Does anyone have a Passport Card?

[samarrange]

Just that, really... I have a Passport Card along with my normal passport (what the DFA calls a "Passport Book") and it's great. It's basically like being any other EU citizen travelling around on just their ID card. It fits in your phone cover and if you lose it, well, you still have your actual passport.

It costs €35, but if you order it when you renew your passport it's only €25 extra.

I was wondering how many people have taken it up, not least because not many people I speak to seem to know about it and I'm hoping they don't abolish it for want of popularity!

What is this? Never heard of it? Is this for UK citizens?

edited to add: after a quick google it seems it’s for US citizens?

"Craicnet"
"EU"
There are clues as to who this is for... and it does say so on google.

I have one, absolutely love it. Am yet to decide to head to europe on a whim but I love knowing that I could, just with my wallet in hand.

I have one and have used it on the Eurostar.

Look at which board the message is on.

I haven’t got one but I want one. But I think it would have the same expiry date as my passport so not worth doing until I get a new passport. Completely take your point about it being abolished if nobody uses it though so I will definitely get one.

Yes it says craicnet - which I have never heard of. Don’t see where it says EU maybe I missed it. If you mean the fact OP says “it’s like any other EU citizen” that doesn’t mean it’s EU - only that it’s like the EU.
when I typed it on google the first results were us department of state hence my assumption

The word craic is associated with Ireland. The post is about Irish passport cards.

Oh I see - never knew that. Learned something new 🙂 thank you.

It is valid for 5 years (not 10), or until your passport book expires. But the nice thing is that you can send your passport book back for renewal a bit early and keep the passport card, so you can still travel while waiting for the book to come back.

Good to know, thanks

I travelled within the EU (Vienna) with my Irish friend who had one, and the airline staff in Vienna didn’t understand what it was and they had a policy that stated national ID cards couldn’t be used as a travel document. My friend had to argue so much to explain that the Irish passport card is not a national ID card and is actually a passport. They nearly didn’t let her fly. Their error obviously, but just a warning that some staff aren’t adequately briefed! This was two years ago though.

I have had a couple of run-ins when travelling from the EU to the UK, because poorly-informed gate staff believed that, post Brexit, "You must have a full passport to enter the UK" (which is untrue, not just for Irish citizens but also for the 1.5 million EU citizens with "UK settled status" but no passport, because they arrived when only an ID card was needed). I now carry my full passport as a backup, and sigh when producing it. I also expect to be told soon that I need a UK-ETA to enter, which of course Irish citizens don't.

I suppose, to be fair, that although the card says "Passport" on it, it's not an IATA standard format passport, and it does look a lot like an ID card. I have a small bet with myself that it was only made because Ireland was planning to have a national ID card and the politicians chickened out after buying the equipment to make them, because I can't see the point otherwise (even though I love it).

However, an airline that had a policy that you can't fly within the EU with only a national ID card would surely be out of business very quickly, because probably half of EU citizens don't actually have a passport (because they don't need one unless they are going to the UK or further afield).

20yo DD has one and keeps it in the back of her phone case to use as ID. Main reason she got it is ‘it looks nicer than her driving license’ 🤣. The real bonus though is that she travels a lot and it’s nice to know that it’s there as a back up in case she loses her physical passport whilst abroad. I definitely think that the passport cards are a good idea - very handy and seem to be quite popular among young people.

I feel like the passport card was invented as a response to Ryanairs ridiculous policy of not allowing ID cards to be used on Ireland-UK flights, for which you don't actually need a passport at all.

My DS says it is very useful as an ID too.

I fancied getting one when Iast renewed my passport. But the form filling had me so stressed out I just got the ordinary passport eventually. Didn't want to complicate things. I suppose I could still apply for one? They look fierce handy and durable.

Similar experience in Sardinia. I was told it’s not a passport several times (wrong!).
I’m a dual national so this was a boarder issue not a flight one. Toying with taking my passport book vs card on a trip this week & searching for forums with positive experiences 🫠

I got one but didn't realise the card and passport have different numbers. Luckily I was at a travel agency and she asked which i wanted to use. When I asked why I was told if you book a flight with your passport you cannot then fly with the card as it's a different number. So just be careful if you have one.
I do like the card for ID though.
Edited to add mines an Irish passport but I presume it would apply for all cards and passports

I got one when I renewed my passport last year. I used it going to Amsterdam, then got stuck in a massive queue on arrival because the EU passport holder lines only had passport scanner machines which don't recognise the card. I keep it in my wallet though as a back up id (my drivers licence is in my phone case).