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

Kotek Besar

Chaz wrote: »

My family are still on South African passports - the young one's passport expires in Jan 2011 - will we be able to enter Ireland in December for a 2 week visit?

Yes.

Chaz

Kotek Besar wrote: »

Yes.

Thanks - that shows no visa requirements which we are aware of, we were resident in Ireland for over 5 years but concerned with the expiry date of the passport cos it will still be checked at point of immigration - not sure if we are flying or coming with a ferry just yet ...

Kotek Besar

Chaz wrote: »

Thanks - that shows no visa requirements which we are aware of, we were resident in Ireland for over 5 years but concerned with the expiry date of the passport cos it will still be checked at point of immigration - not sure if we are flying or coming with a ferry just yet ...

There is no necessity for the passport of a foreign visitor to Ireland to be valid longer than the envisaged period of the visit (which must be less than three months, unless entering in conformity with EU Directive 2004/38/EC). This is according to the information on the DFA and INIS websites.

Incidentally, do the ZAF nationals also hold any other nationality? What is your own nationality and what is their relationship to you?

emanresu

Kotek Besar wrote: »

There is no necessity for the passport of a foreign visitor to Ireland to be valid longer than the envisaged period of the visit (which must be less than three months, unless entering in conformity with EU Directive 2004/38/EC). This is according to the information on the DFA and INIS websites.

Where does it say this on the DFA and INIS websites?
I have been searching and can't find any mention of required passport validity duration,
except on this page: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Documents%20Required%20for%20Visa%20to%20Ireland, which says: "At the time of your visa application you must possess a passport which is valid for 6 months after the date you propose to leave Ireland. Applications submitted without such a passport cannot be considered."
But I don't know whether or not this also applies for people who don't require visas, such as South African passport holders.

This website http://www.worldtravelguide.net/ireland/passport-visa mentions 3 months:
"Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all except:
(a) 1.persons born in the UK travelling direct from the UK (applicable to British passport holders only).
(b) 2. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card."
but I don't know how reliable this information is as the information on non-official websites is not always correct.

OP, you will probably be contacting an embassy or the DFA to check this tomorrow. Let us know what they say.


(European Union passport holders are entitled to use their passport for travel in other EU countries right up to the expiry date.)

Kotek Besar

emanresu wrote: »

Where does it say this on the DFA and INIS websites?
I have been searching and can't find any mention of required passport validity duration

Exactly - it is not mentioned on either website as it is not a requirement.

emanresu wrote: »

This website http://www.worldtravelguide.net/ireland/passport-visa mentions 3 months:
"Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all except:
(a) 1.persons born in the UK travelling direct from the UK (applicable to British passport holders only).
(b) 2. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card."
but I don't know how reliable this information is as the information on non-official websites is not always correct.

Not a website of any government, and the information given is quite wrong. A person may be born in the UK and may also hold a British passport, but that does not mean he is a British citizen - other forms of British nationality exist. Only British and Irish citizens benefit from the freedom to move among the Common Travel Area without the need to carry a passport.

ZAF nationals are now visa-required nationals for visits to the UK, but not for Ireland. Ireland may refuse entry not because the passports expire in January 2011, but because a re-entry visa for the UK is not present if it is required.

However, I suspect that Chaz's ZAF national family members may be able to benefit from visa-free access to the UK, under the EEA freedom of movement directive.

Chaz

Kotek Besar wrote: »

Exactly - it is not mentioned on either website as it is not a requirement.


Not a website of any government, and the information given is quite wrong. A person may be born in the UK and may also hold a British passport, but that does not mean he is a British citizen - other forms of British nationality exist. Only British and Irish citizens benefit from the freedom to move among the Common Travel Area without the need to carry a passport.

ZAF nationals are now visa-required nationals for visits to the UK, but not for Ireland. Ireland may refuse entry not because the passports expire in January 2011, but because a re-entry visa for the UK is not present if it is required.

However, I suspect that Chaz's ZAF national family members may be able to benefit from visa-free access to the UK, under the EEA freedom of movement directive.

Thanks. We all carry ZAF citizenship however I also carry an Irish passport as I am a naturalised citizen. Technically my wife and children (formally married, same surname) could have applied however due to a long story, we did not apply for theirs at the time.

