Irish passport - wikipedia Irish passport Irish Passport Pas na hÉireann The front cover of a contemporary Irish biometric passport booklet Date first issued 1 October 2006 ( first biometric passport ) 3 October 2013 ( current version ) 2 October 2015 ( passport card ) Issued by Ireland Type of document Passport Purpose Identification Eligibility requirements Irish citizens Expiration Booklet : 10 years for adults, 5 years for children Card : 5 years or validity of holder 's passport booklet, whichever is shorter Cost Adult ( 18 or older ) Standard 32 pages : € 80 Large 66 pages : € 110 Passport card : € 35 Child Standard 32 pages : € 30 Passport card : Not available An Irish passport is the passport issued to citizens of Ireland. An Irish passport enables the bearer to travel internationally and serves as evidence of Irish citizenship and citizenship of the European Union. It also facilitates the access to consular assistance from both Irish embassies and any embassy from other European Union member states while abroad. Irish passports are issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin. All Irish passports have been biometric since 2006. In 2015, the Irish government introduced the Passport Card, which enables Irish citizens who already possess a passport, to travel throughout the European Economic Area and Switzerland. An Irish Passport Card is intended for travel and identification purposes and functions similarly to a European national identity card. Both Irish passports and Irish passport cards allow Irish citizens to travel, live, and work unrestrictedly in any country within the European Economic Area and Switzerland. Irish citizens have visa - free or visa on arrival access to 173 countries and territories ; the international access available to Irish citizens ranks 5th in the world according to the Visa Restrictions Index. Contents 1 History 1.1 `` Sale '' of passports in 1988 -- 1998 1.2 Recent years 2 Passport booklet 2.1 Physical appearance 2.1. 1 Request page 2.1. 2 Languages 2.1. 3 Security features 3 Passport Card 3.1 Security features 4 Visa free travel 5 Notable cases of purported fraudulent use 6 Eligibility for an Irish passport 7 Gallery of historic images 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links History An Irish passport 's information page from 1951 The Irish Free State was created in 1922 as a dominion of the British Commonwealth, modelled explicitly on the Dominion of Canada. At the time dominion status was a limited form of independence and while the Constitution of the Irish Free State referred to citizens of the Free State, the rights and obligations of such citizens were expressed to apply only `` within the limits of the jurisdiction of the Irish Free State ''. The first time Irish passports were used was by the Irish delegation to the League of Nations in August 1923. The Irish Free State first notified the British government that it proposed to issue its own passports in 1923. The Irish initially proposed that the description they would give their citizens in their passports would be `` Citizen of the Irish Free State ''. According to a report from The Irish Times the first time that Irish passports were used was by the Irish delegation to the League of Nations in August 1923. The British Government objected to this. It insisted that the appropriate description was `` British subject '', because, inter alia, the Irish Free State was part of the British Commonwealth. The Irish government considered the British viewpoint. The Governor - General subsequently informed the British Government that the description that would generally ( there were some exceptions ) be used would be `` Citizen of the Irish Free State and of the British Commonwealth of Nations ''. Without reaching agreement, the Irish government issued its first passports to the general public on 3 April 1924, using this description. The British Government was not satisfied with this compromise. It instructed its consular and passport officers everywhere, that Irish Free State passports were not to be recognised if the holder was not described in the passport as a `` British Subject ''. This led to considerable practical difficulty for Irish Free State citizens abroad with many having to obtain British passports in addition to their Irish Free State passports. The British Consular Officers would also confiscate the Irish Free State passports, a practice the Irish authorities regarded as `` very humiliating ''. The issue continued to be a thorny one until the early 1930s. In 1939, two years after the adoption of the Constitution of Ireland renaming the state `` Ireland '', the Irish decided to make significant changes to the form of Irish passports. As a courtesy, the Irish authorities notified the British authorities. In a memorandum dated 1 March 1939 entitled `` The Form of Eire Passports '', the British Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, Thomas W.H. Inskip, informed his Government of developments which had recently taken place `` regarding the form of passports issued by the Government of Eire ''. In the memorandum, the Secretary of State reported that `` hitherto ( the passports ) ( which have not, I understand, been amended since 1936 have borne two indications of relationship to the British Commonwealth of Nations ''. These, the memorandum noted, were the reference to the King including his full title in the `` request '' page ; and a front page, where underneath the words `` Irish Free State '' ( in Irish, English and French ) appear the words `` British Commonwealth