renew free travel pass ireland

Free Travel Pass - If you qualify for Free Travel, your Public Services Card (PSC) will have FT (for Free Travel) in the top left-handed corner. Free Travel Pass is valid on all Citylink services. 

The letter following shows who you can take with you:

you can travel for free (Valid for Card Holder Only)

FT + S

your spouse, or civil partner can travel with you for free

FT + C

you can have a person (over 16) travel with you for free

Senior (65+) SmartPass

Northern Ireland Senior (65+) SmartPass is valid on Citylink/GoBus/Eireagle.com services.

When booking your ticket online please do not select the adult fare ticket. Please select the free travel pass option. 

** Free Travel Pass Holders MUST be in possession of their Travel Pass to give to Driver on boarding the Coach.  If you do not have your travel pass with you, you will be charged the applicable fare.**

Citylink is pleased to announce that we accept the Free Travel Pass (FTP) on all routes:

• Route No. 760 Galway - Dublin Airport
• Route No. 761 Galway - Dublin City & Airport Express
• Route No. 712 Limerick - Dublin Airport eireagle
• Route No. 763 Galway - Dublin Airport Multi-stop Serving Galway, Oranmore, Loughrea, Athlone, Moate, Kinnegad, Kilbeggan, Enfield, Dublin City, Dublin Airport.
• Route No. 251 Galway - Limerick - Cork - Cork Airport
• Route No. 923 Galway - Clifden
• Route No. 721: Castlebar-Dublin Airport
• Route No. 430: Galway-Ballina
• Route No. 660: Galway-Dublin City Express
• Route No. 707: Cork-Dublin City & Airport
• Route No. 720: Galway - Dublin City & Airport

Passengers with FTP / N.I. SmartPass cards can reserve and guarantee their seat for a specific journey by using our online booking facility or visiting our travel centres. Please note, a fee of €3 per seat is in place for Free Travel Pass tickets on our Multi-Stop routes and €5 per seat on our Express routes. You must carry your Free Travel Pass with you and show it to the Driver on Boarding . If you do not have your travel pass with you, you will be charged the applicable fare. 

To book an FTP ticket online, do not put anything under Adult, Student, Child etc, go straight to FREE TRAVEL PASS and from the dropdown menu. Select 1 if one person travelling or 2 if two persons travelling but must be covered on the same pass. If there are two persons travelling with two separate passes, then you need to make two separate reservations. Enter the 12 digit card number on the back of the FTP card, NOT your PPS number. We strongly recommend passengers reserve their seat in advance, especially when travelling to the airport.     A person must be 16 years or older to accompany a Free Travel Pass holder and only if the FTP card allows . Children accompanying a Free Travel Pass holder must make a seperate reservation on our website at www.citylink.ie. Children up to 14 years old must purchase a child fare and 14+ must purchase a student or standard fare as applicable. Tickets may also be purchased directly from the driver subject to availability.

Please note when boarding the coach you must present your valid FTP card.  

Need help booking your ticket? Watch our handy video tutorial below. 

How can we help?

• Travelling by Train
• Booking Online
• At the Station

Where do I find Information on the Free Travel Pass?

• If you wish to book onto a train see our handy guide  Booking a 'Free Travel Pass or Valid Ticket' option  
• For information on how to travel with a Free Travel Pass on rail services see our FAQ  Do I need to get a ticket to accompany my Free Travel/Public Services Card?
• For more information on how to use your Public Service Card for free travel check out this TFI How to use your PSC for free travel leaflet  or visit freetravel.ie
• For information on what a Free Travel Pass is go to the Department of Social Protection website , contact your local Social Welfare Office or Call their Information Line at 1890 500 000 (from the Republic of Ireland only) or 00353 71 915 7100 (from Northern Ireland or overseas).

All free travel passes are issued by the Department of Social Protection not by the transport provider. Free travel passes are non-transferrable and can only be used by the named person. 

Get cheaper fares using a TFI Leap Card across bus, train and tram services. The Free Travel Pass can be used on all services and children under 5 travel for free across the TFI public transport network.

Train fares vary by type of service, while tram fares on the red and green zone are based on zones within the network.

Find out more information on this, fare structures, TFI Leap discounts and the Free Travel Pass below.

