Ireland recalls almost 13,000 passports over missing 'IRL' code

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs recalled 12,904 passports issued between 23 Dec 2025 and 6 Jan 2026 after a software update caused a printing defect likely omitting the mandatory “IRL” issuing-state code in the machine-readable zone (MRZ), rendering the documents non-compliant with ICAO standards and potentially unreadable at eGates; affected holders are asked to return their passports for free replacement within approximately 10 working days, with global alerts issued and contact options provided for urgent travelers.