** ALL ** Passport Related Questions in here! Please Read Post#1 first!

JohnMearsheimer

Marcusm wrote: »

Isn't official Ireland odd; obtaining a driving licence now requires a trip to a special NDLS centre as photo booths and photographers photos are no longer acceptable whereas DFA is now promoting the use of selfies.

The gardaí have to stamp, sign and put the form number on the back of the photos submitted for passports. I don't believe you have to do that for a driver's licence.

coylemj

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

The gardaí have to stamp, sign and put the form number on the back of the photos submitted for passports. I don't believe you have to do that for a driver's licence.

The reason you have to go to the Gardai for a passport application is because the passport office don't get to see you face to face which is what happens when you apply for a driving licence under the NDLS system.

That doesn't negate the point of the poster you responded to, who pointed out for a passport card, a selfie is now considered acceptable - no face to face interaction with a passport official and no Garda verification.

JohnMearsheimer

coylemj wrote: »

The reason you have to go to the Gardai for a passport application is because the passport office don't get to see you face to face which is what happens when you apply for a driving licence under the NDLS system.

That doesn't negate the point of the poster you responded to, who pointed out for a passport card, a selfie is now considered acceptable - no face to face interaction with a passport official and no Garda verification.

No face to face interaction is required by passport office staff. You have to give your passport number when applying for a passport card. The passport office has the picture on file (and everything else that was submitted to them) of every single person that applied for and was issued with a passport since mid 2005. Most people would now have what is called an APS passport. You won't be able to get a passport card without an APS passport. The passport number supplied by the applicant for the card will mean that passport office staff can look at the picture on the applicant's passport book (the picture on the passport book has already been certified by the Gardaí) and will be able to compare the images. Believe me, you can't just make up a passport number and submit any old photo to get a passport card.

I imagine the NLDS will have the facility to do the same thing in years to come when all the laminated paper licences issued by councils are gone.

Kotek Besar

Gosh, this thing is so weird it's weird..

1. Monday 05/10/15 @ around 09:30. Applied for my passport card using iOS app. Did the selfie, submitted application, happy days. Logged in to my online banking with Permanent TSB, pending transaction for €40 (€5 extra as I'm in the UK).
2. Monday 05/10/15 @ around 10:30. Applied for my wife's passport card using website. Kept saying photo background isn't white enough. I don't know how white they expect it to be. Tried another photo, still not white enough. Ticked the box "If for medical reasons you are unable to provide a valid photo you may proceed with this photo by ticking this box.". Photo accepted. Application submitted. Logged in to my online banking with Permanent TSB, pending transaction for €35 (don't know why they didn't charge the extra €5).
3. Monday 05/10/2015 @ exactly 11:21 my own passport card application reached stage 5 "in a queue waiting to be printed.".
4. Monday 05/10/2015 @ exactly 21:06 my wife's passport card application reached stage 5 "in a queue waiting to be printed.".
5. Thursday 08/10/2015 @ exactly 15:23 my wife's passport card application reached stage 6 "Your Passport Card has been posted". Mine hasn't moved from stage 5. How odd.
6. Today 13/10/2015 the Royal Mail postman arrived with my wife's passport card. But wait - there are two envelopes. The second envelope is address to me. Would you believe it, my passport card has arrived too! I check the tracking online.. still at stage 5 "in a queue waiting to be printed.". Not only that, I log in to my internet banking to see that the passport office have charged the €35 for my wife's passport card (even though it should be €40), but the pending €40 charge they had for my own passport card has dropped off - it's hasn't been charged and it's no longer pending!

So, two passport cards now in my hand, worth €80 including UK delivery. Paid only €35 all in and my own passport card, according to the passport office tracking website, hasn't actually been printed.

Marcusm

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

The gardaí have to stamp, sign and put the form number on the back of the photos submitted for passports. I don't believe you have to do that for a driver's licence.

The list of witness occupations is of coursde much larger for GB & NI notwithstanding that the Irish government has no control over those persons. Personally, I would have thought it sensible to broaden the RoI list also but to impose sanctions where there is fraud. A solicitor I have known personally for 2 years is better than a Garda whom I've never met and who could find it hard to recognise faked work iD etc.