Train Fares

Taxi Fare Estimator

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PSC centres are open for appointments from Monday to Friday. Any person who wishes to get a Public Services Card should contact their nearest PSC centre .

Public Services Card renewal

Existing Public Services Cards which are out of date remain valid for the purposes of collecting Social Welfare payments and, where applicable Free Travel Public Services Cards that are out of date will continue to be honoured by the National Transport Authority.

Online Renewals

A new Online Renewals Services for Public Services Cards is available here

Full Information

Free travel scheme, free travel scheme.

Everyone aged 66 and over, legally resident and living permanently in the State (Republic of Ireland), is entitled to the Free Travel Scheme. Some people under 66 also qualify. If you qualify for Free Travel, you will be issued a card from the Department of Social Protection. You must carry your Free Travel Card with you when using public transport. In some cases, a Free Travel Companion Card is available, which allows a person to travel for free with the holder (if they are unable to travel alone). Free Travel Cards are non-transferable and can only be used by the named person.

If you abuse your entitlement to Free Travel, the Department of Social Protection will review your entitlement to a Free Travel Card. For example, abuse could include wrongfully presenting a card for travel or engaging in anti-social behaviour while using the card. When you use your Free Travel Card, you must also follow the rules that apply to your mode of transport.

SAFE registration and Public Services Card

The  SAFE registration process establishes and verifies your identity. Your Free Travel Pass will be contained in the Public Services Card (PSC) that is issued following the SAFE registration process. You must undergo SAFE registration when requested to do so by the Department of Social Protection. Your entitlement to Free Travel will be disallowed or withdrawn if you don’t register.

If you are entitled to Free Travel, when you are issued with your new Public Services Card, it will also be your Free Travel Card. ( The Public Services Card will eventually replace the Free Travel Pass .) The card will have “F-T” printed in a yellow octagon in the top-left-hand corner of the card. 

You must show your Public Services Card to the travel operator when you are travelling on public transport. When you receive your new Public Services Card, you must return your old Free Travel Pass to the Department of Social Protection (see ‘Where to apply’ below).

There are three categories of Free Travel:

• If  FT-P is written on your Public Services Card, you personally are entitled to Free Travel.
• If  FT+S  is written on your Public Services Card, your spouse, partner or  cohabitant can join you for free when you travel (they cannot travel for free alone). Your spouse, partner or cohabitant’s name will not be on the card.
• If  FT+C  is written on your Public Services Card, a companion (over 16) can travel with you for free (because you are unable to travel alone for medical reasons).

Note that the Department of Social Protection is no longer issuing paper passes.

Spouses, civil partners, cohabitants and companions

If you are entitled to Free Travel and you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, you are entitled to a Free Travel Card which allows your partner to accompany you free of charge when travelling. (This does not apply to people under age 66 who are getting Carer’s Allowance or who are nominated carers for people getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relatives Allowance).

If you are unable to travel alone, you may get a Free Travel Companion Card. This allows you to be accompanied by any person over 16 years of age, free of charge. You must satisfy certain conditions to qualify for a Free Travel Companion Card. Entitlement to the Companion Free Travel Card may be subject to periodic review. You can read about these conditions here .

You may be entitled to Free Travel if you are legally resident and permanently living in the State and:

• You are aged 66 or over;
• You are getting Disability Allowance,  Blind Pension ,  Carer’s Allowance  or an  Invalidity Pension ;
• You have been getting Incapacity Supplement or Workmen’s Compensation with Disablement Pension for at least 12 months;
• You are blind or visually impaired and meet the medical conditions for Blind Pension;
• You are a specified carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relative’s Allowance;
• You are getting a social security invalidity payment, or similar payment, from another EU member state or from a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement for at least 12 months;
• You are a widow or widower or a surviving civil partner aged 60 or over whose late spouse/civil partner held a Free Travel Pass and who is getting one of the following payments: Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Partner’s (Contributory) Pension, Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension, One-Parent Family Payment, Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Partner’s Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme or a similar social security pension/benefit from an EU member state or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement, or an ordinary Garda widow’s pension.
• You have confirmed your identity through the  SAFE registration process when requested to do so.

There are no restrictions on the times you can use your Free Travel Card.