So in the UK I can gain entry due to my Irish passport. My wife and children are therefore seen as EEA family members and have these stickers in their passports. Their own entry into the UK was delayed by almost 3 months as this is just as the visa rules had changed (March 2009 iirc).

Chaz

Kotek Besar wrote: »

However, I suspect that Chaz's ZAF national family members may be able to benefit from visa-free access to the UK, under the EEA freedom of movement directive.

Not correct - you need to have some form of EEA passport for this - see my post above, we had to apply for their visas to enter the UK under the EEA family category.

Kotek Besar

Hi Chaz,

EEA nationals have the right of free movement among the EEA subject to certain conditions. Their family members have the same rights. An entry visa is only necessary in certain circumstances and even then it must be issued free of charge and on the basis of an accelerated procedure.

Even without an entry visa, entry cannot be refused if it can be proven by other means that the non-EEA national has a right of entry under EU Directive 2004/38/EC and national transposition.

In any case, possession of a valid residence card of a family member of a Union citizen described in Article 10 of the Directive exempts the non-EEA national family member of the visa requirement.

Without wanting to elaborate and move further off-topic, to summarise:

Under Irish national law, ZAF nationals are not visa required for visits of up to three months. There is no requirement for the passport to be valid for longer than the intended stay. An onward ticket is required.

Under European law, since you are an Irish citizen and hold no other EEA nationality, you and your family members are able to benefit from the provisions of EU Directive 2004/38/EC if you are or have ever been working or self-employed in the UK for at least six months. In which case, your non-EEA national family members are entitled to accompany or join you in Ireland for up to three months without any condition or formality other than the requirement to hold a valid passport.

Chaz

Kotek Besar wrote: »

Hi Chaz,

EEA nationals have the right of free movement among the EEA subject to certain conditions. Their family members have the same rights. An entry visa is only necessary in certain circumstances and even then it must be issued free of charge and on the basis of an accelerated procedure.

Even without an entry visa, entry cannot be refused if it can be proven by other means that the non-EEA national has a right of entry under EU Directive 2004/38/EC and national transposition.

In any case, possession of a valid residence card of a family member of a Union citizen described in Article 10 of the Directive exempts the non-EEA national family member of the visa requirement.

Without wanting to elaborate and move further off-topic, to summarise:

Under Irish national law, ZAF nationals are not visa required for visits of up to three months. There is no requirement for the passport to be valid for longer than the intended stay. An onward ticket is required.

Under European law, since you are an Irish citizen and hold no other EEA nationality, you and your family members are able to benefit from the provisions of EU Directive 2004/38/EC if you are or have ever been working or self-employed in the UK for at least six months. In which case, your non-EEA national family members are entitled to accompany or join you in Ireland for up to three months without any condition or formality other than the requirement to hold a valid passport.

Thanks - very interesting info.

Do I understand correctly then that if we, as a family, wanted to go to say Italy for holiday, my wife and children would not need visas? What is considered a 'ID Card' in the UK - ive seen the ones issued in Italy and places like that - just wonder what is similar in the UK - dont believe an National Insurance card is?

Thanks once again for your info / help.

Kotek Besar

Chaz wrote: »

Do I understand correctly then that if we, as a family, wanted to go to say Italy for holiday, my wife and children would not need visas?

Absolutely, providing they hold the valid residence card of a family member of a Union citizen referred to in Article 10 of Directive 2004/38/EC. In the UK the said residence card takes the form of a sticker in the holder's passport. Here is a picture of it:



Your family members will have the above if they have applied for a residence card using form EEA2 (not mandatory but strongly recommended).

Chaz wrote: »

What is considered a 'ID Card' in the UK - ive seen the ones issued in Italy and places like that - just wonder what is similar in the UK - dont believe an National Insurance card is?

An ID card, as in National Identity Card, is quite different from a residence card of a family member of a Union citizen. In EU context, the former is issued by the authorities of most Member States (not by the UK any more and not by Ireland) to its citizens and it can be used in lieu of a passport throughout the EEA and Switzerland. The latter is a document which evidences the right of residence of a non-EEA national family member of an EEA national in a particular Member State.