of Nations ''. The proposals notified by the Irish authorities included replacing the reference to `` Irish Free State '' with `` Ireland '' ; amending the `` request '' page to drop reference to the King ; and dropping the reference to the `` British Commonwealth of Nations ''. The Secretary of State proposed that he reply to the Irish authorities in terms that `` His Majesty 's Government in the United Kingdom greatly regrets the proposed elimination of the King 's name from Éire passports ; that in their view, the omission, when it comes to be known, is bound to create a bad impression in the UK and to widen the separation which Mr de Valera deplores between Éire and Northern Ireland ''. The Secretary of State noted in his memorandum that to `` say more than this might raise questions ( relating to whether or not Ireland was still in the Commonwealth ) which it was the object of the statement of the 30th December 1937, to avoid ''. This was a reference to the communique published by Downing Street noting the adoption of the Irish Constitution, stating that in their view Ireland continued to be part of the Commonwealth and affirming the position of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. Ultimately, the Irish proceeded with their plans including that the term `` Citizen of the Irish Free State and of the British Commonwealth of Nations '' would be replaced with `` Citizen of Ireland ''. This has remained the description up to present time, with current Irish passports describing the holder as a `` citizen of Ireland '' on the request page and giving the holder 's nationality as `` Éireannach / Irish '' on the information page. `` Sale '' of passports in 1988 -- 1998 A 1988 scheme was designed to draw foreign investment into Ireland, described in a 1998 Seanad debate as the `` Passports for investment scheme '' Each had to invest $1,000,000 and live in Ireland for varying periods. The scheme was scrapped in 1998. Before long it was being described as the `` sale '' of passports in the media, but only 143 passports were passed on under the scheme. Notable applicants included some of the Getty family, Sheikh Khalid bin Mahfouz and Khalid Sabih Masri. Masri had lent IR £ 1,100,000 to the petfood company of then - Taoiseach Albert Reynolds. Another was Norman Turner from Manchester, whose proposed investment was to build a casino in Dublin 's Phoenix Park. Turner had entertained Bertie Ahern and had paid £ 10,000 in cash to his party, and received his passport later in 1994. The matter was revealed during the Mahon Tribunal hearings in 2008 ; Mr Ahern commented that Mr Turner had an Irish mother, and that in 2007 some 7,000 other passport applications were assisted in some way by politicians. The 2006 Moriarty Tribunal report covered the grant of passports to a Mr Fustok and some of his friends. Mr Fustok had previously bought a yearling horse from the then Taoiseach Charles Haughey for IR £ 50,000. The Tribunal considered that `` The explanation advanced for the payment, namely that it was in consideration for the purchase of a yearling, is highly unconvincing and improbable ''. Passport - granting officials have also sold passports illegally, notably Kevin McDonald while working in London, who had sold `` hundreds '' of passports to criminals for up to £ 15,000 each in the 1980s, grossing $400,000. McDonald was prosecuted in 1989 and was sentenced to 21 months in jail. Recent years After the Brexit referendum on 23 June 2016, tens of thousands of Britons as well as many residents in Northern Ireland, applied for an Irish Passport. Passport booklet The biodata page of a contemporary Irish passport Physical appearance Irish passport booklets use the standard European Union design, with a machine - readable identity page and 32 or 66 visa pages. The cover bears the harp, the national symbol of Ireland. The words on the cover are in both of Ireland 's official languages, Irish and English. The top of the cover page reads An tAontas Eorpach and the equivalent in English, European Union. Just above the harp are the words Éire and its equivalent in English, Ireland. The identity page on older Irish passport booklets was on the back cover of the booklet. Newly issued passport booklets have been redesigned with additional security features. The identity page is now a plastic card attached between the front cover and the first paper page ( the `` Observations '' page ). The ePassport or biometric passport, was launched on 16 October 2006 with the first ePassports presented that day by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Photo of passport holder, printed in greyscale. Type ( P ) Country ( IRL ) Passport number 1. Surname 2. Forename ( s ) 3. Nationality ( ÉIREANNACH / IRISH ) 4. Date of Birth 5. Sex 6. Place of birth ( county of birth if born on the island of Ireland ( all 32 counties ), 3 letter country code of country of birth if born elsewhere. ) 7. Date of issue 8. Date of expiry 9. Authority 10. Signature The information page ends with the machine readable zone starting with P < IRL. Request page Irish passport booklets contain a note on the inside cover which states : In Irish : Iarrann Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála na hÉireann ar gach n - aon lena mbaineann ligean dá shealbhóir seo, saoránach d'Éirinn, gabháil ar aghaidh gan bhac gan chosc agus gach cúnamh agus caomhnú is gá a thabhairt don sealbhóir. In English : The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland requests all whom it may concern to allow the bearer, a citizen of Ireland, to