They have advised against booking flights if you are awaiting a passport.
It's that time of year again, we're all getting ready to head away on holiday and there's a rush to get our child's passport sorted.
Whether it's a renewal or getting them one in the first place, it's a hectic time of the year.
The Irish Passport Service is particularly busing during this time of the year and they are now advising holidaymakers to avoid booking flights until all passports have been received.
The organisation has now published its average
turnaround times, allowing parents to have a clearer idea of how long they'll be waiting for their child's passport.
The times can vary on this, though. The wait time depends on whether you are applying for an adult renewal, a first-time application, or a postal application.
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Online Renewal
When it comes to online renewal, the average turnaround time is 10 days for an adult passport.
This service does not normally require any supporting documents.
First-time passport holders
For this, applicants are looking at an average turnaround time of 20 working days as they can be "the most complex as all documents need to be verified".
The Irish Passport Service advises that if applying for this, you should not book travel until you have received your passport.
If applying for this, regardless if it is for an adult or a child, you must submit extra documentation. Consent from a parent or guardian must also be verified.
Complex or child renewals
The turnaround time here is 15 working days for a complex renewal online, which is when you are renewing a passport and are required to submit more documents or are changing any information on the passport.
This covers changing your name or notifying the Passport Service of a lost or stolen passport.
Applications for passport renewals for children fall under this category as the consent of a parent or guardian must be verified.
Post passport applications.
When it comes to applying for a passport through the post, it can have a longer turnaround time.
The average time for this is eight weeks and the Passport Service has warned that this is not a guarantee.
If you are using this service, it is advised that you should not book flights until you receive your passport. Once you have applied for this, the Passport Service cannot return your supporting documents to you until the application is complete, meaning you cannot apply online if you are awaiting a postal passport.
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