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

Fred Swanson

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Miaireland

goingnowhere wrote: »

Title says it all

Refused entry this afternoon as the IT in Prague can't read our high tech passport card.

Tried to force the issue but eventually dug out passport. Had the same hassle in Berlin 2 weeks ago

Going to call Embassy in Prague on Monday, but for everyone don't travel without the full passport until the rest of the EU catches up.

Thanks for the warning!

linguist

I just logged on here to ask about people's experiences so far. That is shocking. I'm heading to Germany next week and was planning on just using the card but I had a few apprehensions about bumping into a random border policeman unaccustomed to it.

Can I clarify, were you in fact refused entry to Germany also or just to the Czech Republic? One is bad enough. All you need to travel in the EU is a national ID card or passport. I wonder if the real issue here is IT or the DFA messing up and not getting the word out. I'd love to see the Germans'/Czechs' reaction is we hassled a few of their people arriving here with their ID cards.

Can anyone else indicate more positive experiences?

goingnowhere

I was straight out refused in Prague unless I provided a passport. I insisted that I had presented a passport but the computer could not read the card.

Berlin was similar but the official was a lot more relaxed but again wanted to see passport. He had never seen one before. There was no issue leaving Germany with passport card.

I imagine if I dug in they would have to get a senior officer to make a call and odds on they would have let me in but I could have been waiting hours.

It is a breech of EU treaty to refuse landing permission to a EU citizen unless there are security grounds to do so

linguist

So basically the DFA have made a serious balls of this. This is far more serious that all the whining about selfies. You really need to kick up a stink with the embassy in Prague. Might I suggest a letter to a national newspaper also - the Irish Times is probably best. Flanagan has made a massive issue about this being a passport.

keithclancy

linguist wrote: »

I just logged on here to ask about people's experiences so far. That is shocking. I'm heading to Germany next week and was planning on just using the card but I had a few apprehensions about bumping into a random border policeman unaccustomed to it.

Can I clarify, were you in fact refused entry to Germany also or just to the Czech Republic? One is bad enough. All you need to travel in the EU is a national ID card or passport. I wonder if the real issue here is IT or the DFA messing up and not getting the word out. I'd love to see the Germans'/Czechs' reaction is we hassled a few of their people arriving here with their ID cards.

Can anyone else indicate more positive experiences?

You actually don't need any ID to fly in the Schengen zone.

I flew amsterdam - munich a few months ago and there was no passport control at all.

Fred Swanson

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goingnowhere

Sure looks that way, the card meets all current standards in the aviation industry so no excuses it should work

Apparently the DFA sent information to the Irish airlines about the card. Met several Aer lingus staff who were 'oh that's what it looks like', but Aer Lingus is a human outfit so it's all good and no hassle.

I do 25-30 trips a year mostly mainland Europe this card was to be the great savior of those of use who get blocked when our passports are with embassies for visa's looks like I will have to beg for a second business passport

Fred Swanson

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fxotoole

goingnowhere wrote: »

Title says it all

Refused entry this afternoon as the IT in Prague can't read our high tech passport card.

Tried to force the issue but eventually dug out passport. Had the same hassle in Berlin 2 weeks ago

Going to call Embassy in Prague on Monday, but for everyone don't travel without the full passport until the rest of the EU catches up.

I'd be getting on to Solvit as well: http://ec.europa.eu/solvit/index_en.htm. The Germans / Czech are infringing your right to freedom of movement as an EU citizen. The ball is very much in the Czech's court with regard to getting their systems up to spec to read our passport cards. It is hardly Foreign Affairs' fault that they can't read Irish passport cards. The Passport Office Twitter account has stated that all EU/EEA border agencies agreed to accept the card as a passport prior to it's release.

