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

I'm · 22-03-2010 9:57pm

Thanks to all for their posts - it's good to understand other's experiences. I sent my application in on the 3rd Mar - the status once recieved has been the same since. Need it for the 31st for flight with Ryanair to UK, but will probably just have to take the hit and book flights with another carrier in the next couple of days.

JBoyle4eva · 22-03-2010 10:36pm

I've a last minute journey to make on Thursday 1st April (no fooling) and I've to go tomorrow to the offices to apply for an Emergency passport. I know people are saying it's not being rushed, but do you think if I still go in tomorrow, I'll have a chance of getting it in time? I'll have to spend tonight at my boyfriend's place in Temple bar as I won't get up early enough from Maynooth. So need advice ASAP

ickythump · 22-03-2010 10:38pm

does anybody know of someone who has received a passport recently (barr family emergency's) ????
mine was supposed to be back by last thursday, still no sign of it, am flying on the 1st april...

Herbal Deity · 22-03-2010 11:09pm

I'm travelling in mid May and returning at the start of June.

My passport expires in early June, but AFAIK (don't have it on me now) it'll still be in date when I'm travelling.

I've heard rumours about non-acceptance of passports which aren't a couple of months away from expiry. Is this a load of crap?

I don't really want to send my passport away for renewal if there's a chance I won't get my new one in time to fly...

Atlantic Dawn · 23-03-2010 12:38am

Anyone know what the different tracking status on passport.ie, mines on checking, for the past week, I presume I have got to the stage where my photos are good?

Sundew · 23-03-2010 12:46am

Paul4As wrote: »

I've heard the passport office are being really picky with photographs!
My wife got her photos returned to her today saying her head was to high in the shot!
I thought it looked OK!
She has heard a lot of people getting their photos returned...which would probably never have been returned pre-strike!

Not true.
A friend of mine had photos returned twice over a year ago so it's nothing to do with the strike. They have been much stricter with photos for a while now!
I'm pretty sure it's to do with the digital passports that were introduced in recent years.
Perhaps somebody can confirm this!
We also had photos retrurned in this house for not been centred enough :rolleyes:

darragh16 · 23-03-2010 12:54am

Sure they're a bunch of Pr***s in the passport offices. Its our right as Irish citizens to have a passport so why should they stop us, just because they're gettin a paycut. What about all the public and private sector workers who've suffered major paycuts.....

munchkin_utd · 23-03-2010 12:56am

Sundew wrote: »

Not true.
A friend of mine had photos returned twice over a year ago so it's nothing to do with the strike. They have been much stricter with photos for a while now!
I'm pretty sure it's to do with the digital passports that were introduced in recent years.
Perhaps somebody can confirm this!
We also had photos retrurned in this house for not been centred enough :rolleyes:

There is a guide with the passport form for the photos and if you do them according to the guide you'll be grand.

The photos are scanned in by a machine and if they are not acording to the guide they WILL be rejected.

The irish attitude of "sure it'll be grand" or "sure it's near enough" unfortunately isnt accepted by the photo digitizer!!!
Aparantly it takes measurements of the proportion of your head and nose and whatnot and stores this on the chip with the passport.
(this is my understanding of what biometric is all about at any rate)

emanresu · 23-03-2010 1:22am

To get an answer to this query you would have to say what country you are travelling to.

The Irish Passport Office website states: "Some countries now insist that your passport be valid for at least six months after the start of your visit, so check the expiry date carefully" but it doesn't mention which countries this applies to.

For example, in the case of France:
"European national passports ... are valid for France until the expiry date. Check you will leave the territory before that date."
http://www.ambafrance.ie/article.php3?id_article=784
and for passports from countries not on this list, at least 3 months validity is required.
http://www.consulfrance-vancouver.org/visas/anglais/modules_communs_aux_fiches/validite_du_passeport_en.htm

emanresu · 23-03-2010 1:33am

... and for example, in the case of the United States:

"Visitors traveling to the United States are required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the United States. Citizens of the countries listed below* are exempt the six-month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended period of stay. ....."

