The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has begun an urgent nationwide recall of 12,904 Irish passports printed between 23 December 2025 and 6 January 2026 after a software upgrade failed to include the country identifier “IRL” on the data page. The omission means the booklets cannot be read correctly by eGates and may trigger secondary screening or even boarding refusals.(visahq.com)
All affected holders have been emailed and asked to return passports to the DFA’s Lower Mount Street office. Same-day replacements are available for travellers who can prove imminent departure, but new passport numbers will be issued, requiring visa and flight details to be updated. Border agencies across the Schengen Area, the UK and the US were notified overnight to minimise disruption.(visahq.com)
![DFA Recalls 12,904 Irish Passports After ICAO Data Omitted]()
For travellers caught up in the recall, VisaHQ’s Ireland platform (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can streamline the headache of reissuing visas linked to the old passport numbers, arrange priority courier returns, and provide real-time status tracking—helpful whether you’re an individual flyer or a corporate mobility manager juggling multiple cases.
For mobility managers the incident is a compliance headache. HR teams must audit staff documents immediately, re-schedule visa appointments where necessary and update pending work-permit files with replacement passport numbers. Industry estimates put re-printing costs above €2 million once courier fees and staff overtime are included, reigniting calls for a dedicated contingency fund for the Passport Service.
Long-term, the glitch underscores vulnerabilities ahead of Ireland’s next-generation e-passport, slated for 2027 to meet forthcoming EU Entry/Exit System (EES) requirements. Companies are advised to build extra lead-time into travel plans through February while recall logistics bed in.
All affected holders have been emailed and asked to return passports to the DFA’s Lower Mount Street office. Same-day replacements are available for travellers who can prove imminent departure, but new passport numbers will be issued, requiring visa and flight details to be updated. Border agencies across the Schengen Area, the UK and the US were notified overnight to minimise disruption.(visahq.com)
For travellers caught up in the recall, VisaHQ’s Ireland platform (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can streamline the headache of reissuing visas linked to the old passport numbers, arrange priority courier returns, and provide real-time status tracking—helpful whether you’re an individual flyer or a corporate mobility manager juggling multiple cases.
For mobility managers the incident is a compliance headache. HR teams must audit staff documents immediately, re-schedule visa appointments where necessary and update pending work-permit files with replacement passport numbers. Industry estimates put re-printing costs above €2 million once courier fees and staff overtime are included, reigniting calls for a dedicated contingency fund for the Passport Service.
Long-term, the glitch underscores vulnerabilities ahead of Ireland’s next-generation e-passport, slated for 2027 to meet forthcoming EU Entry/Exit System (EES) requirements. Companies are advised to build extra lead-time into travel plans through February while recall logistics bed in.