Fred Swanson

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goingnowhere

Theory is great, practice is the issue

The card has the same NFC as a normal passport so the equipment should read it without change. My phone is able to pull my full name and other details from the card so the card is working

linguist

Paddy should be kicking up a stink at passport control the way certain European nationalities I can think of would:)

fxotoole

goingnowhere wrote: »

Theory is great, practice is the issue

I agree. When the new style digital photo/biometric passports came in about 10 years ago, there were reports of Irish citizens being refused entry at various ports of entry due to border guards not being familiar with the new passport design. This all blew over though, as border guards became more familiar with them. The same thing is going to happen with the passport cards, and it will all die down and be forgotten about in 6 month's time.

Fred Swanson

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goingnowhere

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Aer Lingus, Ryanair etc pay for the flights if you are sent home, they are obliged in law to bring you back to where you came. That said I could imagine the Captain giving a piece of his/her mind to the local officals

goingnowhere

DFA in Dublin are investigating

Fred Swanson

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keithclancy

goingnowhere wrote: »

Sure looks that way, the card meets all current standards in the aviation industry so no excuses it should work

Apparently the DFA sent information to the Irish airlines about the card. Met several Aer lingus staff who were 'oh that's what it looks like', but Aer Lingus is a human outfit so it's all good and no hassle.

I do 25-30 trips a year mostly mainland Europe this card was to be the great savior of those of use who get blocked when our passports are with embassies for visa's looks like I will have to beg for a second business passport

Or in the Netherlands where you are legally obliged to carry valid identification or risk a 60 euro fine.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm .......... I'm wondering now if the Irish Passport Card is valid for identification purposes .... the US Passport Card is not anyway

http://amsterdam.usconsulate.gov/identification_law2.html

The U.S. passport card is not acceptable to the Dutch as identification.

Think i'll pop off a quick e-mail to the Embassy,

Fred Swanson

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keithclancy

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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I wouldn't really use that as a rule of thumb, the Dutch Identity card is valid for certain countries outside the EEA , Turkey for example.

On Government.nl they make no pension of Passport Card, only national identity card and I doubt the Dutch Police and all officials would have received the memo on this card being a Valid Identity document.

In any case I'd prefer to have piece of mind rather than pay 60 euros because it's not on the list.

https://www.government.nl/topics/identification-documents/contents/compulsory-identification

Fred Swanson

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keithclancy

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Yes that would be the situation i'm thinking of as well.

More for identification on the street. For example a non Dutch driving license (EU) is not valid as identification with Police, you need a passport or ID Card as well.

VisibleGorilla

Legally, how can the Czech authorities refuse entry to their country by an EU citizen?

coylemj

VisibleGorilla wrote: »

Legally, how can the Czech authorities refuse entry to their country by an EU citizen?

You're only entitled to the rights of an EU citizen when you can actually prove that you are one, otherwise you could be from Brazil or Russia with no visa and therefore with no entitlement to be admitted to their country.

fxotoole

coylemj wrote: »

You're only entitled to the rights of an EU citizen when you can actually prove that you are one, otherwise you could be from Brazil or Russia with no visa and therefore with no entitlement to be admitted to their country.

The Irish Passport Card is a passport, says as much on it, and is therefore proof that you are an EU citizen.

coylemj

fxotoole wrote: »

The Irish Passport Card is a passport, says as much on it, and is therefore proof that you are an EU citizen.

A piece of plastic with 'passport' printed on it is worth SFA if the official won't accept it.

fxotoole

coylemj wrote: »

A piece of plastic with 'passport' printed on it is worth SFA if the official won't accept it.

If the border agency that the official works for have made a commitment to accept the card, then the official is wrong.

goingnowhere

fxotoole wrote: »

If the border agency that the official works for have made a commitment to accept the card, then the official is wrong.

Being in the right but spending the night in a detention cell isn't exactly an outcome I fancy

Miaireland

Made my second attempt to get my passcard after the passport off rejected my photo. Sent it off after close of business on Friday evening. It was processed and dispatched on Monday and I got it today. Very impressed!