* Ireland is in the list

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/inspections_carriers_facilities/clp/bulletins/clp_bullentin_04162008.ctt/clp_bulletin_04162008.pdf

Herbal Deity · 23-03-2010 1:36am

Yeah, turns out where I'm going requires 3 months validity remaining on a passport.

I'm eligible for an American passport also, and am considering applying for one at the same time as my Irish one, just in case...

Butch Cassidy · 23-03-2010 2:29am

Paul4As wrote: »

I've heard the passport office are being really picky with photographs!
My wife got her photos returned to her today saying her head was to high in the shot!
I thought it looked OK!
She has heard a lot of people getting their photos returned...which would probably never have been returned pre-strike!

If they're really picky it will probably have something to do with international visa/passport agreements such as the one with the USA as well as the biometric passports that store your photo on a chip in the passport.

watna · 23-03-2010 4:52am

Herbal Deity wrote: »

Yeah, turns out where I'm going requires 3 months validity remaining on a passport.

I'm eligible for an American passport also, and am considering applying for one at the same time as my Irish one, just in case...

It's not a bad idea to have dual nationality. I have an American passport and, although I never use it unless going to the states it is good to know that if I got caught up in something like all this passport madness I'd have another one so I could at least travel.

kormak · 23-03-2010 9:36am

I eventually got through to a woman by phone yesterday...
she answered the phone like she was preparing for a fight!
I was polite as could be and requested help with my application number, so i could track my passport that i posted it 6 weeks ago by regular post.
without even asking any details from me, she spurted out something about industrial action, mumbled something about customer service and then transferred me to another line which just rang out.
i hadn't even had the time to explain my situation.
there's work to rule and then there's pure ignorence...

BoardsMember · 23-03-2010 10:00am

We posted a passport renewal using the An Post service on 10th March. Just did an online track of it and the status changed to "Checking" on 13th March. I'll post any change if/when that happens. We plan to fly on 14th April, we're not too hopeful.

Paul4As · 23-03-2010 10:57am

Sundew wrote: »

Not true.
A friend of mine had photos returned twice over a year ago so it's nothing to do with the strike. They have been much stricter with photos for a while now!
I'm pretty sure it's to do with the digital passports that were introduced in recent years.
Perhaps somebody can confirm this!
We also had photos retrurned in this house for not been centred enough :rolleyes:

It's true in Mayo anyway that more people than usual are having their applications knocked back due to photographs! My wife works in a nursery and when she explained to some of the parents how she'd had her photos returned...many of them have had similar problems recently!
I'm sure the bigger the backlog the better it will seem to the strikers!
I'm not knocking the strikers...everyone has a right to protest!

Dodgykeeper · 23-03-2010 11:20am

It would ease the fears of a lot of people if Ryanair relaxed the rule on needing a Passport to travel and would be a pr coup for them, am sure O'Leary would love to put a full page ad in the Indo saying they were doing more to ease the situation than our inept government!

Come on Micky, help us out!!

Dodgykeeper · 23-03-2010 11:37am

I am in the same situation, my mothers sister worked in the office in Balbriggen until recently (this is where the Express Posts are sent) and told her yesterday that the first thing the efficiant passport officials do is to clip the corners thus rendering it invalid!

If you have any joy let me know but I have not been able to speak to anybody to ask the question!

Wheeker · 23-03-2010 11:37am

Dodgykeeper wrote: »

It would ease the fears of a lot of people if Ryanair relaxed the rule on needing a Passport to travel and would be a pr coup for them, am sure O'Leary would love to put a full page ad in the Indo saying they were doing more to ease the situation than our inept government!

Come on Micky, help us out!!

Yes indeed- it would be a lifesaver & I'm sure O'Leary would love the publicity. My family is meant to be flying to UK on 1st April with Ryanair, but we applied for a passport for our baby at the end of Feb, enclosing my wife's passport with the application.

