Over half a million Irish passports issued this year
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs reported that over half a million passports were issued in the first half of 2026. Officials are urging citizens to check their passport expiry dates well before booking travel to avoid delays.
Why it matters
High demand for travel documents reflects post-pandemic travel trends and the importance of administrative preparedness for international movement.
Holidaymakers have been urged to check their passport expiry dates to ensure travel plans go smoothly during the remainder of the busy summer season.
Figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs showed over half a million Irish passports were issued in the first half of 2026.
On the island of Ireland, 367,471 passports were issued in total.
Over 50,000 passports were issued in the six counties of Northern Ireland, of which Antrim, on 17,986, saw the third-highest figure across all 32 counties.
Elsewhere in Northern Ireland, 13,004 passports were issued in Down, 8,019 in Derry, 5,769 in Tyrone, 5,021 in Armagh and 1,935 in Fermanagh.
The county with the most passports distributed between January and June was Dublin on 93,223, followed by Cork on 35,257.
Other counties with over 10,000 passports issued included Kildare at 17,571, Galway, 16,543, Meath, 14,774, Limerick, 12,524, and Wicklow, 10,736.
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