pass freely and without hindrance and to afford the bearer all necessary assistance and protection. Formerly, the request was also made in French, but this has been discontinued as newer versions of the passport were introduced. Languages The data page / information page is printed in Irish, English and French. Each detail includes a reference number ( e.g. `` 1 SLOINNE / SURNAME / NOM '' ). This reference number can be used to look up translations into any other EU language, as all EU passports share a standard text layout. Security features The latest Irish passport booklets have security features designed to make them difficult to forge or be mistaken as forgeries. They have also been optimised for machine reading. The identity page of the passport booklet has been moved to the front of the passport and is now printed on a plastic card. This allows easier machine reading of the passport, as the official has to spend less time finding the identity page in the passport. The top - right corner of the passport booklet contains the biometric chip, which contains a copy of the information contained on the identity page, and a facial scan of the holder. To prevent unauthorised parties remotely accessing the information stored in the RFID biometric chip, the machine readable zone of the identity page must be scanned to unlock it. This safeguard is known as Basic Access Control. The title of the identity page `` Éire / Ireland / Irlande '' `` Pas / Passport / Passeport '' is printed in colour - changing ink, which varies from light green to gold - red, depending on the angle of the light shining on it. The background of the identity page is a complex celtic design, with the words `` Éire Ireland '' occasionally woven into the design. The identity picture is now greyscale, and is digitally printed onto the surface of the page, rather than the actual photos sent by the applicant being pasted onto the page. The Irish harp is superimposed as a hologram onto the bottom right corner of the photograph. The words `` Éire Ireland '' are embossed several times into either side of the identity page. This embossing partially covers the photograph as an added security measure. A likeness of the photograph of the applicant is pin - punched into the surface of the identity page, and can be viewed when the identity page is held to light. Under UV light, fluorescing fibres are visible on every page except the data page. Article 2 of the Irish constitution is also visible under UV light and is printed in both Irish and English on alternate pages. The newer versions of the Irish passport also reveal a topographical map of Ireland on the observations page and Irish landmarks, like the Samuel Beckett Bridge and the Aviva Stadium in Dublin as well as poems in Irish, English and Ulster Scots. Passport card Passport Card Front of the card ( note that the validity of this specimen image is TEN years, rather than the actual current maximum of FIVE years ) Reverse Issued by Ireland Valid in All EU & EFTA states European microstates Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Faroe Islands French overseas territories Georgia Greenland ( de facto ) Moldova Montenegro ( max 30 days without a residence permit ) North Cyprus Type of document Passport card ; optional convenient addition / replacement for existing bearers of an Irish passport booklet for extra charge Purpose Proof of identity Eligibility requirements Irish citizenship, Aged 18 + only A credit card - sized Passport Card was introduced on 5 October 2015. It was originally announced as being available in mid-July 2015 but was subsequently delayed. It conforms to international standards for biometric and machine readable travel documents promulgated by ICAO. Unlike the United States Passport Card, which can not be used for air travel or outside North America ( except when entering Albania by air ), the Irish passport card can be used for air travel and throughout the European Economic Area and Switzerland. However, at introduction, it was only publicised as having been approved to enter and exit their territories by countries in the EEA. A few days afterwards it was confirmed that Switzerland had given its approval. The Irish Passport Card is a passport in card format and is intended to be usable as a travel document in most European countries, in a similar way to national identity cards elsewhere in the EEA. It is largely treated in the same way as an identity card in several other EU countries, since that is what their laws call such cards.. However, the IATA Timatic database used by airlines to find out document requirements lists the passport card as a separate document type. In addition, Serbia and Macedonia, who accept identity cards from other EU countries, have stated they do not accept the Irish passport card, meaning Irish citizens remain obliged to present a passport book when entering those countries. The card uses the designation `` IP '' in its machine readable zone ( MRZ ) ( the `` P '' is without meaning in the MRZ standard ). Although ICAO began preparatory work on machine readable passport cards as early as 1968, Ireland was the first country to issue one for air travel and the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, highlighted the novelty and utility of Ireland 's Passport Card at its 2015 introduction. It costs € 35 and is valid for five years or the validity of the bearer 's passport booklet, whichever is less. It is only issued to Irish citizens aged 18 years or over. Unlike national identity cards issued in other parts of the EU, an