You will need to include:

• The application form - (APS2 ) see "Fees and Where to apply" tab for information
• 4 Passport Photographs (2 witnessed)
• Your child's long form birth certificate. This must be included for all under 18s
• Previous passport if your child has one
• Further documents for first and/or lost passport applications (see below)

Further documents for first and/or lost passport applications

Please select the option(s) below for information:

• Born outside Ireland to a parent born on the island of Ireland
• Neither parent was born in Ireland but child can claim Irish Citizenship by descent
• Naturalised Irish Citizen
• Born in Ireland on or before 31 December 2004
• Born in Ireland on or after 1 January 2005

If born outside Ireland to a parent born on the island of Ireland you will need:

• Your child's original long-form birth certificate.
• The long-form birth certificate and civil marriage certificate (if applicable) of your child's Irish-born parent.

If the certificates are not in English, you must submit a certified English version of the original, translated by a registered translator.

If neither parent was born in Ireland but your child can claim Irish Citizenship by descent, you will need:

• Your child's original foreign birth registration certificate. Please see the citizenship section if you need to apply for this certificate.
• Your child's original long-form birth certificate.

If the birth certificate is not in English, you must also submit certified English versions of the originals, translated by a registered translator.

We may also ask you to have your original certificates authenticated by an Embassy or Consulate of the country who issued them.

If your child is a naturalised Irish Citizen, you will need:

• Your child's original naturalisation certificate. Please see the citizenship section for more information on this certificate
• Your child's original long-form birth certificate.

If the birth certificate is not in English, you must also submit certified English versions of the originals, translated by a registered translator.

We may also ask you to have your original certificates authenticated by an Embassy or Consulate of the country who issued them.

If born in Ireland on or before 31 December 2004, you will need:

Your child's original long-form birth certificate.

If born in Ireland on or after 1 January 2005, please select from the options below:

• Parent is an Irish citizen
• Parent is a British citizen
• Parent is an EU/EEA/Swiss national
• Parent is a non-EU national
• Parent has refugee status

Parent is an Irish citizen

If your child has a parent who is an Irish citizen or is entitled to be an Irish citizen, include these documents with their passport application:

Your child’s long-form birth certificate.

The long-form birth certificate or Irish passport of that parent, issued before the child’s birth.

Parent is British citizen

If your child has a parent who is a British citizen, include these documents with their passport application:

Your child's original long-form birth certificate.

The British passport of that parent.

Parent is EU/EEA/Swiss national

If your child has a parent who was born within the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, include these documents with their passport application:

• Your child's original long-form birth certificate.
• This is a sworn statement by the parent, giving details of their period of residency in Ireland. It must be properly witnessed.
• The passport or national ID card of the parent who completes Declaration Form A.
• Proof of residency from that parent, who must have lived in Ireland for three of the four years before the child's birth.
• Tax records from that parent, including P60, P45 and P35L certificates.
• Records of any social welfare benefits or statement from the Department of Social Protection confirming that the parent received benefits and giving exact dates.
• Declaration Form A

You may also submit other original documents to fill any gaps in periods of residency. These could include pay slips, utility bills, an official rent/lease agreement, a rent book or bank statements showing local transactions.

Parent is non-EU/EEA/Swiss national

If your child has a parent who was not born within the EU, EEA or Switzerland, include these documents with their passport application:

• Your child's original long-form birth certificate.
• The parent's GNIB card.
• The parent's passport, showing residency stamps granting legal permission to remain in Ireland for three of the four years before the birth of the child.

If the current passport doesn't show sufficient residency, you may have to submit a previous passport.

Your child may not qualify for an Irish passport if your residency was granted for:

• Having an application for refugee status determined
• Study or training purpose or
• Where your child’s parent had diplomatic immunity at the time of the birth

If the stamps don't reflect the full period of residency, you should contact GNIB on 01 6669100 or email gnib@iol.ie before you submit the passport application. They can give you a letter on their official stationary outlining their record of the stamps.

Parent has refugee status

If your child has a parent who was declared a refugee before his/her birth, include these documents with their passport application:

• Your child's original long-form birth certificate.
• The original letter from the Department of Justice declaring the parent's refugee status.
• The parent's passport or travel document.
• The parent's GNIB card.

What are the guidelines for passport photographs?