Wouldn't be a problem if we were flying any airline other than Ryanair as a passport is not required to travel to UK. My wife just phoned Ryanair "Customer Service", but they just repeatedly stated that a passport is required to travel on all flights :mad: If only they would just relax their rules during this strike emergency.......

Bloody*Mary · 23-03-2010 12:09pm

Passport office talks must start this morning - ITAA

Backlog fiasco causing needless anxiety to many thousands of citizens
Practical implications of dispute are enormous.
Urges Ryanair to waive passport only acceptable ID rule for UK flights.

Tuesday 23 March 2010 ITAA CEO, Simon Nugent this morning called for immediate action by Passport office management and CPSU representatives to make a plan and start clearing the backlog of applications currently building up at an appalling pace.

“This practical problem has to be separated out from the wider issue of public sector pay negotiations. The crisis is hardly what the passport office staff (who normally provide an excellent service) intended when they commenced their work to rule. It simply has to be solved.

“I have just been talking to some of the 250 people queuing outside the Passport Office in Molesworth St but the queue is just the tip of an iceberg, Travel agents offices are inundated with customers looking for advice about where they stand and. Everywhere, the problem is the same. People are angry, they know they don’t have their passports and they have no clue how long it is going to take to obtain one. They can not understand why they are being victimised in this union - government dispute. People I spoke to risk loosing huge money on well earned holidays, and others are being blocked from visiting aged and ill relatives. Business travellers are missing out on valuable export orders. This is nothing like e.g. a bus strike where one just ends up being late for work or school. The impact of this work to rule on people’s lives is huge.

“But this is a problem that can be solved and be solved relatively easily if workers and management were to talk face to face. We can’t understand why this did not happen on Friday or yesterday. It has to happen today.”

Mr Nugent also urged Ryanair to suspend its “Passport only form of ID” rule for travel between Ireland and the UK. “I spoke to several people in the queue this morning who have bought Ryanair tickets to the UK. If Ryanair accepted other forms of ID for UK trips for the next couple of months - this would be one way to reduce pressure on the passport system – and increase their sales.

For further information

Simon Nugent, Chief Executive ITAA

01 6794179

daveyboy_1ie · 23-03-2010 12:28pm

BoardsMember wrote: »

We posted a passport renewal using the An Post service on 10th March. Just did an online track of it and the status changed to "Checking" on 13th March. I'll post any change if/when that happens. We plan to fly on 14th April, we're not too hopeful.

In a similar situation myself, my gf applied on the 08th March and in fairness was told there was no gaurantees anymore on passport express which she accepted. Today is officially our 10th working day so we were never expecting it today (might be surprised when I get home

) but hoping against hope for maybe a 15 or even 20 working day wait. We are not flying until the 23rd April so still holding out for it arriving in time. But the escalation of the breakdown in services is really throwing a spanner in the works. I would not mind so much but she was dong the right thing in applying 3 months before her passport actually expired. So now we are left with NO passport and no idea when we are to expect her new one. If it does not arrive in time its €1,220 of a holiday down the drain, our first real holiday together and what should be something to look forward to is turning into a nightmare.

Atlantic Dawn · 23-03-2010 12:53pm

daveyboy_1ie wrote: »

In a similar situation myself, my gf applied on the 08th March and in fairness was told there was no gaurantees anymore on passport express which she accepted. Today is officially our 10th working day so we were never expecting it today (might be surprised when I get home ) but hoping against hope for maybe a 15 or even 20 working day wait.

Same time I applied, I will update you when I get mine.

kormak · 23-03-2010 1:03pm

passport office phoned me today after i left 2 emails for them.
lady was very helpful and advised me my passport was due to the posted today.
on a personal level she felt that a combination of media frenzy and people literally panicing too early and joining long queues even though their holidays are not for another 8 weeks or so... was one of the main causes for this ongoing issue.
Can't say i agree with her!
[rant removed]

spockety · 23-03-2010 1:17pm

The problem is not being helped by printing machines being out of action.