Irish passport card can not be issued unless the bearer already has a valid passport booklet but, because of its convenient size and durable format compared to the Irish passport booklet, it will also serve purposes similar to that of national identity cards in other parts of the EU : identity and age verification, and intra-EU travel. It is not possible yet to use this card at electronic border gates / e-gates in Europe. This includes the newly installed suite of electronic passport control gates at Dublin airport. At airports with fewer manned border control posts this can commonly cause delays. Security features The long - delayed and recently issued Irish passport cards have security features designed to make them difficult to forge or be mistaken as forgeries. They have also been optimised for machine reading. The top - left corner of the passport card contains the biometric chip, which contains a copy of the information printed on the card, and a facial scan of the holder. To prevent unauthorised parties remotely accessing the information stored in the RFID biometric chip, the machine readable zone of the identity page must be scanned to unlock it. This safeguard is known as Basic Access Control. The designation of the document `` Éire / Ireland / Irlande '' `` Pas / Passport / Passeport '' is printed in colour - changing ink, which varies from light green to gold - red, depending on the angle of the light shining on it. The background for the front of the passport card is a complex Celtic design, with the words for Éire / Ireland '' appearing in the official languages of the EU as part of the design. The identity picture is greyscale, and is digitally printed onto the surface of the special security polycarbonate. The Irish harp is superimposed as a hologram onto the bottom right corner of the photograph. A likeness of the applicant in a hologram photo on a strip on the back is the first time this security feature will be used on travel documents according to the Irish security printing firm DLRS Group that assisted in its development. Ireland 's passport card was joint winner of the Best Regional ID Document at the High Security Printing Europe Conference in Bucharest, Romania in March 2016. Visa Free travel Main article : Visa requirements for Irish citizens Visa requirements for Irish citizens Ireland Freedom of movement Visa not required Visa on arrival eVisa Visa available both on arrival or online Visa required prior to arrival Visa requirements for Irish citizens are travel restrictions placed upon citizens of Ireland by the authorities of other states. In 2017, Irish citizens had visa - free or visa on arrival access to 173 countries and territories, jointly ranking the Irish passport 5th worldwide according to the Visa Restrictions Index. Notable cases of purported fraudulent use An Irish passport, legitimate or fraudulent, is viewed by many -- including intelligence services and journalists -- as a highly valuable and ' safe ' document due to Ireland 's policy of neutrality. Oliver North ( using the name `` John Clancy '' ) a United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and a central figure in the Iran - Contra scandal, carried a false Irish passport while visiting Iran in 1986, as did his fellow covert operatives. This was part of a series of events that became known as the Iran -- Contra affair. In December 2005, Ireland 's Minister for Justice Michael McDowell accused journalist Frank Connolly of having travelled to Colombia in 2001 on a falsely obtained Irish passport in connection with the group known as the Colombia Three. Connolly, who worked at the Centre for Public Inquiry, ( intended as a public watch - dog organisation ), vigorously denied the allegation and in turn accused the Minister of abusing his position. On 19 January 2010, Mahmoud al - Mabhouh, a senior Hamas military commander, was assassinated in Dubai by a team involving at least 11 individuals, three of whom were initially reported as using counterfeit Irish passports. The number of forged Irish passports used in the killing was later revised upwards to eight following a Garda and Department of Foreign Affairs investigation. The Irish government responded by expelling a staff member of the Israeli Embassy in Dublin. It stated it considered `` an Israeli government agency was responsible for the misuse and, most likely, the manufacture of the forged Irish passports associated with the murder of Mr. Mabhouh. '' In June 2010 it was alleged that one of ten covert sleeper agents of the Russian government under non-official cover in the United States as part of the `` Illegals Program '' used a forged Irish passport issued in the name of `` Eunan Gerard Doherty '' to `` Richard Murphy. '' The Russian embassy in Dublin reportedly declined to comment on the allegations that its officials had used a counterfeit Irish passport. `` Richard Murphy, '' who later identified himself as Russian national Vladimir Guryev, was repatriated to Russia, along with the other nine members of the Illegals Program, as part of a prisoner exchange. It later emerged that the passports of up to six Irish citizens may have been compromised by the Russian agents. This led to the expulsion of a Dublin - based Russian diplomat in February 2011. ELIGIBILITY for an Irish passport Main article : Irish nationality law Map of most commonly held passport in Northern Ireland. Irish passports may only be issued to individuals holding Irish citizenship. Irish nationality law is extended to include Northern Ireland. All Irish citizens have the