UK or Irish Passport?

charlie_doherty

I am currently planning a 3 month honeymoon around the world, taking in Asia, Oz, NZ, Fiji and the USA.
I know I'm lucky to be able to do this but with the money saving tips I've put a few pennies away!!!
The question is that I have Irish parents and my current UK passport is going to expire whilst I am away so I need to get one before I go. Does anyone know if biometric requirements are coming in to force for the places I am visiting and as such which passport would be the best to get - Irish or UK as I believe they both have a ten year life?

Cheers

zolablue25

Biometrics or not, yo may be better off wth an Irish passport as UKers are not the most popular race in the world at the moment!! (nothing new there)

puffinmuffin

try here for British passports http://www.passport.gov.uk/index.asp. Having a British passport will grant you a longer stay in NZ, when we went recently i was given six month but my dutch OH only got three. (commonwealth or something) The US is threatening to make biometrics compulsory but has not done so yet. As it stands now, as long as you have a machine readable passport from an EU country the US will let you in (any new passport will be) The UK gov is gradually phasing in biometric ones

jillie1974

if you've never held an irish passport you may struggle to get one as like every other country they are making it harder to get. the rules to get one are stricter than the uk ones and also there are different visa requirements for each of those countries if you hold an irish passport so you maybe better of in the long run keeping your UK one

The_Lambton_Worm

zolablue25 wrote:

Biometrics or not, yo may be better off wth an Irish passport as UKers are not the most popular race in the world at the moment!! (nothing new there)

Really? I must be missing something then. Never been treated with anything but the utmost respect when i've travelled abroad. Admitedly, i don't go to Spain, Greece etc where the BOTP brifgade go that often, but i've been treated with respect when i have.

As for the initial poster, i'd bare in mind what jillie has said. Could be better the devil you know.

bingo_bango

Like several posters have mentioned, there are advantages to both. An Irish passport will get you free entry to Kenya. A UK one requires a $10 dollar entry payment.
Also, if you were in a far flung corner, better to have an Irish passport in case you get kidnapped, as those from a neutral country have no real political advantage. A UK passport isn't exactly a ticket to trouble free travel in quite a few parts of the world due to current circumstances.
Worth exploring the restrictions placed on both by the countries you are visiting, and see which gives the least hassle.

rjh090384

do u live in northern ireland or were u born there? i dont think ur automatically entitled to an irish passport just cause ur parents are irish?

briona

bingo_bango wrote:

Also, if you were in a far flung corner, better to have an Irish passport in case you get kidnapped, as those from a neutral country have no real political advantage. A UK passport isn't exactly a ticket to trouble free travel in quite a few parts of the world due to current circumstances.

Actually many countries don't see a difference between Ireland and the UK – given that Northern Ireland is under British rule, the Republic frequently gets tarred with the same brush.

Admittedly while Britain isn't the most popular country at the moment, given the rise in global terrorism, it's unlikely that anyone is 'safe' just because of the passport they hold. It is worth noting that Margaret Hassan [Irish-born and bred and a holder of an Irish passport] was, sadly, no safer than any other hostages taken.

Either passport looks fine for the "Westernised" countries [Aus, NZ and the US], but I'm not sure there are any real advantages to either for Fiji and Asia. Obviously you cannot guarantee safety anywhere, but with regards to Asia and Fiji, rather than worry about what passport you hold [since nationality is an accident of birth and most people can't change it too easily], I would ensure I knew about – and adhered to – local customs and behaviours, so that you can avoid offending locals. Good guide books usually have a section on this as well as dodgy areas, local scams you may fall prey too etc...

Other than that, just have a great time!

alanrowell

With an Irish passport it's easier to get visas to "difficult" countries like Iran & Syria. Visas for UK citizens in those countries tend to be dependent on the political situation at the time of applying. No-one gives a damn about an Irish passport in those circumstances

Otherwise it's a case of checking what the entry & exit charges and procedures are for each country you intend to visit - some may allow you a visa on entry (or free entry) whereas others may require you to apply in advance

Simplest thing to do is to get both - it's not as if there's a law against it