Passport expiry

PolishBigSpender

Gavin83 wrote: »

It's a UK forum. We don't have ID cards in the UK.

I wasn't aware that the forum was restricted to British citizens living in the United Kingdom. There must be a million plus of my fellow Polish citizens using their ID cards on a routine basis, as well as many, many other EU citizens.


I'm a dual citizen. I use my Polish ID card in normal life because it's simply much cheaper and easier to do so.

I didn't know Gibraltarians had ID cards but then again I'm willing to bet the OP doesn't live there.

It's irrelevant. The point is that EU citizens may use their identity cards to cross any EU border, as well as crossing many non-EU borders.


Gibraltarians, being British and EU citizens, may use their ID cards to cross the border. The chap trying to insist otherwise is frankly wrong, as a simple look at the Gibraltar ID will show.

But if it makes you happy your right, residents of countries with ID cards can use their ID cards to travel in the EU.

Not only the EU, not only the EEA, not only CH, but also many other countries too.

shaun_from_Africa

PBS & GM,

You are both partly correct and both partly incorrect.

Even though my name is spelt the English way (blame my father) I am an Irish citizen and if I wanted to travel from Ireland into France, Germany or any other Schengen area country then as there is no Irish EU identity card, I am required to present my passport when I pass through the passport control area of the first schengen country that I arrive in.
This is because I am coming from a country that is outside of the Schengen agreement, therefore border controls exist between these countries.
Once I have been granted admittance into Schengen, I can pass freely between all of countries that are part of the agreement and during those crossings, I do not have to present any ID.

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

There is absolutely no obligation for an EU citizen to use a passport at any EU border crossing.
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-citizen/index_en.htm
It doesn't get clearer than that.

"It doesn't get any clearer than that", except that the link you provided clearly states otherwise.

If you are an EU national, or a national of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway , you do not need to show your national ID card or passport when you are travelling from one border-free Schengen EU country to another

The UK and Ireland are not border free Schengen countries due to neither of them signing up to the agreement and as neither countrry issues national ID cards, a passport is required for the first entry into the Schengen area.

And this post from George Michael is also incorrect.

I fly through Paris and Malta on a very regular basis and when arriving at both airports, there are two separate areas at immigration. One for arrivals from a Schengen country and one for arrivals from a non Schengen country.
Non Schengen arrivals must have a valid passport even if they are UK or irish citizens.

Arrivals from a non Schengen country such as the UK do have to go through border control and show ID but this ID can be an EU issued one and it does not have to be a passport.
If the highlighted phrase had stated "Non Schengen citizens without an EU issued ID card must have a valid passport" then it would have been correct but as it is written, it is wrong.

PolishBigSpender

Another one who doesn't know what he's talking about.

I am an Irish citizen and if I wanted to travel from Ireland into France, Germany or any other Schengen area country then as there is no Irish EU identity card, I am required to present my passport when I pass through the passport control area of the first schengen country that I arrive in.

You are required to present a passport because it's the only valid travel document you have. Other travel documents are valid, including all ID cards issued by EU countries that are also travel documents.

For instance, Estonia issues an ID card to EU citizens that is also valid as a travel document. Any EU (and probably EEA) citizen has a right to obtain such a card, and as a result, Irish citizens can use it.

This is because I am coming from a country that is outside of the Schengen agreement, therefore border controls exist between these countries.

Sigh. You have to present a passport because you have no other valid travel document. It's nothing to do with entering Schengen, as EU law provides that EU borders may be crossed with any valid travel document.


A Gibraltarian holding a Gibraltar ID card can use it when crossing from Serbia to Hungary. No questions will be asked, as it functions as a valid travel document.

"It doesn't get any clearer than that", except that the link you provided clearly states otherwise.

Wrong. Read the link again.

You must still show a valid ID card or passport
when travelling to or from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom.

The UK and Ireland are not border free Schengen countries due to neither of them signing up to the agreement and as neither countrry issues national ID cards, a passport is required for the first entry into the Schengen area.

Actually, the UK signed Schengen many years ago, but opted out of the measures concerning border control.


Anyway, it's irrelevant. The only entry requirements are a valid travel document. When the UK (briefly) had ID cards, they were valid for travel as an EU travel document.


For the purposes of crossing the EU frontier (internal or external), all that is required is a valid travel document as recognised by the European Union.


I crossed a few weeks ago from Serbia into Croatia (both non-Schengen countries) on the basis of my Polish ID. No-one blinked an eyelid.

shaun_from_Africa

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

Another one who doesn't know what he's talking about.


You are required to present a passport because it's the only valid travel document you have. Other travel documents are valid, including all ID cards issued by EU countries that are also travel documents.


Sigh. you have to present a passport because you have no other valid travel document. It's nothing to do with entering Schengen, as EU law provides that EU borders may be crossed with any valid travel document.

Sigh.

But Ireland does not issue ID cards, therefore a passport is the only valid travel document that an Irish citizen can have unless they have dual citizenship with another country that does issue EU identity cards.

I have an Irish passport. I cannot obtain an EU identity card therefore I am legally required to use my passport as a travel document.

Yes, an EU identity card can be used but not by every EU citizen. It can only be used by citizens of countries that issue them.

PolishBigSpender

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

But Ireland does not issue ID cards, therefore a passport is the only valid travel document that an Irish citizen can have unless they have dual citizenship with another country that does issue EU identity cards.

Wrong. There are many other possibilities, such as obtaining an Estonian ID card for EU residents which allows travel within the EEA and CH. Indeed, the Schengen Borders Code makes it clear that a lack of a travel document is not grounds for immediate refusal.

I have an Irish passport. I cannot obtain an EU identity card therefore I am legally required to use my passport as a travel document.

Wrong. You may use a multitude of other accepted travel documents, a passport is merely one of many.

Yes, an EU identity card can be used but not by every EU citizen. It can only be used by citizens of countries that issue them.

Wrong. See my reply to the first quote.