Passport Express service name changed to ‘reflect slower turnaround time’

The new name, Post Passport, is intended to show that the service is not the quickest way of getting your passport.

An Post have officially changed the name of the Passport Express service to Post Passport. Fine Gael TD for Dublin Midwest Emer Higgins took to Twitter to confirm the news, which comes after "months of campaigning", as the service is said to take much longer than online applications. Ms Higgins said:

An Post have confirmed that they are going to change the name from Passport Express to show that it’s not the quickest way of getting your passport – the advice is always apply online and apply early.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney sanctioned the renaming. The "Post Passport" page on the An Post website now reads "Passport applications through Post Offices will currently take approximately 6-8 weeks to process by Passport Office". A charge of €9.50 + passport fee also applies. It is hoped that the name change will alleviate public confusion over the quickest way to apply for a passport, with 200,000 people experiencing delays currently according to The Independent. A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs told the Independent that "online renewal applications are processed four times faster than paper renewal applications". Header image via Shutterstock  READ NEXT: Derry Girls referenced in UK Parliament debate as "brilliant"