Size

• Minimum: 35mm x 45mm
• Maximum: 38mm x 50mm

Lighting and focus

• Photos must be in sharp focus and correctly exposed
• Shadows from the head must NOT appear in the background
• Good colour balance and natural skin tones are essential
• 'Red eye' in photographs is not acceptable
• A clear contrast is needed between facial features and background

Photo quality

• Photos must be printed on photo-quality paper at a high resolution
• There should be no ink marks or creases
• Digital enhancements or changes are not acceptable
• The reverse of the photos must be white and unglazed
• Black and white photos are recommended as they're digitally printed onto the passport in black and white. But we also accept colour photos.

Passport photo dos and don'ts

Pose

• Do centre your head in the photo
• Do look directly at the camera
• Do make sure your facial features are clearly visible, from the bottom of your chin to the crown of your head
• Don't tilt your head up/down or left/right

Expression

• Do keep your facial expressions neutral (no raised eyebrows, frowns)
• Do keep both eyes open and your mouth closed
• Don't smile

Glasses, head covers and clothing

• Do wear your glasses (if you normally wear them) but make sure there's no reflection on the lenses and the frames don't obscure your eyes
• Don't wear sunglasses or glasses with tinted lenses, unless they're prescription
• Don't wear a head covering unless it's for religious or medical reasons
• Don't wear a uniform, civil or military (eg showing epaulettes, insignia)

Infants

Infants or very young children who can't support themselves should be photographed lying down on a plain, white surface. No one else should appear in the photo, so make sure that hands or arms used to support the child are not visible.

People with disabilities

If you have a disability that prevents you meeting all of these requirements, contact us and we will offer you further advice.

The consent of all guardians is required for all children under 18 years of age, unless the child is married. Guardianship should not be confused with custody which involves the day to day caring of the child.

This is an additional requirement for children. Everyone under the age of 18 must have the consent of their parents/guardians to get a passport and this consent must be witnessed.

Parents/guardians must:

• Fill in and sign the relevant part of Section 7 of the passport application form in the presence of a witness. If consent of both parents is not available, please see list of options below.

The witness must:

• Complete, sign and stamp Section 7, including a work landline phone number - mobile phone numbers will not be accepted
• Sign each column separately if they witness both parents/guardians' signatures

Your consent witness can be a:

• Police Officer
• Member of clergy
• Medical doctor
• Lawyer
• Bank manager/assistant bank manager
• Elected public representative
• Notary public/ commissioner for oaths
• Peace commissioner
• School principal/vice principal
• Accountant

Consent of one parent is not available:

If one parent is unwilling or unavailable to give their consent for their child's passport to be issued, please check the following options:

• Parents are married or were married
• Parents were married but one parent is deceased
• Only mother named on child's birth certificate
• Parents not married but both named on child's birth certificate

Please contact us if your circumstances are not listed.

Parents are married or were married

Both parents may fill in and sign the relevant part of Section 7 in the presence of a suitable witness.

If one parent is unwilling or unavailable to give their consent for their child's passport to be issued, a court order dispensing with that parent’s consent will be required to proceed with the child's application. This Court Order should direct the Passport Service to dispense with the consent of the unwilling/unavailable parent and allow the Passport Service to issue a passport to your child.

Parents were married but one parent is deceased

The living parent may fill in and sign the relevant part of Section 7 in the presence of a suitable witness.

The original death certificate of the deceased parent together with a Sole Guardian Affidavit form (AFF1) must be submitted. This affidavit should be completed in the presence of a solicitor/commissioner for oaths confirming that the living parent is the sole legal guardian of the child. Print an AFF1 form.

Only mother named on child's birth certificate

The mother of the child must fill in and sign the relevant part of Section 7 of the passport application form in the presence of a suitable witness.

She must also complete a sworn affidavit form (AFF1) in the presence of a solicitor/commissioner for oaths, confirming her as the sole legal guardian. Print an AFF1 form.

Parents not married but both named on child’s birth certificate

Child born in Ireland:

Both parents may fill in and sign the relevant part of Section 7 in the presence of a suitable witness.

If the mother is the sole legal guardian of the child, she must complete a sworn affidavit form (AFF1) in the presence of a solicitor/commissioner for oaths. Print an AFF1 form.

If the child's father has been granted guardianship rights from the courts, or both parents have completed a Statutory Declaration stating that the father has become a joint-guardian, then the consent of the father is required.

