Figures released by the Department of Foreign Affairs show residents of Northern Ireland lodged more than 120,000 Irish passport applications in 2024—a 15 % year-on-year increase. In response, Sinn Féin MP Dáire Hughes today reiterated party demands for a dedicated passport office north of the border, arguing that applicants face unnecessary delays and travel costs when compelled to use Dublin, Cork or London.
The surge is driven by post-Brexit mobility needs: an Irish passport restores EU freedom-of-movement rights for UK-based professionals who frequently travel to client sites across the single market. Employers in Belfast’s growing fintech cluster report that holding an Irish passport cuts visa-paperwork for business visits to EU partners and simplifies staff secondments.
![Sinn Féin renews call for Irish passport office in Northern Ireland amid record application numbers]()
Currently, urgent one-day processing requires an in-person visit to Dublin, a logistical headache for companies sponsoring last-minute travel. Establishing a Belfast office would mirror the UK Passport Office model, decentralising services and improving resilience during weather or security-related transport disruptions.
The Department says online renewals average 16 working days, but first-time or lost-passport applications still take up to 12 weeks. Stakeholders argue a Belfast counter could halve those times by eliminating courier legs and enabling same-day biometrics. A feasibility study is expected early next year.
If approved, the new office would be Ireland’s first passport facility outside the State—another sign of deepening cross-border integration and a potential model for future satellite centres in high-demand diaspora hotspots such as New York and Sydney.
The surge is driven by post-Brexit mobility needs: an Irish passport restores EU freedom-of-movement rights for UK-based professionals who frequently travel to client sites across the single market. Employers in Belfast’s growing fintech cluster report that holding an Irish passport cuts visa-paperwork for business visits to EU partners and simplifies staff secondments.
Currently, urgent one-day processing requires an in-person visit to Dublin, a logistical headache for companies sponsoring last-minute travel. Establishing a Belfast office would mirror the UK Passport Office model, decentralising services and improving resilience during weather or security-related transport disruptions.
The Department says online renewals average 16 working days, but first-time or lost-passport applications still take up to 12 weeks. Stakeholders argue a Belfast counter could halve those times by eliminating courier legs and enabling same-day biometrics. A feasibility study is expected early next year.
If approved, the new office would be Ireland’s first passport facility outside the State—another sign of deepening cross-border integration and a potential model for future satellite centres in high-demand diaspora hotspots such as New York and Sydney.
