All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issue of passports.
Section 10 of the Act provides that a passport will issue in the name of a citizen as it appears on his/her birth certificate or naturalisation certificate. However, a name change for a passport from that which appears on a person’s birth certificate is permitted under the Act in certain situations such as marriage, civil partnership etc. where civil or legal documents are available to verify this change.
In cases where name change arises other than by marriage or civil partnership etc., the Act requires evidence of the use of this new name over a two year period.
The question of what a person’s name is at any given moment in time depends upon its usage and the evidence to support the constant and sustained use of this new identity. Evidence of this for at least two years through documentation such as bills/bank statements/official correspondence is required as a deed poll is not adequate evidence of the constant use of a new name. This policy seeks to protect the integrity and security of Irish passports against passport and identity fraud while allowing for genuine cases where name changes have occurred.
The Passport Service takes its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish passport very seriously. The Irish passport has a strong international reputation due to the strength of the security features within the passport book and the robust processes involved in its issuance. The Irish passport was recently ranked 5th in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to 187 countries.
