Number of passports issued hits record high following Brexit vote

THE Department of Foreign Affairs issued a record 779,000 Irish passports in 2017, the highest number ever recorded.

It follows a surge in applications following Britain’s Brexit referendum in 2015.

The 2017 figure is up 6% on the 733,000 issued in 2016 and up 15% on 2015.

The department’s annual report, released yesterday, shows that 20% of passport applications came from people living in the North and in Britain.

The Irish consulate in New York received 6,300 applications, the highest anywhere in the world, followed by the Irish embassy in Canberra, Australia and the Irish consulate in San Francisco.

Figures released by the department this month showed that 162,000 UK residents applied for Irish passports to December 2017, nearly double the 2014 figure.

The annual report also shows that more than 100,000 passports were issued through the new online renewal system, which was launched in March.

The processing times for renewal are ahead of the department’s target of ten working days, excluding posting time.

The report also shows that the new passport card launched in 2016 – which can only be used in EU and EEA counties and Switzerland – has been a success, with 38,000 applying for it this year.