Biometric passport ?

the_monkey

Hi,
Do I need a biometric passport for travel to the USA ?

I thought just machine readable was ok, I got my passport in October 2008.

I have an Irish Passport.

Someone sent me this

BuffyBot

http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=266

If your passport was issued in 2008, it should be biometric and have the chip symbol upon it.

the_monkey

BuffyBot wrote: »

http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=266

If your passport was issued in 2008, it should be biometric and have the chip symbol upon it.

I hope so, I'll check later but I can't remember seeing it there, is the chip obvious or hidden within the plastic ?

the_monkey

OK, so my passport has the Biometric icon, but where's the chip ? is it buried in the plastic ?

Alun

I don't know about Irish passports but in the UK one it's clearly visible on the reverse side of the photo page. You can see the chip and the loop of thin copper antenna wires.

Ponster

the_monkey wrote: »

OK, so my passport has the Biometric icon, but where's the chip ? is it buried in the plastic ?

Probably. I wouldn't worry about finding the actual chip.

BuffyBot

The chip isn't visible on Irish ones. If your passport has the logo, it has the chip.

coylemj

OP, there was never an issue with Irish passports and US Immigration. What I mean is that when the US required machine-readable passports, the deadline for issuing such passports was met by the Irish and the same applies to biometric passports.

As long as your Irish passport has not expired, it will meet all of the US requirements. If that was not the case now or in the recent past, an awful lot of people with unexpired Irish passports would have been forced to surrender them in order to renew to meet the US requirements and you would have heard of this on radio and TV.

the_monkey

Thanks all , I actually can see the mark of the chip under the plastic, it's small and I expected something like

coylemj

Do you know where the ECU is located in your car?

There's probably a microchip in your washing machine, have you gone looking for it?

There is an RFID chip in your wheelie bin, do you know where they installed it?

Do you know where the power distribution unit is located in your telly?

I'm guessing that the answers are no, no, no and no so why on Earth do you care where the chip is located in your passport? As Buffybot has pointed out above, once the symbol appears on the cover, there is a chip there somewhere.

the_monkey

coylemj wrote: »

Do you know where the ECU is located in your car?

There's probably a microchip in your washing machine, have you gone looking for it?

There is an RFID chip in your wheelie bin, do you know where they installed it?

Do you know where the power distribution unit is located in your telly?

I'm guessing that the answers are no, no, no and no so why on Earth do you care where the chip is located in your passport? As Buffybot has pointed out above, once the symbol appears on the cover, there is a chip there somewhere.

Relax there poncho

MagnusDamm

coylemj wrote: »

Do you know where the ECU is located in your car?

There's probably a microchip in your washing machine, have you gone looking for it?

There is an RFID chip in your wheelie bin, do you know where they installed it?

Do you know where the power distribution unit is located in your telly?

I'm guessing that the answers are no, no, no and no so why on Earth do you care where the chip is located in your passport? As Buffybot has pointed out above, once the symbol appears on the cover, there is a chip there somewhere.

Sweet Jesus, there's always one. Your type make my skin crawl.

endofrainbow

Don't forget your ESTA

the_monkey

ESTA is the online thing that costs around €11 yeah ?

I did it, a few months back tho, do I need to print out something or will there be a record of it associated with my passport no. ?

BuffyBot

If you've done it, it'll be connected to your passport details.

You can check it by visting the ESTA website: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

coylemj

the_monkey wrote: »

ESTA is the online thing that costs around €11 yeah ?

That sounds right, it's 14 US dollars so would be about €11 on your credit card bill.

the_monkey wrote: »

I did it, a few months back tho, do I need to print out something

You don't need to print anything

the_monkey wrote: »

will there be a record of it associated with my passport no. ?

Yes, the immigration agent only expects to be handed a passport and they can look up your details on their system.

tobybinns

Alun wrote: »

I don't know about Irish passports but in the UK one it's clearly visible on the reverse side of the photo page. You can see the chip and the loop of thin copper antenna wires.

bbc [dot]co[dot[uk] /nol /shared /bsp /hi/dhtml_slides/10/passport/img/passport_3.jpg[/img]

Sorry to bring this back up again, but it might be worth pointing out that the latest design of the UK passports DON'T have the chip and copper antenna clearly visible. Only the biometric ones issued between March 2006 and October 2010 have the chip clearly visible.

I should know - after all, I have got a UK passport that is of the latest (2010) design and can't see the biometric chip anywhere.

1huge1

Hi all

Apologies for bumping an old thread, my passport was issued in 2011 so no issue in terms of it being out of date.

My passport has just been through the washing machine, it looks fine, however, I'm worried I've broken the chip.

Anyone know any quick way of finding out, I'd rather not find out as I'm trying to fly to the states in August.

I flew into Dublin from London last night and they appeared to scan the passport at security, but am I right in assuming they just read the bar code?

Thanks

SHOVELLER

1huge1 wrote: »

Hi all

Apologies for bumping an old thread, my passport was issued in 2011 so no issue in terms of it being out of date.

My passport has just been through the washing machine, it looks fine, however, I'm worried I've broken the chip.

Anyone know any quick way of finding out, I'd rather not find out as I'm trying to fly to the states in August.

I flew into Dublin from London last night and they appeared to scan the passport at security, but am I right in assuming they just read the bar code?

Thanks

Whatever about flying home I wouldnt think of flying into the U.S. with a damaged passport.

Get a new passport and leave no doubt.