Does my child need their own passport?

We recommend that you get an individual passport for your child.

We no longer include children on their parents' passports. This is intended to make international travel more secure for children and reduce the risk of kidnapping and child trafficking.

My child is included on my current passport

If your child is included on your current passport, they can still travel to some countries up to their 16th birthday, as long as you accompany the child and your passport is valid.

However, there are an increasing number of exceptions to this, including:

• Some European countries
• The US
• The Czech Republic (which requires everyone aged 15 and over to carry their own passport)
• Estonia (which requires everyone aged 7 and over to carry their own passport)

Check before you travel

If your child is included on your Irish passport, we advise you to check with the Embassy of the country to which you’re travelling to make sure they will be allowed to enter the country.