constitutional right to hold a passport, although the Irish state may limit this right for purposes of national security. Irish courts also have the power to confiscate passports of defendants. Adult passport booklets are generally valid for 10 years and children passport booklets valid for 5 years. The validity of passport booklets can be limited by the Passport Office for certain individuals, especially those who have lost two or more passports. Passport cards are only issued to bearers of passport booklets aged 18 or older and are valid for 5 years or the validity of the corresponding passport booklet, whichever is the lesser period. There was a post-Brexit Irish passport surge, breaking previous records with over 700,000 passports issued by the end of November 2016. Gallery of historic images Irish Free State passport cover as issued 1927 ( holder 's name removed )... and its associated ' Request ' page. Passport from 1950 Passport from 1978 Two shilling passport revenue stamp, 1939. See also Ireland portal International relations portal Driving licence in Ireland Irish nationality law Passports of the European Union Visa requirements for Irish citizens Notes Jump up ^ Ranks are assigned using dense ranking. A standard ranking places Irish passports joint 16th. References Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Jump up ^ ( 3 ) Jump up ^ `` Passport fees - How much does a passport cost ? ''. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 2018 - 01 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Constitution of the Irish Free State ( Saorstát Eireann ) Act, 1922 ''. Irishstatutebook.ie. 1921 - 12 - 06. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. ^ Jump up to : The Irish Times, 8 September 1923. The report stated `` The Irish delegation to the League of Nations left Kingstown last week by the mail boat Soctia, en route for Geneva... ( seeking ) admission for the Irish Free State to the League of Nations... The party are travelling on Irish passports. This is the first occasion on which Irish passports have come into use. '' ^ Jump up to : `` Despatch, T.M. Healy to J.H. Thomas from T.M. Healy to J.H. Thomas - 04 March 1924 - Documents on IRISH FOREIGN POLICY ''. Difp.ie. 1924 - 03 - 04. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Letter, Walshe to O'Hegarty enclosing a memorandum from FitzGerald to Walshe from Joseph Walshe to Diarmuid O'Hegarty - 28 December 1923 - Documents on IRISH FOREIGN POLICY ''. Difp.ie. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Defending Ireland : the Irish state and its enemies since 1922 -- By Eunan O'Halpin, pg 75 ^ Jump up to : `` Passports from Gearóid Ó Lochlainn to J.P. Walshe - 20 August 1927 - Documents on IRISH FOREIGN POLICY ''. Difp.ie. 1927 - 08 - 20. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. ^ Jump up to : British Archives, Memorandum to Cabinet dated 1 March 1939 by Thomas WH Inskip Jump up ^ ( 4 ) Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 20. Jump up ^ Reilly, Jerome ( 22 October 2006 ). `` Gettys seek return of 74m from ' passports for sale ' scheme ''. Independent.ie. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Jump up ^ Collins, Neil ; Mary O'Shea ( 2000 ). Understanding corruption in Irish politics. Undercurrents ( Cork, Ireland ). 17. Cork University Press. pp. 36 -- 37. ISBN 978 - 1 - 85915 - 273 - 7. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Moriarty Tribunal, part 1, chapter 17, IRISH PASSPORTS AND MR. FUSTOK 'S FRIENDS '' ( PDF ). Moriarty-tribunal.ie. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Irish Official Suspected of Passport Selling ''. Articles.latimes.com. 2009 - 04 - 07. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Post Office runs out of form for Irish passports after Brexit Metro News ''. Metro.co.uk. 2016 - 06 - 25. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Henry McDonald Ireland. `` Huge rise in Britons applying for Irish citizenship after Brexit vote World news ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern TD, Launches new ePassport, 16th October 2006 ''. Press Releases. Department of Foreign Affairs. 16 October 2006. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 24. Jump up ^ Department of Foreign Affairs ( 2013 - 09 - 02 ). `` Passport Card - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ''. Dfa.ie. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Council of the European Union - PRADO - Search by Document Country in the Register of European ID Docs ''. Consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Visa Information - Destination : Andorra ''. Timaticweb.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Visa Information - Destination : Monaco ''. Timaticweb.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Visa Information - Destination : San Marino ''. Timaticweb.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Visa Information - Destination : Vatican City ''. Timaticweb.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. ^ Jump up to : `` Visa Information - Destination : Denmark ''. Timaticweb.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` VisitFaroeIslands - Living in the Faroe Islands ''. Web.archive.org. 21 May 2012. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Passport Information : French West Indies ''. Timaticweb.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 2015 - 06 - 19. Jump up ^ ( 5 ) Jump up ^ ( 6 ) Jump up ^ Fiach Kelly ( 2015 - 10 - 05 ). `` Credit - card size passport for European travel available today ''. Irishtimes.