Chaz

Kotek Besar wrote: »

Absolutely, providing they hold the valid residence card of a family member of a Union citizen referred to in Article 10 of Directive 2004/38/EC. In the UK the said residence card takes the form of a sticker in the holder's passport. Here is a picture of it:



Your family members will have the above if they have applied for a residence card using form EEA2 (not mandatory but strongly recommended).


An ID card, as in National Identity Card, is quite different from a residence card of a family member of a Union citizen. In EU context, the former is issued by the authorities of most Member States (not by the UK any more and not by Ireland) to its citizens and it can be used in lieu of a passport throughout the EEA and Switzerland. The latter is a document which evidences the right of residence of a non-EEA national family member of an EEA national in a particular Member State.

Thanks - they do indeed have those in their passports. Ignoring the fact that one passport expires soon and will need to get another in due course ...

Our man in Havana

Has anyone ever bothered with the 48 page large passport? Are they any hassle to get?

Our man in Havana

Also how long is passport express taking these days? Are they under the 10 day limit?

emanresu

Haddockman wrote: »

Also how long is passport express taking these days? Are they under the 10 day limit?

Yes, the Passport Express service has been back to normal for a few months now, and applications will be processed within 10 working days.

Our man in Havana

I wanted to know are they much quicker than that at present?

emanresu

Haddockman wrote: »

Has anyone ever bothered with the 48 page large passport? Are they any hassle to get?

If you tick it on the application form and pay the higher fee for it,
you can get it just as easily as the standard one.

Croc

Haddockman wrote: »

Has anyone ever bothered with the 48 page large passport? Are they any hassle to get?

They are no harder to get than an ordinary Passport, but they do cost more €80 for standard €110 for large. The only reason you should consider getting one is if you are a very frequent traveler. All it gives you are more pages for entry stamps compared to a standard one.

emanresu

Haddockman wrote: »

I wanted to know are they much quicker than that at present?

I know of a passport last month that arrived back 9 days later (which is only 7 working days), so it is possible for it to be faster than the 10 working days, but there is no guarantee of that.

If you need to travel urgently, you can contact the Passport Office and explain the reason, and they can issue a passport faster.
There is an extra charge for that.

Our man in Havana

No need for that at present. If I get it back in the 10 days I will be happy.

elspecia

Hey all i sent away my passport forms yesterday, all stamped and everything, and i used a passport express, and i know it says 10 working days and it will be delivered.

But with it being the xmas period and all, would the first week in January(3 through 7) be a realistic time frame to get my passport?

Also note a mate of mine sent off for his three weeks ago and got in 6 working days using the express option.

Cheers in advance for the feedback:D

Our man in Havana

I got mine in 5 working days.

elspecia

Haddockman wrote: »

I got mine in 5 working days.

But i was thinking since it was xmas, would my first week in january be a more realistic hope?

Lollymcd

10 working days from the 15th of December is Tuesday 4th January but that's not allowing for Christmas Eve, or a "privilege day" so at the latest I'd say you'll get your passport on the 6th. You'll prob get it before that though so let us know!

elspecia

Lollymcd wrote: »

10 working days from the 15th of December is Tuesday 4th January but that's not allowing for Christmas Eve, or a "privilege day" so at the latest I'd say you'll get your passport on the 6th. You'll prob get it before that though so let us know!

Cheers I'll let ye know when i get it

elvis jones

Office closed dec 27 and 28th........bank holidays. Thats the only days !

Our man in Havana

The 29th is the civil service privledge day.

elvis jones

Myth, it can be taken anytime from Dec 24 to the end of Jan. Office will be open on dec 29 !

PARARORY

My passport has expired and its the only form of ID I have that will let me into clubs/pubs etc because Im only 19 , Im going away in January so I need to send off my passport for a renewal but I dont want to not have an ID for the Christmas break?!

When I apply for a renewal can I keep my old one but its just cancelled?

Our man in Havana

When I apply for a renewal can I keep my old one but its just cancelled?

You have to submit your old passport for cancellation.

dabestman1

Applied for mine last week and got it within 4 days...