passports

[Guest scott cs.]

hello,

according to the passport people's website it says it takes 3 weeks from application for your passport to arrive. it also says it's not guaranteed. in anyone's experience, have they recieved their passport within the stated time? i only ask because fivefingerdiscount are planning on touring Ireland in April and i'm the only cunt without a passport.

[Alvin Starclusk]

If it's a renewal, there's a fast-track service that takes a couple of weeks, or I think you can haul your ass down to Glasgow and get one same day. Dunno about new passports.

Of course, you don't actually need a passport to go to Ireland.

[Miss Groupie Supreme]

Passports come quick enough. Also does it not help if you fill out the wee box on the back with the date you need it by. They are usually very helpful. You are bound to have one by april.

[Guest scott cs.]

If it's a renewal' date=' there's a fast-track service that takes a couple of weeks, or I think you can haul your ass down to Glasgow and get one same day. Dunno about new passports.

Of course, you don't actually need a passport to go to Ireland.[/quote']

we'll be playing north and south Ireland and i was told you need one?

i need one anyways for going on holiday.

thanks for the help.

[Alvin Starclusk]

we'll be playing north and south Ireland and i was told you need one?

i need one anyways for going on holiday.

thanks for the help.

Got a photo driving licence? If so, you don't need one.

[Guest scott cs.]

don't have one of those yet either.

[Rachie]

I think I got mine back pretty promptly, just as long as you avoid the holiday rush before summer you should be fine.

[Alvin Starclusk]

don't have one of those yet either.

Not to worry' date=' here you go: [url']http://oasis.gov.ie/moving_country/moving_abroad/common_travel_area_between_ireland_and_the_UK.html

Any of those'll do.

[Guest scott cs.]

sweet.

it's nice when people are helpful for a change.

[Cloud]

How are you getting to Ireland?

If you're going via Stranraer/Cairnryan on the ferry, you won't need anything as there's no border control between the UK and Ireland. If you're taking a UK-Ireland route, get yourself a bus pass. If you're flying, be careful as a lot of airlines will demand some sort of goverment issued ID - Ryanair for example will only accept driving licences or passports on UK-Ireland routes. But basically, if you're only heading overland, there's absolutely no need to carry anything at all.

As for how long it takes to get a passport, give yourself as much time in advance to make sure that you get it.

Bit of advice though - apply through the post office, as they check all your documents before sending the form away. It costs an extra £6 or something, but it's worth it just to know that the form won't be rejected and sent back for some trivial reason.

[Guest scott cs.]

i'm going to need a passport anyways, going on holiday later this year.

we're playing in the Republic as well as the North and i just want to make sure that i have some sort of official documentation.

[crooked*smile]

I've always got mine back pretty quickly. But you never know what might go wrong I guess!

[Sue Denim..]

Go into the post office and ask for the fast track option (passport verification service). You pay a little bit more but you get your passport back within a few days. They sign your photos for you and stuff.

[A.Pel]

I lost my passport in Spain one year and I got back to the UK with basically just a photocopy of some legal documents and some fancy wee bit of paper from the passport people.

So surely if you give them a call and say its an emergeny they can print of some stuff for you?

[EchelonDivision]

My bird got her passport last month, it arrived 3 days after she sent it through the post office. It was a renewal.

You do need at passport to go to the Republic of Ireland as it is outside the United Kingdom.

Passports will cost 96 soon, so be quick!

[Cloud]

You do need at passport to go to the Republic of Ireland as it is outside the United Kingdom.

Nope, you don't. It's part of the Common Travel Area. The CTA also includes Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Ireland introduced a photo-ID requirement at ports in 1997, but as previously said, a bus pass is enough to gain entry. Although technically you needed some sort of ID during the Troubles, it was never a requirement.

I've entered through Dublin Airport a few times on my photocard driving licence.

There's no border control or any sort of checks anymore when go over the border - in a lot of places, it's difficult to even tell what side of the border you're actually on.

Oddly, you need a passport to go to Gibraltar, despite it being a British Overseas Territory.

[GraemeC]

Got a photo driving licence? If so' date=' you don't need one.[/quote']

Thats only true for a small number of countries.

[GraemeC]

I've entered through Dublin Airport a few times on my photocard driving licence.

.

How recently?

[Cloud]

How recently?

Last October. Also went three times in 2004. Only on one of those occasions did they even look at my driving licence - two of those times we were waved straight through' date=' and the other time was overland and therefore no check (not even for the ferry from Stranraer to Belfast).

Bear in mind that a photocard driving licence is useless for anywhere except travelling within the CTA - it's no use to travel within the EU for example, because the checks applied to driving licences aren't as stringent as applied to passports.

For anyone reading this thread : please don't assume that you can travel to Ireland on a bus pass, as we're talking about actually entering the country. Individual airlines and ferries may have differing requirements for travel, as they have an obligation to make sure that you have appropriate documentation to enter the country that you're travelling to. Aer Lingus definitely used to allow travel on a bus pass, but that might have changed since their transformation to a low cost model.

Entering the UK is potentially a different kettle of fish, but again, I've entered on my driving licence from Ireland and never had a problem.

[url']http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishpost/Travel/IDrulesdifficultforelderlyIrish.asp

That link explains it in a bit more detail.

As for why you don't need a passport? It's all in the history - if either country was to instate passport controls, they would have to monitor every crossing point from North to South - something like 200+ crossings. It's just completely impossible for them to realistically implement controls.