HomeTagsPosts tagged with "passport"

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We’ve all been there; you wake up hungover and bleary-eyed, and before even registering what day it is or what planet you’re on, you frantically launch the phone-purse-passport search.

And while most of us will find our phone nestled inside a snack box and locate our passport on the bathroom floor, the men in our lives don’t fare so well.

According to information obtained from the Passport Office, at least 40 passports a week find their way to the Passport Office after falling loose of men’s back pockets.

In fact, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the projected number of Passport books due to be issued this year is between 900,000 and one million – many of them replacements for ones lost in pubs and clubs

Considering this, Photo-Me, the DFA approved passport photograph service, are urging young Irish men to apply for a passport card as opposed to carrying the booklet around with them.

“It seems that Irish men in particular, have a habit of keeping their passport in their back pocket on a night out or while travelling and for this reason the passport card makes so much more sense,” said Patrick Brennan, Managing Director Photo-Me Ireland and UK.

“It’s much more convenient and safer to store the credit card sized passport in a wallet and means you can leave your passport book at home for safe keeping in the unfortunate event that you do lose the card.”

The passport card is available to all Irish citizens who are 18-years or older and hold a valid Irish Passport.

Sounds like a fairly handy solution to us…

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An Garda Síochána are reminding members of the public that an online service is available for the renewal of passports.

In a recent survey carried out in Blanchardstown Garda Station, over 600 applicants attended the Garda Station for the purpose of having their applications witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána.

However 40% of those did not need to attend the Garda station as their application was for passport renewal – a service which is now available online.

Only new applicants are required to attend a Garda Station to have application forms witnessed, signed and stamped by An Garda Síochána.

Speaking at Blanchardstown Garda Station, Chief Superintendent, Lorraine Wheatley, said: "Whilst An Garda Síochana welcomes interactions with members of the public, we are aware that people are making unnecessary journeys to Garda Stations only to be told that the facilitate for renewal of passports is available online and is a much quicker process."

This online service was introduced in March 2017 and the typical waiting time for application to be completed online is ten days.

For more information click here.

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Bad news for holiday makers.

If you've yet to sort out you passport for you summer travel adventures, make sure to do so as soon as possible.

A major backlog at Ireland's Passport Office means that some 65,916 applications are outstanding and have yet to be processed.

According to TheJournal.ie, figures released by the Department of Foreign Affairs show there has been a surge in the amount of people applying for Irish passports over the past year.

The increase in numbers is largely thought to be due to the uncertainty around Brexit and Britain's future in the European Union.

The largest increases were seen in the first five months of 2017 when applications rose by a massive 55 per cent.

The outstanding applications are all from applicants in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain, who applied via the new online renewal service.

It is not yet know whether these delays will lead to longer waiting times but the office are advising people to apply at least six weeks before their intended travel date.  

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When it comes to security, our dads know what's what.

From doing a recce of the family house every night to having a meltdown if they hear we ventured outside after dark, our fathers are the Patron Saints of Personal Security.

And woe betide any young one who might think they're clever enough to ignore their teachings as Corey Hughes discovered during the summer when her dad heard she planned to keep her passport and wallet in a schoolbag during a trip.

After recording her father's expletive-ridden reaction to the questionable move, Corey uploaded the video to YouTube and four months later, it's still doing the rounds.

Ladies, we could all learn a thing or two from Mr Hughes.

 

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It's the first week since the controversial Brexit vote was passed in the United Kingdom, and we are slowly starting to see results in our everyday life. 

Ireland has seen a MAJOR surge in applications for passports this week from British citizens, with 1 in 4 claiming Irish heritage.

And it would seem that many Britons are desperate to maintain a link with the European Union. 

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Our Foreign Affairs Minister, Charlie Flanagan, has had to intervene, pleading with desperate Britons to hold off with passport applications unless it is urgent.

According to reports, increased interest is putting a major strain on our passport services department. 

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'The increased interest clearly points to a sense of concern among some UK passport holders that the rights they enjoy as EU citizens are about to abruptly end.' said Mr. Flanagan.

The Minister went on to explain that the freedom of movement act would still be in tact until discussions take place regarding the terms of Brexit.

This all comes as post offices in Northern Ireland ran out of Irish passport application forms.

It has been explained to those wanted to claim Irish citizenship that if one of your parents was born in Ireland, you are eligible. 

However, some people are going to mind-blowing lengths to maintain EU citizenship.

The government in Malta has been selling passports to wealthy Brits for up to €650,000. Applicants to this scheme are also required to buy property and invest in government bonds. 

Cyprus are offering a similar scheme, which would set you back a cool €5million.

It was confirmed that Britain had voted to leave the EU last Friday.

Centre Images: dailymail.com

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There are plenty of folk who confess to not being all that crazy about their name.

Maybe their parents opted for a traditional moniker that nowadays just doesn’t appeal – or perhaps their mum or dad were alternative types who had a moment of madness in the labour ward.

