Today the Department of Justice have announced that from the 1st January 2022, new applicants for citizenship will not be required to submit their original passport with the initial application. Instead, they can provide a full colour copy of their entire passport, including the front and back covers. The colour copy must be witnessed by a solicitor and submitted with the application form.
Anyone who intends travelling between now and the Christmas holidays and will require the use of their passport to do so, may wish to consider waiting until the New Year to make their citizenship application when the new arrangements will apply.
In addition, significant changes are also being introduced for customers regarding the number of proofs required to establish their identity and residency as part of the application process.
From January, the Department will be moving to a scorecard approach, which will bring added clarity regarding what information applicants will be required to provide to establish their identity and residency. In particular, for doctors who are employed in the HSE or in Voluntary Hospitals, the provision of a “Medical Practitioner Employment History Summary” will be accepted as proof of residence.
Further updates will be provided on the Citizenship pages of the website in the coming weeks.
