It's that time of the year when people will be preparing to spend their Easter break abroad or thinking about a summer holiday. But before you rush to book flights and pack your suitcase, there's a crucial step you might be overlooking - and it could make or break your entire getaway.
In a major warning to all travellers, the Irish Passport Office has urged holidaymakers to check their passports long before they even think about boarding a flight. Failing to do so could leave you stranded at the airport, or worse, ruin your entire trip, the Irish Mirror reports.
The office is reminding tourists of a little-known rule that could cause major problems for those heading abroad. Many countries, particularly those outside the European Union, require passports to be valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure date.
Speaking to Today with Claire Byrne on RTE Radio One, Director of the Passport Service Una Fannon emphasised how easy it is to overlook this essential detail.
She said: "For anyone who is planning a holiday this year, the message is just check your passport. It depends on where your travelling to. Many countries outside of the EU do require six months' validity on the passport. So if you have any doubt about it, I would say go ahead and renew that passport. We will take it within a year of its expiry date and renew it."
Una urged citizens to apply for renewals or new passports well ahead of time, stressing that while the busiest time for passport applications is between January and April, the Irish Passport Office sees a surge in frantic calls during May, June and July as people get anxious about whether their passport will arrive on time.
She explained: "If you have a new baby or a child who has never had a passport before, make sure you apply in plenty of time before your travel date. Our busiest times are between January and April. However our phone lines are busiest during the months of May, June and July and that's because people are getting anxious about whether their passport is going to arrive in time."
Una confirmed the current turnaround times for an adult renewal is 10 working days, 15 working days for a child renewal, and 20 working days for a first time application.
She continued: "I would say we are within our turnaround times for applications but it's important that you don't put that stress on yourself by leaving it up to the date of when you're travelling so make sure to apply in plenty of time.
"An adult online renewal is ten working days. A child online renewal is 15 working days. A first time application, whether it's a child or adult is 20 working days. And that's all through the passport online channel.
"Then our paper service is eight weeks turnaround time for both first time applications and renewals. So certainly the online channel is the quickest and most efficient way to apply."
For those in urgent need of a passport, Una reassured listeners that the Irish Passport Office offers an expedited appointment system for both adults and children in Dublin and Cork. However, this service is only available for renewals - not first-time applications.
She added: "An important service that we have also is that if you are travelling imminently and you do realise that you need to renew your passport, we do have an urgent appointment system in Dublin and Cork for people that need to get passports urgently. That is for both children and adults but only for renewals."
Citizens can start renewing their passport before it runs out via the Department of Foreign Affairs' Passport Online service. You can also check the specific passport requirements for the country you are travelling to here.
According to the DFA, most passport applications involve the following five steps:
A standard 10-year passport costs €75 for an adult and €20 for a child. A passport card costs €35 for an adult and can also be bought as a part of a bundle for €100.
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