Alan Kelly
Question:397. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there are plans to allow first-time applicants access to passport online for persons living in South Africa, India and Japan. [7645/22]
View answerTuesday, 15 February 2022
Questions (397)
Written answers
Passport Online has been the most significant innovation of the Passport Service in more than a decade. The Passport Online Service was first launched in 2017 to facilitate adults renewing their passport. This was expanded in 2018 to child renewals and again at the end of 2019 to first time applicants, irrespective of age both children and Adult in Ireland, UK, and all EU and EEA countries. The most recent expansion was in 2021 which facilitated first time applications from USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Further expansion will take place over the next 18 months to make the service available to all first time applicants. South Africa will be the first country to benefit from this further expansion by the end of March while India and Japan are scheduled towards the end of 2022.
Currently 98% of passport applicants globally have access to the Passport Online service and it is four times faster than paper-based applications for adult and child renewal applications. Passport Online is the fastest, easiest and safest way to apply for a passport. Over 90% of applicants now apply online compared to 47% of applications received online in 2019.