Over half a million Irish passports issued this year
Holidaymakers have been urged to check their passport expiry dates to ensure travel plans go smoothly during the remainder of the busy summer season.
Ireland issued over 500,000 passports during the first half of 2026, according to Department of Foreign Affairs figures. This figure breaks down to 367,471 passports issued on the island of Ireland as a whole.
In Northern Ireland, 367,471 passports were distributed between the six counties. Antrim topped the list with 17,986 new passports, placing it third overall among the 32 counties. Down, Derry, Tyrone, Armagh, and Fermanagh also saw significant issuance rates throughout the period.
Dublin issued the most passports in the country, with 93,223 new documents granted between January and June. Cork followed with 35,257 new passports. Other counties with more than 10,000 new passports included Kildare (17,571), Galway (16,543), Meath (14,774), Limerick (12,524), and Wicklow (10,736).
Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee urged citizens to check their passport's expiration dates before traveling. The passports issued in the first half of 2026 are the latest design, featuring both a card and book format. McEntee noted that the passport application process is efficient and citizens can easily renew or apply online through the Passport Online service, which is available to all Irish citizens worldwide.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
