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Irish Passport Card
Cárta Pas Éireannach
Front of the card
Reverse
TypeTravel document
Identity document
Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
PurposeIdentification
Valid in EFTA
European Union
United Kingdom
Rest of Europe (except Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine)
Georgia
Montserrat (max. 14 days)
France Overseas France
EligibilityIrish citizens[1]
Expiration5 years or until expiry date of passport booklet (whichever comes first)
Cost€35

The Irish Passport Card (Irish: Cárta pas Éireannach) is a wallet-sized travel document issued by the Government of Ireland that allows Irish citizens to travel and prove their identity and citizenship within the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It serves as a more durable and convenient alternative to the standard passport book for travel and proof of identification within these specific regions.

A passport card cannot be issued unless the bearer already has a valid passport booklet. The card is valid for 5 years or until the passport booklet expires, whichever is shorter.

Ireland is the only European Economic Area member state to issue this type of document. All other member states, except Denmark, issue national identity cards that serve the same travel function within the European Economic Area and Switzerland. The Irish passport card is officially not a national identity card under European Union law as it is an ICAO-compliant travel document that does not serve identification purposes within Ireland itself[2].

Notably, Irish passport cards also allow Irish citizens to travel to and from the United Kingdom and to demonstrate their rights under the Common Travel Area without having to present their passport booklet[3][4][5].

History

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A credit card-sized Passport Card was introduced on 5 October 2015.[6] It was originally announced as being available in mid-July 2015 but was subsequently delayed.[7][8] It conforms to international standards for biometric and machine readable travel documents promulgated by ICAO.[9]

Unlike the United States Passport Card, which cannot be used for international air travel or for land and sea travel outside North America, the Irish passport card can be used for air travel and throughout the European Economic Area and Switzerland and some non-EEA countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Montserrat (max. 14 days in transit to a third country), North Macedonia, Serbia, and the United Kingdom.[10] However, at introduction, it was only publicised as having been approved for entry and exit by countries in the EEA. A few days afterwards it was confirmed that Switzerland had given its approval.[11]

The Irish Passport Card is a passport in card format and is intended to be usable as a travel document in most European countries, in a similar way to national identity cards elsewhere in the EEA or the Russian internal passport with respect to travel to some countries and autonomous territories within the former USSR. It is largely treated in the same way as an identity card in several other EU countries,[12] since that is what their laws call such cards.[13][10] However, the IATA Timatic database used by airlines to find out document requirements lists the passport card as a separate document type. The card uses the designation "IP" in its machine readable zone (MRZ) (the "I" means identity card and the "P" is undefined in the MRZ standard). Although ICAO began preparatory work on machine readable passport cards as early as 1968, Ireland was the first country to issue one for air travel and the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, highlighted the novelty and utility of Ireland's Passport Card at its 2015 introduction.[14][9]

The card costs €35, with a €10 discount if applied for at the same time as a passport book, and is valid for five years or the validity of the bearer's passport booklet, whichever is less. From November 2018, Passport Cards are available to Irish citizens of all ages.[15]

Unlike national identity cards issued in other parts of the EU, an Irish passport card cannot be issued unless the bearer already has a valid passport booklet but, because of its convenient size and durable format compared to the Irish passport booklet, it will also serve purposes similar to that of national identity cards in other parts of the EU: identity and age verification, and intra-EU travel.[16]

Although they can be used at electronic passport control gates at Dublin Airport,[17] it was not possible, in 2018, to use this card at many electronic border gates/e-gates in continental Europe.

EU Regulation 2025/1208, which requires EEA national identity cards issued since 2 August 2021 to contain fingerprints and follow a common format, does not apply to ICAO-compliant travel documents such the passport card issued by Ireland, as confirmed by Recital 12 in the preamble[2]. However, the passport card directly follows ICAO Document 9303, which gives other biometric requirements on which EU Regulation 2025/1208 is based.

Security features

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Irish passport cards have security features designed to make them difficult to forge or be mistaken as forgeries. They have also been optimised for machine reading. The top-left corner of the passport card contains the biometric chip, which contains a copy of the information printed on the card, and a facial scan of the holder. To prevent unauthorised parties remotely accessing the information stored in the RFID biometric chip, the machine readable zone of the identity page must be scanned to unlock it. This safeguard is known as Basic Access Control.

The designation of the document "Éire/Ireland/Irlande" "Pas/Passport/Passeport" is printed in colour-changing ink, which varies from light green to gold-red, depending on the angle of the light shining on it. The background for the front of the passport card is a complex Celtic design, with the words for Ireland appearing in the official languages of the EU as part of the design.

