( 
)
The UK Government has approved in principle a request from the Irish
Government to make it easier for Irish citizens living in the UK to get
access to passport facilities.
Irish citizens will be able to get application forms for Irish passports from participating Post Office branches in major towns and cities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They will also be able to send their applications back to the issuing offices in Dublin or London via these post office branches.
Details of a trial scheme to test the proposal are now the subject of commercial discussions between the Irish Passport Office, An Post (the Irish postal service), and the Post Office. The trial is designed to test whether the service will be commercially viable in the long term.
Foreign Office Minister, Denis MacShane said:
"I am delighted that we have been able to agree in principle this proposal. It will make it easier and quicker for Irish citizens living in the UK to apply for and renew their passports."
Notes for Editors
1. At present, the large numbers of Irish passport holders resident in the United Kingdom must apply for their passport either through the Irish Embassy in London, or by post directly to the Irish Passport Office in Dublin. Under the new scheme, Irish citizens would have access to an express passport service through post office branches in major towns and cities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
2. If the trial is successful, the new scheme would reduce delays to Irish passport applicants who do not have easy access to the Irish Embassy in London or the Irish Passport Office in Dublin.
3. Because EU citizens are free to live anywhere in the EU, there are no precise figures of how many Irish citizens are resident in the United Kingdom, however the figure has been estimated at more than one million.
Just thought i'd give this information and i know its having a trial run somewhere.Then in the future at post offices.Irish citizens would have an express passport service through branches in major towns and cities.
Thanks Tony
Irish citizens will be able to get application forms for Irish passports from participating Post Office branches in major towns and cities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They will also be able to send their applications back to the issuing offices in Dublin or London via these post office branches.
Details of a trial scheme to test the proposal are now the subject of commercial discussions between the Irish Passport Office, An Post (the Irish postal service), and the Post Office. The trial is designed to test whether the service will be commercially viable in the long term.
Foreign Office Minister, Denis MacShane said:
"I am delighted that we have been able to agree in principle this proposal. It will make it easier and quicker for Irish citizens living in the UK to apply for and renew their passports."
Notes for Editors
1. At present, the large numbers of Irish passport holders resident in the United Kingdom must apply for their passport either through the Irish Embassy in London, or by post directly to the Irish Passport Office in Dublin. Under the new scheme, Irish citizens would have access to an express passport service through post office branches in major towns and cities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
2. If the trial is successful, the new scheme would reduce delays to Irish passport applicants who do not have easy access to the Irish Embassy in London or the Irish Passport Office in Dublin.
3. Because EU citizens are free to live anywhere in the EU, there are no precise figures of how many Irish citizens are resident in the United Kingdom, however the figure has been estimated at more than one million.
Just thought i'd give this information and i know its having a trial run somewhere.Then in the future at post offices.Irish citizens would have an express passport service through branches in major towns and cities.
Thanks Tony
Guide created: 15/11/07 (updated 25/11/09)
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our 
