Releasing Passport Office accounts after a death
How to notify Passport Office of a death and release any accounts, policies, or balances held by the deceased. Typical response times, documentation required, and common issues.
About Passport Office
Passport Office is an Irish government agency. If the deceased held an account, policy, investment, or obligation with Passport Office, it must be notified of the death and any balance released to the estate through the Grant of Probate.
How to notify Passport Office of a death
Step 1: Write to Passport Office enclosing a certified copy of the death certificate. Standard notification-of-death letters are accepted by every Irish institution. The letter should include the deceased's full name, date of birth, date of death, last address, and the Passport number if known. A sample letter is included in the ProbatePack Notification Pack and Preparation Pack.
Step 2: Request written confirmation of the balance, value, or amount held at the date of death. This written figure is what goes on the Revenue SA2 Statement of Affairs. Current balance (today) is not enough; you need the date-of-death figure specifically.
Step 3: Wait for response. Passport Office's typical response time is 2 to 3 weeks. Follow up in writing at 3 weeks if nothing has arrived.
Contact details
Address: Passport Service
Department of Foreign Affairs
Knockmaun House
42-47 Lower Mount Street
Dublin 2
D02 TN83
Phone: 01 671 1633
Documents Passport Office will ask for
- Certified copy of the death certificate (not a photocopy).
- Photographic identification for the executor or administrator (passport or driver's licence).
- The Passport number if known. If not known, provide enough details for Passport Office to identify the deceased's record.
- At release stage (after the Grant issues): a certified copy of the Grant of Probate or Grant of Administration.
Typical timeline
Initial notification to Passport Office: 3 to 5 working days for acknowledgement of receipt. Written balance confirmation at date of death: 2 to 3 weeks typically. Full release of assets following receipt of the Grant: 2 to 4 weeks.
Common issues
- Joint accounts. Where the deceased held an account jointly with a surviving spouse or partner, most accounts pass by survivorship and are not part of the estate. The surviving account holder should notify Passport Office of the death and request the account to be transferred into their sole name.
- Direct debits and standing orders. Passport Office will usually ask whether to cancel outgoing payments from the deceased's accounts. Check first whether each is a legitimate estate expense (utility bill, insurance premium) that the executor may want to continue paying.
- Online access. Passport Office's online banking or online account access typically closes on notification of death. Any digital records required for the estate administration should be printed or saved before notification if possible.
- Small Estates. For balances below €25,000, some institutions release without requiring a Grant of Probate under the Small Estates procedure. This is at the institution's discretion, not a legal right.
How ProbatePack helps with Passport Office
The Preparation Pack (€229) produces a pre-personalised notification letter to Passport Office, ready to sign and post, and records the response in the Asset Tracker so you know exactly when each institution replied and what balance they confirmed. The Complete Bundle (€449) adds the full inheritance-tax layer on top, including the CAT calculator and the Dwelling House Exemption assessment, for estates that will cross the Group A threshold.
How Passport Office fits into the wider probate process
Notifying Passport Office is one step in the full Irish probate sequence. The executor also has to prepare the application for the Probate Office, complete the SA2 Statement of Affairs on Revenue myAccount, and assess the inheritance tax position against the 2026 CAT thresholds. See the full list of 25 Irish institution guides for the other institutions the estate may need to notify, and the pre-lodgement checklist for the six steps that must be complete before the papers reach the registry.
Related institution guides
What to do next
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