Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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166. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the correct procedure to be followed by a person (details supplied) whose passport expires in July 2018 but who reaches 18 years of age in November 2018; if an adult passport is the correct passport to be applied for in this instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24534/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008 (“the Act”) which sets, among other things, special requirements for the issuing of a passport to a minor. The Passport Service is bound by Irish law, and under no circumstances may it deviate from these statutory requirements. Therefore, an applicant may not apply for an adult passport until they have reached 18 years of age.

In this particular instance, if the person in question intends to travel before they have reached 18 years of age they must renew their passport as a minor. Passports issued to a minor are valid until the date of expiry listed on the document, regardless of whether the passport holder is at that time an adult or a minor. When they seek to renew their passport again in 5 years’ time upon expiry of that document, they may then apply for an adult passport.