There is no need to submit the original passport during the initial phase of citizen application, the Justice Department has confirmed. Instead, the certified colour photocopies of every page should be submitted along with a letter which states that the copies are true of the applicant’s passport.
The change has come into effect from January 1st 2022.
A full colour copy of entire passport and all previous passports containing stamps that contribute to an applicant’s period of reckonable residency claimed, including the front and back covers are to be submitted from now on. The colour copy must be certified and submitted with the application form.
The colour copy of the passport can be certified by a solicitor, commissioner for oaths or notary public. The following actions should be undertaken;
- Check the front and back of the actual passport have been coloured photocopied;
- Check the biometric page(s) of the actual passport which contains the photograph, name etc., to confirm that this is the passport of the person before them;
- Then check that this matches the corresponding pages of the colour copy provided by the applicant;
- Then stamp and initial all of the colour copy pages (All pages to be photocopied, even if blank) and provide a short letter confirming that the colour copy pages are a true copy of the applicant’s passport and that the passport is that of the applicant.
The Department retains the right to request actual passports to be submitted as part of the verification process, and it is estimated that approximately 10% of applicants will be requested to submit their passport for verification.
The Minister will base her decision on requesting an original passport on the basis of the range of information (including security features or more robust data rules attaching to various passports) available to her at that time in relation to the application.