As regards the NDLS/Passport Office differences, I still find it very "Irish" for such significant differences in identity standards to exist which is ludicrous given the cross pollination. It is certainly indicative of a lack of joined up thinking.

Marcusm

In other news, my Passport Card application has been "assigned to checker" since last Wednesday. I'm sure it will still meet the 20 working days standard but was hopeful given Kotak Besar's experience.

JohnMearsheimer

Marcusm wrote: »

The list of witness occupations is of coursde much larger for GB & NI notwithstanding that the Irish government has no control over those persons. Personally, I would have thought it sensible to broaden the RoI list also but to impose sanctions where there is fraud. A solicitor I have known personally for 2 years is better than a Garda whom I've never met and who could find it hard to recognise faked work iD etc.

As regards the NDLS/Passport Office differences, I still find it very "Irish" for such significant differences in identity standards to exist which is ludicrous given the cross pollination. It is certainly indicative of a lack of joined up thinking.

I believe if you're resident in the republic it should be Gardaí only. The other witnesses acceptable abroad are only there to make life easier for Irish citizens abroad. Many witnesses abroad for passport applications are well known to the passport service.

As far as I'm aware NDLS is run by a private company called SGS. I don't think people would like the idea of the passport office, a civil service organisation, sharing their personal information with a private company.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Vologda69

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

I believe if you're resident in the republic it should be Gardaí only. The other witnesses acceptable abroad are only there to make life easier for Irish citizens abroad. Many witnesses abroad for passport applications are well known to the passport service.

As far as I'm aware NDLS is run by a private company called SGS. I don't think people would like the idea of the passport office, a civil service organisation, sharing their personal information with a private company.

A lot of Department of foreign affairs VISA\passport applications are already outsourced to Abtran, the same company dealing with driver licence applications. SGS is just front of house operation. And either way all such staff are Garda vetted. Public service staff does not necessarily mean more trustworthy or reliable.

cdsb46

Vologda69 wrote: »

A lot of Department of foreign affairs VISA\passport applications are already outsourced to Abtran, the same company dealing with driver licence applications. SGS is just front of house operation. And either way all such staff are Garda vetted. Public service staff does not necessarily mean more trustworthy or reliable.

No passport applications are dealt with by an outside company....Visas are dealt and issued by the Dept of Justice

JohnMearsheimer

Vologda69 wrote: »

A lot of Department of foreign affairs VISA\passport applications are already outsourced to Abtran, the same company dealing with driver licence applications. SGS is just front of house operation. And either way all such staff are Garda vetted. Public service staff does not necessarily mean more trustworthy or reliable.

That is most definitely not the the case.

fxotoole

cdsb46 wrote: »

No passport applications are dealt with by an outside company....Visas are dealt and issued by the Dept of Justice

There is some confusion here.

No Visa or Passport applications are outsourced whatsoever. That much is true.

Having said that, Abtran do take calls on behalf of the Irish Visa office in London. They may act as a call centre for other Irish visa offices around the world, but I don't know if this is the case.

The Passport Office still answer all of their own calls

cdsb46

fxotoole wrote: »

There is some confusion here.

No Visa or Passport applications are outsourced whatsoever. That much is true.

Having said that, Abtran do take calls on behalf of the Irish Visa office in London. They may act as a call centre for other Irish visa offices around the world, but I don't know if this is the case.

The Passport Office still answer all of their own calls

The visa offices although are seen by the public as attached to an embassy, come solely under the dept of justice and so don't have much dealing with DFA

Kotek Besar

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Looks like you also may be getting a free of charge passport card.

Mine's been in my hand for two days now, no payment charged and according to the tracking it's not been printed yet.

drpm_99

Fred Swanson wrote: »

The €40 charge for my passport card has disappeared from my online banking with the money returned to my account.

Same for me. The payment appeared and disappeared in one day from my account. I called the bank to find out what's up. They said that they have no record of payment and that the problem isn't on their end.
I sent a mail to the DFA (I'm so innocent that I want them to take the money now - rather than charge me when I don't have the money). Their response was
"Hi Michael,

We have a record of payment on our system against your passport card."

My name isn't Michael.