The low volume machine in Molesworth St is damaged 'beyond repair'.

One of only two high volume printing machines in Balbriggan is also now out of action, meaning that capacity there is halved.

[rant removed]

daveyboy_1ie · 23-03-2010 1:19pm

kormak wrote: »

passport office phoned me today after i left 2 emails for them.
lady was very helpful and advised me my passport was due to the posted today.
on a personal level she felt that a combination of media frenzy and people literally panicing too early and joining long queues even though their holidays are not for another 8 weeks or so... was one of the main causes for this ongoing issue.
Can't say i agree with her!
[rant removed]

Congratulations Kormak, delighted for you. At least they are still getting through a few applicants a day. She may have a point with the panic applications adding to the backlogs. just talking to a girl in work and she applied the same day as me and is flying out 10th april so she is even more stressed than we are

daveyboy_1ie · 23-03-2010 1:21pm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Same time I applied, I will update you when I get mine.

When we get ours will post too Atlantic.

sweetswing · 23-03-2010 1:25pm

kormak wrote: »

passport office phoned me today after i left 2 emails for them.
lady was very helpful and advised me my passport was due to the posted today.
on a personal level she felt that a combination of media frenzy and people literally panicing too early and joining long queues even though their holidays are not for another 8 weeks or so... was one of the main causes for this ongoing issue.
Can't say i agree with her!
[rant removed]

how long ago did you send in for your passport? pasport express?

pd101 · 23-03-2010 1:33pm

Just a quick question. I lost my passport a few weeks ago and I have applied for a new one. At the moment I'm filling out application forms that need my passport number. When I get my new passport will I still have my old passport number? The deadline for these forms is coming up fairly quickly and getting a bit stressed now.

RunSwift · 23-03-2010 1:34pm

pd101 wrote: »

Just a quick question. I lost my passport a few weeks ago and I have applied for a new one. At the moment I'm filling out application forms that need my passport number. When I get my new passport will I still have my old passport number? The deadline for these forms is coming up fairly quickly and getting a bit stressed now.

No, your new passport will have a new number.

laoisman11 · 23-03-2010 1:43pm

pd101 wrote: »

Just a quick question. I lost my passport a few weeks ago and I have applied for a new one. At the moment I'm filling out application forms that need my passport number. When I get my new passport will I still have my old passport number? The deadline for these forms is coming up fairly quickly and getting a bit stressed now.

Probably best thing to do is to leave the passport number section blank on the application forms and attach a note saying that you have applied for a new passport, but there has been an unforseen delay at the passport office, and you'll forward on the new passport number as soon as you receive it. Should be ok. Maybe state the old passport number as well.

.Longshanks. · 23-03-2010 1:54pm

Managed to get speaking to somebody in last 10 mins. Basically, if it hasn't been touched yet then yes I can withdraw the application. It remains to be seen if they will photocopy it for me & proceed with the application like normal on foot of the new T&C's I posted above

mikedragon32 · 23-03-2010 2:13pm

Folks, for the last time, save the rants for After Hours... I don't mind folks asking questions in this thread, but try to stick to the facts. I have removed some rant type stuff from a few posts (and quoted posts). If I have to do it again, the posters responsible will be banned

ghostdancer · 23-03-2010 2:36pm

does anyone know what exactly the story is with emergency passports?

passport was stolen 2 weeks ago, applied for a new one, but it won't be back in time.

is it only family emergency ones they're giving out in Molesworth St.?

what exactly give proof of a "family emergency"?

is it in Balbriggan that the emergency ones are being processed?

Butch Cassidy · 23-03-2010 2:44pm

Did someone break into your house and steal your passport? I always wonder how people end up with theirs being stolen. Surely you'd want to put it in a safe place?

anyways, the "emergencies" count as life or death kinda thing. Ie, your wife/father/child is in another country and is about to die or has just died. I belief it's bad karma to lie about someone dying personally but don't know how you could prove your sister in Paris is on her deathbed.

