and there was an issue with the tracker which is why it's still showing that my documents are not received .

-New Estimated issue date: 10/4/2022 (as confirmed by the chat team since my tracker wasn't working)
-Status changed to "Printing": 3/3/2022
-Received the Passport: 4/3/2022
-Passport Card being printed: 4/3/2022

Definitely working faster now. I think I just applied at the worst time (just before Christmas and was asked to send further documents in mid-January at the peak of applications).
My advice is reach out to support via chat at exactly 9am Dublin time. Literally keep refreshing and eventually it'll turn green (I was able to reach out to them 4 times using this without fail).
Be polite and explain the situation. They can't do miracles but they can nudge things along. I think they have a ton of applications and sometimes things get lost in the shuffle. From what I know from friends who applied pre-pandemic, Passports issuing was always relatively quick and hassle free. We're just unlucky that they closed the Passport office last year.
If reaching out to the team caused them to purposefully delay applications, I would' still be waiting since I reached out literally ever 4-5 days after my issue happened until I got clarity on my documents.

I ended up receiving my passport a month and 10 days before the new estimated issue date (and about 2 weeks after the initial estimated issue date).

Good luck to everyone!

[jgclancy]

-New Estimated issue date: 10/4/2022 (as confirmed by the chat team since my tracker wasn't working)
-Status changed to "Printing": 3/3/2022
-Received the Passport: 4/3/2022
-Passport Card being printed: 4/3/2022

I'm interested how fast they send you the passport card .It's been two+ weeks of "Passport Card is Printing " for me. Please post when it arrives too.


jgclancy

[duffy1867]

We got the same Veterinary surgeon who signed his passport form to verify it with a statement and signature and business stamp. I don't think this option is valid if you're IN Ireland, only if you're outside of Ireland when you apply.
See here: "If you do not have a Public Services Card, you must submit an original government issued photographic identification. This could be an original passport from another country or a certified copy of your driver’s licence (certified by a solicitor or notary public)."
https://www.dfa.ie/passports/documentar ... .en.357801

On the actual form printed once you apply it states this:
Government issued photo identification (Copy of front and back of Public Services Card, or
original passport or National ID card from another country, or original Driving Licence). Please
note: If resident outside of the State, certified copies of ID are accepted. A copy can be certified
by a police officer, a solicitor, the witness who signs your Identity Verification Form, or by the
issuing authority.

Likewise with the post above mine, I didn't use a solicitor. I work at a university and asked the head of the department to sign my form and also certify my passport copy. I then stamped the photocopy with the university stamp.

Thank you to you both, very useful