It’s a fact that traveling is not just leisure. It is a passion for some people. While your traveling essentials might include a lot of things, a passport card is the most important document, without which you can’t travel. If you are looking for a solution to apply for an Irish passport card for the first time, this article has got you covered.
Note: If you already had a passport as a toddler and your passport card is still valid or has expired very recently, then, you would need to apply for a renewal and not a first-time passport card issue.
Moreover, you should apply for the passport card at least six weeks prior to your traveling date.
How to apply first time for the passport card online?
If you are a citizen of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, EEA, Switzerland, or the EU, then you can easily use the Passport Online service to apply for your very first passport card.
How to apply online?
- Include a digital photograph in your online application.
- Post the completion of your online application form, you will need to print an identity verification form which would need a signature from any member of the Garda Siochana, provided that you are a resident of Ireland. If you are from abroad, the form can be witnessed by someone registered in one of the occupations on the passport online site.
- Finally, on the application cover page, you would need to attach your original documents.
How to apply for the passport card first time through post office ?
- You need to fill out the form of APS1 provided you are a resident of Ireland.
- Including 4 identical photographs signed on the back by the person who witnessed the application.
How to apply in-person?
This is the most unadvisable method as it is more time-consuming, expensive, and hectic. The counter service in the passport office is designated to help with renewals and they take making of new passports as the last priority. Still, if that’s the only option feasible to you, then you need to fill out the APS 2 form.
What documents do you need for the first time passport card application?
- Your authentic birth certificate;
- Your marriage certificate;
- Address proof;
- Identity (name) proof;
- Copy of your Public Service Card or original photo identification document issued by the government;
- Driving license, social security card, or national ID card in case you are a citizen of Northern Ireland.
How long does it take to receive a passport card through first time application?
Usually, it takes around 20 days when applied online, 30 days when applied via postal services, and around 40 to 50 days when applied in person.
Please make sure to check all the documents before sending them and do everything carefully. Happy traveling, in advance!
Complete your first time passport card application with a valid photo
Now you can create a valid photo ID from the comforts of your home.
Smartphone iD app is available on Android and iPhone. Take unlimited shots to get a photo that you like, and once our software and team have approved it, receive it shortly in your email and/or within a few days – in your mailbox.
Our artificial intelligence and human control system guarantee 100% that your photo will be accepted and conform to the mandatory ICAO standards and the standards of Ireland’s Passport service.