Butch Cassidy · 23-03-2010 2:47pm

I'm wrote: »

Thanks to all for their posts - it's good to understand other's experiences. I sent my application in on the 3rd Mar - the status once recieved has been the same since. Need it for the 31st for flight with Ryanair to UK, but will probably just have to take the hit and book flights with another carrier in the next couple of days.

You don't need a passport officially/legaly to fly to the UK. There's a separate arrivals for Republic of Ireland, UK and Chanel Islands. With Aer Lingus you can fly with a bus pass, Garda card, work ID etc... anything official with yr name and picture.

Coming back into dublin airport you need a driver's licence or a passport to technically "prove" you're Irish (or British) and you avail of the Common Travel Area.

Another reason I wouldn't travel with Ryanair ....

Butch Cassidy · 23-03-2010 2:50pm

watna wrote: »

It's not a bad idea to have dual nationality. I have an American passport and, although I never use it unless going to the states it is good to know that if I got caught up in something like all this passport madness I'd have another one so I could at least travel.

I thought with American citizenship you're not allowed hold any other citizenship and you have to renounce your other citizenship and pledge alegience to the american flag or whatever?

Herbal Deity wrote: »

I'm travelling in mid May and returning at the start of June.

My passport expires in early June, but AFAIK (don't have it on me now) it'll still be in date when I'm travelling.

I've heard rumours about non-acceptance of passports which aren't a couple of months away from expiry. Is this a load of crap?

I don't really want to send my passport away for renewal if there's a chance I won't get my new one in time to fly...

No offence to anyone but you can see how this crisis has unfolded now with people applying for passports en masse when they're flying a few months from now. I don't blame anyone for planning ahead and trying to get it sorted out in advance, in fact that's what everyone should be doing. Just looks like a panic has erupted.

Anyway, in case you or anyone doesn't know, you will be fine within the EU with a valid passport up to expiry date and you don't really need a passport for flying to the UK - the passport office could do well to pass on this information! and the govt. could do well to sort out more concrete arrangements with other countries.

ghostdancer · 23-03-2010 2:57pm

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Did someone break into your house and steal your passport? I always wonder how people end up with theirs being stolen. Surely you'd want to put it in a safe place?

anyways, the "emergencies" count as life or death kinda thing. Ie, your wife/father/child is in another country and is about to die or has just died. I belief it's bad karma to lie about someone dying personally but don't know how you could prove your sister in Paris is on her deathbed.

yes, house was broken into.

i would ring them and find out exactly what proof is needed, but they're not answering the phones...:rolleyes:

metrovelvet · 23-03-2010 3:18pm

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

I thought with American citizenship you're not allowed hold any other citizenship and you have to renounce your other citizenship and pledge alegience to the american flag or whatever?

.

Nope. Many people have dual nationalities.

However, be advised do not make the same error I did which nearly made me miss a flight.

I travelled to France on my Irish passport and my son his American one and I travelled Ryanair and used the online check in. THis meant I did not check in at the desk which is where they usually do the visa stampd for non EU citizens. SO after I had gone through security, and half way around the world to the ryanair gate and got on the end of a very long queue, the lady at the gate told me I didnt have a visa stamp on the boarding pass and i had to race with a two year old in one arm, and due to the rules now about leaving unattended luggage behind, hand luggage and a buggy in the other, up escalators, down escalators, and back again through secutirty after finding the ryanair desk, nearly broke my neck, my sons neck and nearly missed the flight.

So mind the visa if you are not doing desk check in and flying on a non eu passport.

Ok lesson over.

Fergus · 23-03-2010 3:19pm

I applied in person and the status on the website changed to 'approved' on the day they said it would be posted out. Anyone know if that means it has also been posted out, or would that show up as 'posted' on the website?

BoardsMember · 23-03-2010 3:35pm

If anyone hears any recommendations from official sources re what to do if your passport is already in the system and you're thinking or queueing up or whatever please advise on this thread.

