All you need to know to apply for a passport for a child/minor (u18).
Children can not apply for passports online and therefore will need to fill out a passport application form. Read all sections of the application form to make sure you've filled it out correctly, including photo requirements and how to get it witnessed properly.
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.
Applications for passports for children living in Ethiopia, Djibouti or South Sudan must include the following (first time applicants and passport renewals):
Both parents should be present at the Embassy or Consulate with the child and the witness so that the consent and witness sections of the passport application form are completed in the presence of an Embassy or Consulate official. The witness should ensure to bring their official stamp and official document certifying that they are a lawyer, medical doctor, accountant, bank manager, elected representative, school principal or member of the clergy. For further information on consent for children, see here .
A signed form APS2 (completed all sections other than the parents' consent and witnessing which should be completed at the Embassy/Consulate). If the child is able to sign his/her signature on the application form they should do so inside the signature box on the left hand side of Section 8 of the application form. If the child is unable to sign, this signature box should be left blank. In such cases, a parent/guardian should sign on the white strip at Section 8 in the presence of the person who witnessed the application. The form includes a section for parental consent which should be completed at the Embassy/Consulate (see below).
The child's Long Form Birth Certificate. The long form birth certificate must be submitted for all applications for children/minors regardless of whether it is their first Irish passport or a subsequent renewal.
Previous Irish passport (if there is a renewal)
4 passport photographs of the child, size 38mmx50mm with 80% face close-up. There should be enough allowance on top of the head (detailed photo instructions are available at the Passport Office website and are also contained inside the application form). Two of the photographs must be signed on the back by the witness who should also write the form number on the two photos.
Current valid passports of the child's parents.
Parents' marriage certificate (if married).
Proof of address for each parent. These can be utility bills, bank statements or an official legal document with the parents' name and address.
Appropriate fee (see Fee section below )
If the certificates are not in English, you must submit a certified English version of the original, translated by a registered translator.
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 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.
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.
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.
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:
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:
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
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.
Your application form is only valid for six months from the date your witness signs Section 9.
If your passport has been lost, stolen or damaged, you must:
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.
Do not, under any circumstances, try to travel on a passport that has been reported as lost or stolen.
Children aged 0-17 can only apply for a 5-year standard passport. The fee is €45.
For passport applications made at the Embassy of Ireland in Ethiopia, passport fees must be paid in Ethiopian Birr. As exchange rates vary on a weekly basis, please contact the Embassy before you apply to find out the correct fee in Ethiopian birr for that month.
All fees for consular, passport and visa services should be paid at Zemen Bank, which is located across the main road from the Embassy.
The Bank will provide a deposit slip which can be presented at the Embassy, together with all other relevant forms and documents. Zemen Bank is open from 8:00am to 7:00pm, Monday to Friday
Application Forms and Where to Apply
APS2 forms are available from the Embassy, Kazanches, Guinea Conakry Street, Addis Ababa (location directly behind the Radisson Blue Hotel), during consular services opening hours.