Here I got the dreaded email today:
Thank you for using our online service. We have noticed an issue with your application which we hope can be easily resolved.
Additional supporting documents are required to complete the processing of your passport application.
As you are applying as a naturalized citizen you are required to send in a second in date government issued ID.
For example a colour photocopy of your public services card or a certified photocopy of your drivers license if you possess one.
My original estimated issue date was tomorrow, but that's probably not happening now. I have travel coming up the week after next, so going to request my original passport back (since it's sufficient for the travel I need to do), we'll see how that affects my application.
I only sent a single form of ID initially since that's what the original cover letter asked for:
Additional documents are required to verify your citizenship.
- Cover page
- Identity Verification Form
- Applicant's full civil birth certificate
- Copy of front and back of Public Services Card, or a copy of driving licence certified by a solicitor or
An Garda Síochána, or original passport or National ID Card from another country. If resident
outside the state, certified colour copies of ID are acceptable. A copy can be certified by a police
officer, a solicitor, the witness who signs your Identity Verification Form, or by the issuing authority.
- Proof of name (for example, original utility bills, bank statements, government correspondence)
- Proof of address
If you are providing your original passport from country of birth/previous nationality you do
not need to submit additional government issued photo identification.
- Applicant's Naturalisation certificate (we will also accept a colour copy of Naturalisation Certificate,
certified as a true copy of the original by a solicitor or notary public)
- 2 years' proof of usage of the new name, i.e. 1 document each from 2 acceptable sources dated
more than 2 years ago: photocopy of PSC, photo ID document, pay slips, utility bills, government
correspondence
(I am applying for a passport in a different name than is on my birth certificate, hence the line about 2 years' proof of usage of name)
I even contacted them before sending off my documents to double check that it was correct that they only needed one form of ID, and they confirmed via WebChat that this was correct, and now I feel bad for trusting that
I didn't have a PSC when I applied, but have since gotten one, so I'll just send that I think, hopefully they won't ask for more paperwork.
After talking to them on the WebChat again they said:
Yes unfortunately naturalized applicants now require two government issued IDs I will note the travel date on your application, and I will return your [original nationality] passport to you in the meantime, so you can send the additional ID as soon as ye can
The complication now is that I was applying for an Irish passport in a different name than my original passport (I wanted to remove my middle name as it does not really work very well with naming traditions in the English speaking world), but apparently this is not possible, as a naturalised citizen all the documents have to match up. So I think the easiest thing for me now is to change my name in my country of origin, and get a new passport and birth certificate in my new name, and then just send all of that back instead.
Thankfully I don't urgently need the Irish passport since I'm already an EEA citizen, so in terms of travel my original passport works about as well as the Irish one, but I had hoped for a simpler application...
