How To Renew An Irish Passport When Living In Spain

If you are an Irish national living in Spain, renewing your Irish passport is something you will eventually have to deal with. Whether you need to travel urgently, your passport is expiring, or you have lost it somewhere between the beach and a tapas bar, knowing the correct process saves you a huge amount of time, confusion, and stress. The good news is that Ireland has modernised the renewal system significantly, especially for citizens living abroad, and the entire process from Spain is now more streamlined than ever before.

In this extensive 2025 guide, we walk through every practical detail you need to know as an Irish citizen resident in Spain — including online renewal, eligibility rules, the role of digital photos, when APS2 forms still apply, how to replace a lost or stolen passport, how long everything takes, the fees, the Dublin processing timeline, how to track your application, and how the Irish Embassy in Madrid can assist. We also include a number of specific explanations for residents of Spain because living abroad presents unique challenges that differ from people renewing back in Ireland.

The two renewal options for Irish citizens living in Spain

As of 2025, there are only two official ways to renew an Irish passport from Spain:

• Passport Online (recommended for almost all adults and most children)
This is now the preferred method of the Department of Foreign Affairs. It is faster, cheaper, and does not require any witnesses or paper forms.

• APS2 Postal Application (still available for specific cases)
This method remains an option, but is mainly used for first-time adult passports, name changes, complicated documentation, or cases where Passport Online cannot be used for legal reasons. The Embassy in Madrid increasingly discourages routine postal applications because processing times are slower.

For most Irish expats living in Spain, Passport Online is absolutely the way to go unless you fall into one of the minority exceptions described below.

Passport Online: the preferred renewal method in 2025

Passport Online has become the backbone of Ireland’s passport system. It allows Irish citizens in Spain to apply from home, avoiding the need to visit an embassy or deal with paper forms and witnesses. Ireland has made enormous improvements to digital processing, meaning overseas renewals are handled much more quickly than they used to be.

The online application portal is here:
Irish Passport Online Service

You can renew online if:

• You are 18 or older.
• You already hold or previously held an Irish passport.
• You are not changing your name (except in some legally supported cases).
• You have less than 12 months remaining on your current passport or it has recently expired.

You will need:

• A digital passport photo that meets DFA rules.
• A valid debit or credit card.
• An email address.
• Your previous passport number (if you still have access to it).

Time required: approximately 10 minutes.

Why online renewal is usually better:

• No witnessing required.
• No APS2 paper form.
• No printing, signing, or posting.
• Faster processing (typically 10 working days).
• Less chance of rejection on technical grounds.
• Fully trackable from start to finish.

Important note for expats in Spain: The additional €15 overseas postal fee applies when the DFA sends your new passport directly from Dublin to Spain. This is standard and unavoidable for applicants living abroad.

Digital photo rules (2025 standards)

Digital photo issues are the number-one reason applications get delayed. Ireland is very strict about photo standards, and many expats in Spain make the mistake of using low-resolution mobile phone selfies. The DFA encourages using either a professional digital photo service or a high-quality home setup with a plain background.

Full photo guidelines are here:
Irish Passport Online Photo Requirements

When you might still need the APS2 postal method

Although Ireland encourages online renewal, the postal APS2 application has not been abolished. It remains necessary in some situations:

• First-time adult passports where the applicant cannot use Passport Online.
• Name changes involving certificates that cannot be uploaded digitally.
• Adults whose identity cannot be verified digitally.
• Children requiring a more complex parental consent process.
• Adults with lost or stolen passports where supplementary evidence cannot be provided online.
• Certain cases where the DFA manually instructs the applicant to use APS2 instead.

The APS2 form

The APS2 renewal form comes in two versions — APS2E (English) and APS2G (Irish). Both forms are accepted, and the content is the same aside from language.

How to obtain APS2 forms in Spain:

• Request them via the Embassy of Ireland Madrid website:
Embassy of Ireland Madrid Website
• Collect one from an honorary Irish consulate located in Spain.

Documents required for APS2 postal applications

You will usually need:

• Fully completed APS2G/E form.
• Four identical photos (two signed and witnessed).
• Your previous passport (if available).
• A long-form birth certificate for all children and certain adult cases.
• A civil marriage certificate if changing your surname.
• A prepaid Correos ‘Postal Express’ envelope for return delivery.

Witnessing rules in 2025

The witness must be a person of “good standing”, legally recognised by the DFA. Acceptable witnesses include:

• Police officers
• Members of clergy
• Medical doctors
• Lawyers and notaries
• Bank managers
• Elected public representatives
• School principals
• Accountants
• Peace commissioners

The witness MUST currently be working in Spain, Andorra, or Tunisia — a rule that often surprises expats, as witnesses living in Ireland or the UK are not permitted for Spanish-based applicants.

You must sign the APS2 form in the presence of the witness after they confirm your identity.

Where to send your APS2 application

Postal applicants must send the full package to the Embassy in Madrid:

Embajada de Irlanda
Passport Section
Paseo de la Castellana 46, 4
28046 Madrid

Always use registered delivery for security.

Updated passport fees (2025)

Online renewal fees

• Adult passport (10 years) – €75
• Large adult passport – €105
• Passport card – €35
• Passport + card bundle – €100 (standard) / €130 (large)
• Overseas postal fee – €15

APS2 postal application fees

• Adult passport – €75
• Adult large passport – €105
• Minor passport (0–17) – €20

Payment must be made via bank transfer for APS2 applications.

Bank details for APS2 payments

Account Name: Embajada de Irlanda
Bank: BBVA, C/Claudio Coello 92, Madrid 28006
Account Number: 0182 1932 44 0201542340
IBAN: ES90 0182 1932 44 0201542340
BIC/SWIFT: BBVAESMMXXX

Processing times in 2025

Irish passport turnaround times vary based on method:

Passport Online
• 10 working days on average
• Fastest option for citizens abroad
• Delivery to Spain typically adds 2–5 extra days

APS2 postal applications
• Around 8 weeks for processing
• Can extend to 12 weeks in busy periods
• Delivery time not included

Keep in mind that holiday periods in both Spain and Ireland may slightly delay processing.

If your passport has been lost or stolen

Irish citizens living in Spain must report a lost or stolen passport before applying for a replacement. You have three options for reporting the loss:

1. In person at a Spanish police station
You can find your nearest National Police station here:
Spanish National Police Station List

2. By phone (English service)
Call 902 102 112 between 09:00 and 21:00. You must still collect the written report later.

3. Online
Submit a report (Spanish only) at:
Online Police Reporting Portal

Additional documents required for lost/stolen passports

Depending on your case, you may be asked for:

• An extra ID document (driving licence, work ID, etc.)
• Proof of Irish citizenship
• Evidence of identity (bank statements, payslips, etc.)
• Proof of residence at your Spanish address

Tracking your passport application

You can track your renewal using the ID provided during the application process:

Irish Passport Tracking Tool

This tracking system is updated in real time and is particularly useful for expats who need visibility over delivery dates.

Contacting the Embassy of Ireland in Madrid

The consular section can help with specific issues and will sometimes redirect applicants to the online portal if the APS2 method isn’t necessary.

Embassy opening hours

• Public access: 10:00–14:00 (Monday–Friday)
• Telephone assistance: +34 91 4364093 (09:30–13:00)

You can also contact the embassy using the online form:
Embassy of Ireland Madrid Contact Page

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