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Minister Flanagan announces new passport card - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ''. Dfa.ie. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. ^ Jump up to : Aine McMahon ( 2014 - 12 - 21 ). `` New passport card for travel in EU arriving early in 2015 ''. Irishtimes.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Written answers to questions asked in the Irish Parliament on Tuesday, 13 October 2015 quoted in kildarestreet.com and accessed 2 December 2015 : `` Q 345 : Paul Murphy ( Dublin South West, Socialist Party ) To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 483 of 10 February 2015, and the contradictory information on the Department website ( details supplied ), if he will confirm whether the passport card is valid for travel to Switzerland. ( 35223 / 15 ). A 345 : Charles Flanagan ( Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ; Laois - Offaly, Fine Gael ) On 5 October I launched the passport card which will facilitate travel by Irish citizens within all thirty countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area. Last week, my Department, through the Embassy in Berne, received confirmation from the authorities in Switzerland that they will also accept the passport card for travel. Our website has been updated accordingly. '' Jump up ^ There are references for Sweden and UK nine words to the right Jump up ^ `` Utlänningsförordning ( 2006 : 97 ) ''. Notisum.se ( in Swedish ). Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. ( Translation of 17 § : An identity card for a foreigner who is a national of the issuing state which indicates citizenship and is issued by a competent authority in an EEA state or Switzerland, is valid as a passport at the alien 's arrival to and departure from Sweden, and while the alien is permitted to stay here ) Jump up ^ `` Entering the UK ''. gov.uk. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Press Release : Minister Flanagan Launches Irish Passport Card ''. An tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015. The introduction of the passport card is a significant innovation that will enhance the travel experience for Irish people as they go on holidays or business trips... I am particularly proud that we are one of the very first countries in the world to introduce such a passport card. It represents a very positive story of Irish - led creative thinking and innovation and illustrates that we are very much pioneers in this area. Jump up ^ `` Doc 9303 : Machine Readable Travel Documents, '' ( PDF ). Seventh Edition, 2015. 999 Robert - Bourassa Boulevard, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3C 5H7 : International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO ). 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015. ICAO 's work on machine readable travel documents began in 1968 with the establishment, by the Air Transport Committee of the Council, of a Panel on Passport Cards. This Panel was charged with developing recommendations for a standardized passport book or card that would be machine readable, in the interest of accelerating the clearance of passengers through passport controls... In 1998, the New Technologies Working Group of the TAG / MRTD began work to establish the most effective biometric identification system and associated means of data storage for use in MRTD applications, particularly in relation to document issuance and immigration considerations. The bulk of the work had been completed by the time the events of 11 September 2001 caused States to attach greater importance to the security of a travel document and the identification of its holder. The work was quickly finalized and endorsed by the TAG / MRTD and the Air Transport Committee... The Seventh Edition of Doc 9303 represents a restructuring of the ICAO specifications for Machine Readable Travel Documents. Without incorporating substantial modifications to the specifications, in this new edition Doc 9303 has been reformatted into a set of specifications for Size 1 Machine Readable Official Travel Documents ( TD1 ), Size 2 Machine Readable Official Travel Documents ( TD2 ), and Size 3 Machine Readable Travel Documents ( TD3 )... Jump up ^ Patrick, John ( 2015 - 10 - 05 ). `` There 's a new Irish passport system - here 's all you need to know ''. Belfast Live. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Department of Foreign Affairs. `` FAQ - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ''. Dfa.ie. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Irish passport card delayed to improve its durability Security Document News ''. Securitydocumentworld.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Ireland rolls out new passport card Security Document News ''. Securitydocumentworld.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Mayhew, Stephen ( 2016 - 04 - 04 ). `` Ireland 's selfie - friendly passport card wins international security award ''. BiometricUpdate.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Nice and neutral : why Irish passports are a spook 's best friend ''. Irish Times. 20 February 2010. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ North, Oliver ( 2003 ). War stories : Operation Iraqi Freedom. War Stories. 1. Regnery Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 978 - 0 - 89526 - 063 - 5. Retrieved 17 February 2010. Jump up ^ Persico, Joseph E. ( 1990 ). Casey : from the OSS to the CIA. Publisher Viking. p. 503. ISBN 978 - 0 - 670 - 82342 - 0. Retrieved 17 February 2010. Jump up ^ `` Connolly accused of using false passport ''. RTÉ News. 6 December 2005. Retrieved 17 February 2010. Jump up ^ `` US backer withdraws funding for CPI ''. RTÉ News. 7 December 2005. Retrieved 17 February 2010. Jump up ^ `` ' Hit squad ' used fake Irish passports ''. Independent.ie. