Children to get own passports from next month

The Department of Foreign Affairs is to stop children travelling on their parents' passports in a move to reduce security risks, including the threat of abduction and child trafficking.

Children's names could previously be added to either their mother or father's passport free of charge. From October 1st, any new application made for a child must be for an individual passport, and must be accompanied be a fee of €25 per child.

Parents who have already added their children to their passports will not have to replace the document as long as it is in date.

Children will be allowed to travel on a parent's passport until it is due for renewal in most countries. However, there are some exceptions. The Czech Republic requires children older than 15 to have their own passport. In Estonia, this rule applies to children from age seven.

From October 26th, everyone, irrespective of age, will require an individual passport for entry into the US.

"This is primarily for photo identification purposes to increase the security of children travelling internationally," a spokeswoman for the Department said.

Previously, while children's names could be added to a parent's passport their photographs were not. All that was required to have the child added to one parent's passport was their birth certificate and the signature of both parents.

Before 1993, children could be added to a parent's passport at any time for free.

After "machine readable" passports were introduced, a replacement passport had to be issued if a child's name was being added because the document was no longer hand written. The fee for the replacement passport was €19 no matter how many names were added.

If the addition of children's names coincided with an adult passport renewal, only the standard fee of €75 applied.

An individual child's passport costs €15 for a three-year passport if the child is under three years. From three to 17 years of age, children are issued with five-year passports costing €25.

The Department spokeswoman said the rules were being changed to bring the State into line with international standards and not to collect revenue.

"The International Civil Aviation Organisation, which sets the standards for travel documents, has recommended a 'one person, one passport' policy be introduced no later than January 2005. This will bring us into line with that."

Former Fine Gael MEP Ms Mary Banotti, chairwoman of the Irish Centre for Parentally Abducted Children (ICPAC), said she "thoroughly approved" of the new rules.

"If there is a fear of abduction, the child's passport can be left with a third person; a safe person such as a garda or a solicitor."

She said until now if there was a fear one parent was going to abduct a child who was included on their passport, there was no facility to remove the child's name or to confiscate the passport of the person who had not committed a crime.

A passport for your child

When do I need to get a passport for my child? If you plan to take your child outside the common travel area of Ireland and Britain after October 1st, they must have an individual passport, unless they are already listed on your passport. If they are, it is not necessary to replace your passport until its next renewal. There are exceptions to this so it is advisable to check with the destination country's embassy if you are unsure.

How much will it cost? Up to age three, €15 for three years. Age three to 17 years, €25 for five years.

What do I need to apply? An application form and a consent form, both available from Garda stations. A long form birth certificate. The child's previous passport (if applicable). Two passport size photographs, even if the child is an infant. The relevant fee.