The identity picture is greyscale, and is digitally printed onto the surface of the special security polycarbonate. The Irish harp is superimposed as a hologram onto the bottom right corner of the photograph. A likeness of the applicant in a hologram photo on a strip on the back:. According to Charles Flanagan, the then Foreign Affairs minister, this is the first time such a security feature was going to be used on travel documents.[18][19] The Passport Card was updated in October 2021 to change the strip at the rear of the card from a silver reflective (OSM) strip to a SealCrypt strip.[20]

Ireland's passport card was joint winner of the 'Best Regional ID Document' at the High Security Printing Europe Conference in Bucharest, Romania in March 2016.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Despatch, T.M. Healy to J.H. Thomas from T.M. Healy to J.H. Thomas - 04 March 1924 - Documents on IRISH FOREIGN POLICY". Difp.ie. 1924-03-04. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  2. 1 2 Recital 12 of Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1208 of 12 June 2025 on strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement
  3. ↑ "Before you leave for the UK". Gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  4. ↑ "Prove your right to work to an employer". Gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  5. ↑ "Prove your right to rent in England". Gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  6. ↑ Kelly, Fiach (2015-10-05). "Credit-card size passport for European travel available today". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  7. ↑ "Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, announces new Irish Passport Card". Department of Foreign Affairs (Press release). 2015-01-26. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  8. ↑ McMahon, Aine (2014-12-21). "New passport card for travel in EU arriving early in 2015". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  9. 1 2 "Doc 9303: Machine Readable Travel Documents" (PDF) (Seventh ed.). International Civil Aviation Organization. 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2015. ICAO's work on machine readable travel documents began in 1968 with the establishment, by the Air Transport Committee of the Council, of a Panel on Passport Cards. This Panel was charged with developing recommendations for a standardized passport book or card that would be machine readable, in the interest of accelerating the clearance of passengers through passport controls. ... In 1998, the New Technologies Working Group of the TAG/MRTD began work to establish the most effective biometric identification system and associated means of data storage for use in MRTD applications, particularly in relation to document issuance and immigration considerations. The bulk of the work had been completed by the time the events of 11 September 2001 caused States to attach greater importance to the security of a travel document and the identification of its holder. The work was quickly finalized and endorsed by the TAG/MRTD and the Air Transport Committee. ... The Seventh Edition of Doc 9303 represents a restructuring of the ICAO specifications for Machine Readable Travel Documents. Without incorporating substantial modifications to the specifications, in this new edition Doc 9303 has been reformatted into a set of specifications for Size 1 Machine Readable Official Travel Documents (TD1), Size 2 Machine Readable Official Travel Documents (TD2), and Size 3 Machine Readable Travel Documents (TD3) ...
  10. 1 2 "Entering the UK". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  11. ↑ Written answers to questions asked in the Irish Parliament on Tuesday, 13 October 2015 quoted in kildarestreet.com Archived 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine and accessed 2 December 2015: "Q 345: Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party) To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 483 of 10 February 2015, and the contradictory information on the Department website (details supplied), if he will confirm whether the passport card is valid for travel to Switzerland. [35223/15]. A 345: Charles Flanagan (Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) On 5 October I launched the passport card which will facilitate travel by Irish citizens within all thirty countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area. Last week, my Department, through the Embassy in Berne, received confirmation from the authorities in Switzerland that they will also accept the passport card for travel. Our website has been updated accordingly."
  12. ↑ There are references for Sweden and UK nine words to the right
  13. ↑ "Utlänningsförordning (2006:97)" [Aliens Regulation (2006: 97)]. Notisum.se [17 § An identity card for a foreigner who is a national of the issuing state which indicates citizenship and is issued by a competent authority in an EEA state or Switzerland, is valid as a passport at the alien's arrival to and departure from Sweden, and while the alien is permitted to stay here.] (in Swedish). Karnov Group. 2006-02-23. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  14. ↑ "Minister Flanagan Launches Irish Passport Card for Use in 30 European Countries". Department of Foreign Affairs (Press release). 2 October 2015. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2015. The introduction of the passport card is a significant innovation that will enhance the travel experience for Irish people as they go on holidays or business trips ... I am particularly proud that we are one of the very first countries in the world to introduce such a passport card. It represents a very positive story of Irish-led creative thinking and innovation and illustrates that we are very much pioneers in this area.
  15. ↑ Ó Conghaile, Pól (2018-11-28). "Irish Passport Cards and online passport renewal now available for children". Irish Independent. Dublin: Independent News & Media. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "Passport Card FAQ". Department of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  17. ↑ Ó Conghaile, Pól (2017-11-30). "New passport machines and 'e-Gates' have opened at Dublin Airport". Irish Independent. Dublin: Independent News & Media. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  18. ↑ "Irish passport card delayed to improve its durability". SecurityDocumentWorld.com. Science Media Partners. 2015-07-16. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 2016-10-21. A hologram photo on a strip on the back is the first time this security feature will be used on travel documents.
  19. ↑ "Ireland rolls out new passport card". SecurityDocumentWorld.com. Science Media Partners. 2015-10-13. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  20. ↑ "Passport Card - changes to the Passport Card 2021". Department of Foreign Affairs. 2024-01-19. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  21. ↑ Mayhew, Stephen (2016-04-04). "Ireland's selfie-friendly passport card wins international security award". BiometricUpdate.com. Biometrics Research Group. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-21. Ireland's new selfie-friendly passport card was a joint winner of the Best Regional ID Document at last month's High Security Printing Europe Conference in Bucharest, Romania.
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