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2010. Jump up ^ `` Irish to expel Israeli diplomat over Hamas killing ''. BBC News. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2010. Jump up ^ `` Statement on... fraudulent use of Irish passports in the assassination of Mr. Mahmoud al Mabhouh ''. Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2010. Jump up ^ `` False Irish passport ' used by spy ring ' ''. UTV News. 29 June 2010. Archived from the original on 1 July 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010. Jump up ^ `` False Irish passport ' used by spy subject ' ''. The Sunday Business Post. ThePost.ie. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010. Jump up ^ Moore, Martha T. ; Kevin Johnson ( 2010 - 07 - 09 ). `` Pleas in Russian spy case set deal in motion ''. USA Today. Retrieved 11 July 2010. Jump up ^ Brady, Tom ; Anita Guidera ( 12 October 2010 ). `` Russian spy ring linked to forged Irish passports ''. Irish Independent. Ireland : Independent News & Media ( INM ). Retrieved 12 October 2010. Jump up ^ `` Russian diplomat expelled over fake passports ''. RTÉ News. RTÉ Commercial Enterprises Ltd,. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011. Jump up ^ `` Census 2011 ''. Retrieved 29 January 2014. Jump up ^ `` Fundamental Rights under the Irish Constitution ''. www.citizensinformation.ie. Jump up ^ `` Department of Foreign Affairs -- Issue of Passports to Irish Citizens ( SECTION 10.4 ELIGIBILITY ) ''. Foreignaffairs.gov.ie. Archived from the original ( DOC ) on 9 July 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2016. Jump up ^ ( 7 ) Jump up ^ `` 700,000 Passport issued amid Brexit surge ''. www.IrishExaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 29 November 2016. Further reading Torpey, John C. ( 2000 ). The Invention of the Passport : Surveillance, Citizenship, and the State. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 521 - 63493 - 9. Lloyd, Martin ( 2003 ). The Passport : The History of Man 's Most Travelled Document. Sutton. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7509 - 2964 - 6. O'Grady, Joseph P. ( Nov 1989 ). `` The Irish Free State Passport and the Question of Citizenship, 1921 - 4 ''. Irish Historical Studies. 26 ( 104 ) : 396 -- 405. JSTOR 30008695. Daly, Mary E. ( May 2001 ). `` Irish Nationality and Citizenship since 1922 ''. Irish Historical Studies. 32 ( 127 ) : 377 -- 407. JSTOR 30007221. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Passports of Ireland. Department of Foreign Affairs -- Passports Passports Africa Central CEMAC Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Congo, Republic of the Equatorial Guinea Gabon Angola Congo, Democratic Republic of the São Tomé and Príncipe Eastern Burundi Comoros Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Rwanda Seychelles Somalia Somaliland South Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Northern Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Sudan Tunisia Western Sahara Southern Botswana Lesotho Namibia South Africa Swaziland Western Mauritania Saint Helena ECOWAS Benin Burkina Faso Cape Verde Côte d'Ivoire Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea - Bissau Liberia Mali Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Togo Americas Caribbean Anguilla British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Cuba Dominican Republic Montserrat Turks and Caicos Islands CARICOM Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Dominica Grenada Haiti Jamaica Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Central Costa Rica Panama CARICOM Belize Central America - 4 El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua North Bermuda Canada Greenland France ( Saint Pierre and Miquelon ) Mexico United States Iroquois League South Chile Venezuela Andean Bolivia Colombia Ecuador Peru CARICOM Guyana Suriname Mercosur Argentina Brazil Paraguay Uruguay Asia Central & North Afghanistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan East People 's Republic of China Hong Kong ( SAR, BN ( O ) ) Macao Japan Korea, North Korea, South Mongolia Republic of China ( Taiwan ) South Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Southeast Brunei Burma Cambodia East Timor Indonesia Laos Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam West Abkhazia Armenia Artsakh Azerbaijan Bahrain Cyprus Egypt Georgia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kurdistan Kuwait Lebanon Northern Cyprus Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia South Ossetia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen Europe Other Europe Abkhazia Albania Andorra Armenia Artsakh Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Faroe Islands Georgia Guernsey Iceland Isle of Man Jersey Kazakhstan Kosovo Liechtenstein Macedonia Malta, Sovereign Military Order of Moldova Monaco Montenegro Northern Cyprus Norway Russia San Marino Serbia South Ossetia Switzerland Transnistria Turkey Ukraine Vatican City European Union Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom Oceania Australia Aboriginal Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia, Federated States of Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Pitcairn Islands Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu International organizations Defunct passports