However, as the internet proves again and again, there is ALWAYS someone far worse off.

Take, for example, one poor Australian chap – who certainly sports one of the more cringe-inducing titles we’ve stumbled across recently.

In a frustrated Facebook post, Mr Phuc Dat Bich – who has been accused in the past of making up his name – stated: “I find it highly irritating the fact that nobody seems to believe me when I say that my full legal name is how you see it.

Indeed, taking matters into his own hands, 23-year-old Phuc decided to share a snap of his passport, proving once and for all he’s the real deal.

“I've been accused of using a false and misleading name of which I find very offensive,” he added. "Is it because I'm Asian? Is it?”

And although Phuc Dat Bich is actually correctly pronounced ‘Phoop Dook Bic,’ native-English speakers – overwhelmingly in the majority in Australia – can’t help but say the words phonetically.

Indeed, Mr Dat Bich furthermore highlighted that his Facebook account has even been “shut down multiple times”.

On the plus side, his online complaint, which was actually posted back in January but has only now gone viral, has received more than 125,000 likes and has been shared some 67,000 times.

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Say goodbye to having to dig out your passport for every jaunt abroad: you can now get your hands on the brand-new, WAY more convenient passport cards, which are valid for travel within Europe. 

And there's further good news for anyone who's had to endure the decade-long horror of a pharmacy-taken snap: you can upload an image of your own choosing (so long as it meets standard criteria).

Applications can be made right now online on the Department Of Foreign Affairs website or via the specially-developed smartphone app. 

All you need to kick-off the process is your standard passport number and the date it expires; a suitable (read: a 'gorgeous') photo that you can upload, and the €35 fee.

However, to ensure you're eligible, it's important to also note the following:

  • You must be aged 18 or over.
  • The personal details you provide online must match the details exactly as they appear on your Passport Book.
  • Your Passport Book must have a minimum of 30 days validity remaining.
  • If your current Passport Book is lost, stolen or damaged you must apply for a new Passport Book before applying for a Passport Card.
  • Payment is by credit/debit card only; €35 will be deducted from your card. There will be an additional €5 postal fee if you reside outside Ireland.
  • Your Passport Card will have a maximum validity of 5 years or the remaining validity of your current Passport Book i.e its expiry date cannot exceed that of your Passport Book.
  • The image you submit will be reproduced in black and white.

Meanwhile, before you start overloading your passport profile picture with excessive filters and soft shading, you should furthermore take heed of the below:

  • Plain background: Which means white or pale grey – no red-carpets, certainly. 
  • Head centred: A front pose – you can't tilt your head to capture your 'good' side.
  • Neutral expression: Mouth closed, no smiling, smirking, smizing or duck-faces. 
  • No shadowing: On the face or around the eyes – aka subtle contouring.
  • Eyes must be clearly visible: No sunglasses, and no hair around your face either. 
  • Photo must be in focus: So put down the filter.
  • Natural colouring: The photo can't be too bright or too dark – even if you think you need a bit of a tan.

 

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There is nothing worse than opening the long awaited envelope that holds your brand new form of identification and discovering that there’s been a typo.

Anyone who has the fortune of being an Aisling with an 'i' or any other name with a less than mainstream spelling will know the feeling of dread that comes with filling in important documents. It can be bad enough that you’re never able to get a cool keychain with your name on it, now someone has gone and ruined your passport too.

Why would anyone do such a thing?

One eagle-eyed Reddit user (Reichenbach_), the owner of a brand new Irish passport was left feeling less than enthused when they spotted this error.

This time it wasn’t a spelling mistake that they spotted, it was more of a geographical error that raised some eyebrows.

After having a look through their shiny new passport it was discovered that: "the convention centre is on the wrong side of the Samuel Beckett Bridge."

This is how the passport should actually look:

Should we be concerned? Does this mean that major changes are afoot for one of Ireland's most highly regarded locations? This year alone the Convention Centre will host five different international association conferences generating an estimated €7 million for the local economy.

But is the new passport trying to convince us this locale is actually more southern then we are used to? We shall just have to wait and see.  

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A brand new passport card will be made available to Irish people in July.

The card will make travelling within the European Union easier as well as being useful for nights out, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan said: “The passport card will be particularly useful for young people who use their passport booklet as identification, especially on nights out.”

The card is a credit-card sized form of ID, meaning it will easily fit into our wallets and purses which will hopefully decrease the number of lost passports!

It sounds like the blind panic of convincing ourselves we’ve lost our passports after a night out on the town may be a thing of the past as the minister says that he has often been concerned with his own children bringing theirs out: “As a father I have often felt concern about the impracticality of the passport booklet as a means of identification for young people on nights out and this new card will be a far more practical option.”

The new card is the first of its kind in the world. Being valid for five years and costing €35 when it is launched in July, people can apply either online or through an app that has been set up for the new initiative. 

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