Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
234. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether a country (details supplied) can deny a visa to an Irish passport holder due to the fact the passport is a five-year passport that has been issued to a child under the age of eighteen years (details supplied). [6025/26]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the immigration regulation and operations are a matter solely for that country's relevant authorities.
My Department follows the recommended passport guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with regard to children's passports. The ICAO is an UN agency whose guidelines state that, in consideration of the changing appearance of children, a validity period of not more than five years is recommended in the case of children’s passports. Issuance of passports with five years validity for children is the standard in many countries, including Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.
The Passport Services issues all children, aged seventeen years and under, with passports that are valid for five years.
With regards to the citizen in question, the Passport Service has made contact with the citizen's parents.