Passport types International organizations European Union laissez - passer International Committee of the Red Cross Interpol United Nations laissez - passer Defunct British Indian Empire Czechoslovakia East Germany Korean Empire Nansen ( refugee ) Mandatory Palestine Rhodesia Soviet Union UNMIK Travel Document Yugoslavia Types Biometric Camouflage Diplomatic Fake Fantasy passport Hajj Horse Internal International Machine - readable Pet Travel document alien refugee stateless person World Notes A ) Includes Crown dependencies, British Overseas Territories, and former British plantations, crown colonies, colonies, protectorates, protected states, mandates, trust territories and other British possessions. B) The Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey are not part of the European Union, but Manxmen and Channel Islanders are citizens of the European Union ; the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, and Manxmen and Channel Islanders themselves ( unless they qualify and apply for recognition of a change in status ), are however excluded from the benefits of the Four Freedoms of the European Union. C ) The Government of the United Kingdom also issue passports to British nationals who are not British citizens with the right of abode in the United Kingdom and who are also not otherwise citizens of the European Union. Non-EU country that has open border with Schengen Area. Russia is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. The vast majority of its population ( 80 % ) lives in European Russia, therefore Russia as a whole is included as a European country here. Turkey is a transcontinental country in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. Turkey has a small part of its territory ( 3 % ) in Southeast Europe called Turkish Thrace. Azerbaijan and Georgia ( Abkhazia ; South Ossetia ) are transcontinental countries. Both have a small part of their territories in the European part of the Caucasus. Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country. Kazakhstan has a small part of its territories located west of the Urals in Eastern Europe. Armenia ( Artsakh ) and Cyprus ( Northern Cyprus ) are entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio - political connections with Europe. Egypt is a transcontinental country in North Africa and Western Asia. Egypt has a small part of its territory in Western Asia called Sinai Peninsula. Partially recognized. Not recognized by any other state. Special administrative regions of China The Soviet Union was a transcontinental country located in Eurasia Commons List National identity cards Africa Egypt Ghana Mozambique South Africa Asia Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh China Hong Kong Macau Cyprus Georgian India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Kazakhstan Kuwait South Korea Lebanon Malaysia Pakistan Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore United Arab Emirates Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Turkey Europe European Economic Area & Schengen Area Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Estonia Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands ( BES ) Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Other Europe Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgia Kazakhstan Kosovo Macedonia Moldova Monaco Montenegro Russia Serbia Turkey Ukraine North America Costa Rica Dominican Republic United States South America Argentina Brazil Chile British Overseas Territories. Open border with Schengen Area. Russia is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. The vast majority of its population ( 80 % ) lives in European Russia, therefore Russia as a whole is included as a European country here. Turkey is a transcontinental country in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. Has a small part of its territory ( 3 % ) in Southeast Europe called Turkish Thrace. Azerbaijan ( Artsakh ) and Georgia ( Abkhazia ; South Ossetia ) are transcontinental countries. Both have a small part of their territories in the European part of the Caucasus. Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country. Has a small part of its territories located west of the Urals in Eastern Europe. Armenia and Cyprus ( Northern Cyprus ) are entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio - political connections with Europe. Egypt is a transcontinental country in North Africa and the Middle East. Has a small part of its territory in the Middle East called Sinai Peninsula. Partially recognized. Biometric identity cards ( ) are indicated in italics. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irish_passport&oldid=829296261 '' Categories : Passports by country Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ( Ireland ) Irish nationality law European Union passports Hidden categories : CS1 : Julian -- Gregorian uncertainty All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from January 2018 Articles with permanently dead external links CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown CS1 Swedish - language sources ( sv ) Use dmy dates from March 2014 EngvarB from March 2014 Articles containing Irish - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Español Français Hrvatski Italiano Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Türkçe Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 7 March 2018, at 19 : 48. 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Question: what countries can you work in with an irish passport
Answer: any country within the European Economic Area and Switzerland