I give up

Kotek Besar

drpm_99 wrote: »

Same for me. The payment appeared and disappeared in one day from my account. I called the bank to find out what's up. They said that they have no record of payment and that the problem isn't on their end.
I sent a mail to the DFA (I'm so innocent that I want them to take the money now - rather than charge me when I don't have the money). Their response was
"Hi Michael,

We have a record of payment on our system against your passport card."

My name isn't Michael.

I give up

Welcome to Ireland!

Miaireland

Do you get an email when you order your Passport card? I ordered mine yesterday and stupidly managed to close down the app when trying to take a screen shot of my confirmation number.

Kotek Besar

Miaireland wrote: »

Do you get an email when you order your Passport card? I ordered mine yesterday and stupidly managed to close down the app when trying to take a screen shot of my confirmation number.

No, no email.

Miaireland

Thanks for the fast reply Kotek Bear. I had been looking out for it. I will have to wait and see. The money has not gone from my account yet.

As others said it was very hard to take the photo on the app. I ended up having to use a department store changing room to get a white enough background. Thankfully it had great lighting. No one at home had a white enough background.

Marcusm

The charge for mine hasn't reversed but it's been "assigned to checker" for 8 days now! I guess the new ones get stacked on top (figuratively) putting mine to back of the queue.

filmfanb

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

Don't travel on the lost passport whatever you do. Submit it to the passport office for destruction. You'll have to apply as a first time applicant again because you lost your most recent passport. You'll probably get a restricted passport of 2 years. You should be applying at your nearest embassy of you're not resident in Ireland.

Just following up on this from a few months ago.

I am about to get this all sorted today.

The last passport I lost was issued last year. I still have copy of photos from that application. Curious if I can use those for the new application or should I take new ones.

I have everything else. Hopefully the old passport will be accepted as a photo ID as its the only one

I was told it should be done in 6 weeks so that has put my mind at rest...dont want my dad spending christmas alone.

cdsb46

FYI

The Passport Office Dublin has now relocated to 17-18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2

https://www.dfa.ie/passports-citizenship/top-passport-questions/

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

cdsb46

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Possibly, how delayed are the applications?

SHOVELLER

Mission applications werent taken friday but wouldnt imagine any huge delays as its a lot quieter.

Neon_Lights

Hi,

A crack along the plastic section has begun to form on my passport, I was just wondering if it would be okay in a legal context to superglue this back together.

I've traveled on the passport before, however only when coming into dublin last time round i was told replace it (or i wont be let in the next time ).... lies a bit of dublin swagger would sort that out.

I do need documentation stamped in the garda station soon, prizebond claims. new licence forms so i'm keen to avoid the guards getting all up about it.

I dont know if i would in essence be tampering with it, as its just running repairs, and the hassle of getting another passport thats in date for another 5 years.

Any input would be kindly appreciated

Atlantic Dawn

Must be in bits if they mentioned it to you at the airport. Any repairs will probably show under the UV light that they examine it with and you might end up in trouble. The current passport you have is worthless for the next 5 years, just get a new one.

munchkin_utd

if you fix it, it could well look like you have tampered with it which brings a whole bunch of problems.

Where are you actually travelling to anyhow?
If going somewhere like the US then they dont need much of an excuse to deny entry.
If going to the continent, if the passport is valid but not tampered with, you would have to be unlucky to be denied entry I would think.

Actually, if travelling in the EU you can just get the new (as in only out a few weeks) passport card for 5years which only needs you to take a photo on your mobile. No guards or any of that messing.

filmfanb

so what is the turn around on replacement passports/new ones. i heard it was quite quick this time of the year. says six on the site but i know never to follow that.

JohnMearsheimer

filmfanb wrote: »

Just following up on this from a few months ago.

I am about to get this all sorted today.

The last passport I lost was issued last year. I still have copy of photos from that application. Curious if I can use those for the new application or should I take new ones.

I have everything else. Hopefully the old passport will be accepted as a photo ID as its the only one

I was told it should be done in 6 weeks so that has put my mind at rest...dont want my dad spending christmas alone.

Sorry, only just saw this today. You need new photos. It'll probably be rejected if you use the same photos as last time.