The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has begun recalling 12,904 passports issued between 23 December 2025 and 6 January 2026 after a software update caused the country code “IRL” to be omitted from the identity page. The defect may trigger alerts at automated eGates and could lead to refusal of boarding or entry. (yahoo.com)
Affected holders do not need to submit new applications; instead they must mail the faulty booklet to the Passport Service’s Customer Care unit in Dublin, which will reissue a corrected passport free of charge and with a new number. Border authorities worldwide have been notified through the International Civil Aviation Organization, but officials warn that manual inspections at smaller checkpoints may still create delays.
![Nearly 13,000 Irish passports recalled after printing error; travellers advised to check documents]()
For travelers who find themselves caught up in the recall—or who simply want to ensure their documents are in order ahead of future trips—VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers streamlined assistance, real-time status tracking, and expert visa advice. The service aggregates the latest DFA updates and airline requirements, giving both individual passengers and corporate travel teams a convenient way to minimize disruption.
Corporate travel managers should run passport audits—particularly for employees who renewed documents over Christmas—to avoid last-minute disruptions. Airlines have also updated check-in systems to flag passports in the recalled number range, meaning travellers could be denied a boarding pass if the document has not yet been replaced.
The incident comes at a time of surging demand: Ireland issued more than one million passports in 2024. DFA says the recall will not materially affect current processing times and that its online renewal platform remains fully operational.
Affected holders do not need to submit new applications; instead they must mail the faulty booklet to the Passport Service’s Customer Care unit in Dublin, which will reissue a corrected passport free of charge and with a new number. Border authorities worldwide have been notified through the International Civil Aviation Organization, but officials warn that manual inspections at smaller checkpoints may still create delays.
For travelers who find themselves caught up in the recall—or who simply want to ensure their documents are in order ahead of future trips—VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers streamlined assistance, real-time status tracking, and expert visa advice. The service aggregates the latest DFA updates and airline requirements, giving both individual passengers and corporate travel teams a convenient way to minimize disruption.
Corporate travel managers should run passport audits—particularly for employees who renewed documents over Christmas—to avoid last-minute disruptions. Airlines have also updated check-in systems to flag passports in the recalled number range, meaning travellers could be denied a boarding pass if the document has not yet been replaced.
The incident comes at a time of surging demand: Ireland issued more than one million passports in 2024. DFA says the recall will not materially affect current processing times and that its online renewal platform remains fully operational.