As I get closer to our departure gate I'd like to know if there is any point in going into the office to queue if I have submitted the renewal form using the Express Post option. I'd be concerned that, as I queue, it could be posted out or something.

I have heard whispers of a new 20day turnaround but no confirmation on that, if anyone hears any more info on that it would be worth posting. Whatever about the efficiency of the operation, their communication is awful. Good luck to all those with crossed fingers waiting for their passports.

J.Ryan · 23-03-2010 3:48pm

A few of the previous posters had stated that you don't need a passport to fly to the UK, I remember reading somewhere, either late last year or earlier this year that it was changing, does anyone have a date on that?

I and my partner are going to the UK via boat in Mid May, we will be applying for new passports later this week via An Post (the existing ones expire on 1st May), as she does not have a driving licience is there any danager of not being allowed to travel if the passports don't arrive?

mikedragon32 · 23-03-2010 4:14pm

J.Ryan wrote: »

A few of the previous posters had stated that you don't need a passport to fly to the UK, I remember reading somewhere, either late last year or earlier this year that it was changing, does anyone have a date on that?

I and my partner are going to the UK via boat in Mid May, we will be applying for new passports later this week via An Post (the existing ones expire on 1st May), as she does not have a driving licience is there any danager of not being allowed to travel if the passports don't arrive?

http://www.stenaline.ie/ferry/faqs/passports-and-visas/im-a-irish-citizen-do-i-need-a-passport/

J.Ryan · 23-03-2010 4:36pm

Thanks for that, what qualifies as a form of Identity, she doesn't have a driving licience and getting the theory test and the provisional licience isn't going to happen in time?

donnacha · 23-03-2010 5:50pm

In the case of my 6 mth old, do I still as the parent have to send in the childs original birth cert and my own passport to get his issued? seems crazy that I may not be able to fly myself for the next 2 mths whilst it sits in a pile on desk somewhere.

Lollymcd · 23-03-2010 5:57pm

Fergus wrote: »

I applied in person and the status on the website changed to 'approved' on the day they said it would be posted out. Anyone know if that means it has also been posted out, or would that show up as 'posted' on the website?

Approved means that everything is ok with your application (photo's, citizenship etc), next stop is production (ie: where it's made) then quality control and then postage.

It depends on which office it is in as to how quickly it will be sent out, reason being, the office in Molesworth St recently flooded and some of the printers were damaged, this has to cause a delay in production. If it was sent to Balbriggan or Cork at a guess I'd say it'd be sent out end of today or tomorrow, not 100% sure on that, I worked there a couple of years ago and that would have been the time frame then. Once it's approved there is less human involvement so I guess the work to rule shouldn't affect it too much.

cailinoBAC · 23-03-2010 6:20pm

They definitely should publicise that bit about not having to hand over your original document. I think the guys in the post offices probably don’t even know that, or surely they’d say it. I didn’t apply for mine sooner because I was travelling constantly. I don’t think my new one will be ready before I need it again, so I’m going to try and somehow get the old one back as it’s valid for another 2 months.

horse7 · 23-03-2010 6:31pm

are the isralies still providing irish passports?how much.

mikedragon32 · 23-03-2010 6:49pm

horse7 wrote: »

are the isralies still providing irish passports?how much.

Infraction issued. If you're not willing to help with queries, don't bother posting.

kormak · 23-03-2010 8:27pm

sweetswing wrote: »

how long ago did you send in for your passport? pasport express?

sweetswing - posted the application form on Feb 11th by regular post, the cheque was cashed on Feb 19th.

Paradoxaholic · 23-03-2010 8:48pm

Im growing increasingly frantic at this point! I applied for my pasport through the express service on the 4th of march! Ive been checking the tracking site ever since, only to see 'Passport being checked, last updated on the 12th of march'' , However, when i luckily got through to them on monday after 1 frickin hour on the phone, the woman told me that the passport application has not been touched! Absolutely ridiculous! I'm due to fly out on the 10th of april, and im worried i may not recieve it by then. Has anybody has any good experience at all??

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