For more information on a Statutory Declaration, contact a solicitor or commissioner for oaths.

Child born in Northern Ireland or Great Britain:

If the child's father is named on the birth certificate and the birth was jointly registered by both parents, the father is deemed to have parental responsibility (guardianship) of his child, irrespective of the marital status of the parents.

This was passed into law on the following dates:

• Northern Ireland: 15 April 2002
• England and Wales: 1 December 2003
• Scotland: 4 May 2006

Before this legislation, only the mother was considered an automatic guardian.

Born before legislation

If the child was born before the above dates and the mother is the sole legal guardian of the child, she must complete a sworn affidavit form (AFF1) in the presence of a solicitor/commissioner for oaths. Print an AFF1 form.

Born after legislation

If the child was born in one of these countries after the above dates, both parents must fill in and sign the relevant part of Section 7 in the presence of a suitable witness.

Specific Issues Order

If one parent is unwilling or unavailable to give their consent for their child's passport to be issued, a Specific Issues Order, which dispenses with that parent's consent, must be obtained by the relevant court before we can proceed with the child's application.

Identification

A member of one of the professions listed below can witness your child's passport application form as long as they are satisfied as to your identify and that your four photos are a true likeness of your child.

Make sure you bring photo identification with you and be aware that the witness may ask you for more proof of identification - this is at their discretion.

• Police officer
• Member of clergy
• Medical doctor
• Lawyer
• Bank manager/assistant bank manager
• Elected public representative
• Notary public/commissioner for oaths
• Peace commissioner
• School principal/vice principal
• Accountant

You must:

• Sign Section 8 of the form in the presence of the witness. Everyone aged seven and over must sign their own form. A parent/guardian of a child under seven must sign their own name in the right sided box in Section 8 in front of the witness.

The witness must:

• Complete Section 9 of the form, including a work landline phone number - mobile phone numbers will not be accepted
• Insert the form number from Section 9 on the back of two of your four photos
• Sign and stamp the back of those two photos

Remember...

Your application form is only valid for six months from the date your witness signs Section 9.

Lost/stolen and damaged passports

If your passport has been lost, stolen or damaged, you must:

• Complete Section 6 of the application form, explaining how your previous passport was lost, stolen or damaged
• Have it witnessed and stamped by the same person who witnessed Section 9 of your application

If you lose two or more passports, it may restrict the period of validity for your next passport and it may not be possible to receive your passport in less than 10 working days.

Remember...

Do not, under any circumstances, try to travel on a passport that has been reported as lost or stolen.

Please note that USD fees for passports are regularly updated to keep in line with the Euro fees charged by the Passport Office in Ireland. Please also note that since 11 April 2011, fees also apply to persons aged 65 and over.

Fees are effective from 30 March, 2017

Fees may vary across our network of offices in the USA – this is due to the different postage/courier fees that may apply.

Payment

The Consulate ONLY accepts payment for passports in the form of money order or certified bank check/draft. Payments should be made payable to “Consulate General of Ireland”

We do not currently accept credit card, debit cards, cash or personal checks.

Where to apply

The Passport Office at the Consulate General of Ireland In New York is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm. You can lodge your application in person during these times; alternatively you can mail your application to:

Passport Office
Consulate General of Ireland
345 Park Avenue, 17^th Floor
New York, NY 10154

If you decide to mail your application to us, we strongly recommend that you use registered mail or a reputable courier service. The Consulate cannot be held responsible for applications or documents lost in transit.

Practical information for Irish citizens seeking to adopt in the U.S., register a foreign adoption in Ireland or to trace family members involved in inter-country adoptions.

Irish citizens seeking to adopt in the United States, or to register a foreign adoption in Ireland, should contact the Adoption Authority of Ireland: www.aai.gov.ie/

Please note that in order to obtain an Irish Passport for a child who was adopted outside of Ireland the adoption must first be registered with the Adoption Authority of Ireland.

Irish citizens seeking to trace family members involved in inter-country adoptions may wish to contact Child and Family Agency of Ireland. The Agency provides an adoption tracing service and further information can be found on their website: www.tusla.ie.

Those interested may also wish to register their details with the Irish National Adoption Contact Preference Register, which has been set up to facilitate contact between adopted people and their natural families. The Register is maintained by the Adoption Authority of Ireland.