UK demand for Irish passports surged in 2018, Ireland's foreign minister said on Monday, as the date of Britain's departure from the European Union nears.

Britain's vote in 2016 to split from the other 27 nations in the bloc has raised fears that UK citizens will see their right to work and live in the EU limited after Brexit enters into force on March 29.

The number of Britons applying for Irish passports rose by 22 percent to 98,544 in 2018, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said.

"The Irish passport is a valuable document," he said in a statement.

Other EU member states, including Germany, have also reported a rise in the number of passport applications from Britain since 2016.

Irish citizenship is open to Britons with Irish parents or grandparents, according to the foreign ministry in Dublin.