The Passport Office will begin sending Irish passport renewal reminders next year, introducing the first service of its kind for people applying for a first passport and for those renewing one. The change will only apply to passports issued from 2027 because of data protection rules.
Figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs show over half a million Irish passports were issued in the first half of 2026, while almost 10,000 passports were issued in Donegal this year so far. People are being urged to check the expiry dates on their passports now, before the new reminder system starts.
Department of Foreign Affairs figures
The Department of Foreign Affairs figures point to a busy passport pipeline ahead of the change. In the first half of 2026, over half a million Irish passports were issued, and Donegal accounted for almost 10,000 passports this year so far. That volume gives the reminder service a clear use case: it is aimed at people who might otherwise miss the date on an expiring passport and discover the problem only when they need to renew.
Passport Office from 2027
The Passport Office said the reminders will begin next year, but the system will not reach every passport at once. It will cover people applying for first-time passports and people seeking renewals, yet only passports issued from 2027 will fall under the new arrangement. Older passports will remain outside the change because the office has tied the rollout to data protection rules.
For readers in Ireland, the practical step now is simple: check the expiry date before the new service arrives. Anyone with a passport issued before 2027 should not expect a reminder under the new system, so the responsibility to track renewal dates stays with the holder until the rollout reaches newer passports.
Donegal and the rollout
The figures from Donegal and the national total show why the change lands now. With almost 10,000 passports issued in Donegal this year so far and over half a million issued nationally in the first half of 2026, the office is preparing for a reminder system that starts small, then expands only to the passports covered by the 2027 cutoff. For applicants, that means the first notices will not change every case immediately; the service will be limited to the group whose passports were issued from 2027 onward.
