The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern T.D., took delivery on 18 April 2006 of the first Irish ePassports, containing biometric data.

In October 2006 the Passport Office began issuing the new Irish electronic passport (ePassport).  This technology represents a major development in identity verification and security, providing a much stronger linkage between the individual and his or her identity than traditional systems which rely solely on visual identification.  It has strengthened the passport issuing process by providing a further safeguard against fraudulent applications.  In addition under the US Visa Waiver Scheme, participating countries, including Ireland, have been issuing ePassports from 26 October 2006.

Visit the Department of Foreign Affairs website for more information:

ePassports Press Release

ePassports FAQs