Working and keeping entitlement to Free Travel

Since 6 April 2017, under the  Make Work Pay  initiative, if you move from a long-term disability payment (see list below) to a job, you can keep your entitlement to Free Travel for a period of 5 years, provided you have registered for a Public Services Card.

• Disability Allowance

• Invalidity Pension

• Partial Capacity Benefit (from Invalidity Pension)

• Disablement Benefit paid along with Incapacity Supplement

• Transfer from Disability Allowance or Invalidity Pension to a Community Employment, SOLAS or Back to Work scheme.

How to apply

If you are aged 66 or over and are getting a social welfare pension, the Free Travel Card will be issued automatically if you have confirmed your identity through the SAFE registration process when requested to do so. If you are not SAFE registered, you will be requested to do so before your Free Travel Card is issued to you.

If you are under age 66 and have confirmed your identity through the SAFE registration process, you will get a Free Travel Card automatically when you are awarded an Invalidity Pension, a Blind Pension, Disability Allowance or Carer’s Allowance. If you are not SAFE registered, you will be requested to do so before your Free Travel Card is issued to you.

In all other circumstances, you must apply for Free Travel by completing a Free Travel application form FT1 (pdf) .

You can get this form and additional information from the Department of Social Protection – see ‘Where to apply’ below. The form is also available at your local post office .

If you are married or in a civil partnership and either of you applies for Free Travel or are issued a card automatically, the appropriate type of card (to allow your spouse or civil partner to accompany you free of charge) will be issued. If you are cohabiting, you must apply for this type of card by completing PART 2 of the application form quoted above.

If you are unable to travel alone, you should apply for a Free Travel Companion Pass separately, using either an Over 70 Companion Pass form (pdf)  or an  Under 70 Companion Pass form (pdf) .

Lost or damaged Free Travel Passes

There are currently two types of Free Travel Pass: a paper Free Travel Pass and a Public Services Card Free Travel (with F-T written in the top left-hand corner). Paper passes are no longer being issued, so if you need a replacement for a lost or damaged paper pass, you must undergo SAFE registration and get a Public Services Card .

If your Public Services Card Free Travel is lost, stolen or damaged, you should telephone 0818 837000  to request a replacement card.

Where to apply

Free Travel Section Social Welfare Services College Road, Sligo, Ireland

If you wish to talk to someone face-to-face about your entitlements, you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre ,  Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office .

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Public Services Card

What is a public services card, using your psc to apply for social welfare payments online, registering for a public services card, where to apply for a public services card.

A Public Services Card is usually issued when you are allocated a PPS number . If you apply for, or are currently getting a social welfare payment (including Child Benefit) you will be asked to register for your Public Services Card.

If you don’t yet have a Public Services Card - see 'Where to apply' below.

What information does this card display?

The front of the card holds your name, photograph and signature, along with the card expiry date. The back of the card holds your PPS number and a card number. It also holds a magnetic stripe to enable social welfare payments such as pensions to be collected at post offices

If you are entitled to free travel the card will also display this information in the top left-hand corner. If FT-P is written on the card the holder is personally entitled to free travel. If FT+S is written on the card the holder can travel with their spouse, partner or cohabitant. If FT+C is written on the card the holder can have a companion (over 16) travel with them for free.

If you have a Public Services Card, you can set up a MyGovID verified account to access a range of public services online .

Your mobile phone number must be verified by the DSP to set up a MyGovID verified account .

If you have a Public Services Card and want get your mobile phone number verified by the DSP, you can call: 0818 927 999.

Face-to-face registration for a Public Services Card is called SAFE (Standard Authentication Framework Environment) registration.

The Department of Social Protection will send you a letter with your SAFE registration appointment. SAFE registration takes about 15 minutes to complete and usually takes place in your local Intreo Centre . It is important that you attend for your appointment. It will help to avoid any potential difficulty with access to social welfare payments in the future. During this appointment your photograph will be taken and your signature recorded for your new Public Services Card, which will be posted to your home address. You will also be asked for the answers to some security questions.

You must bring certain documents with you to your appointment to prove your identity and address. You should also bring the letter you got confirming your appointment and, if you have one, your mobile phone. Having your mobile phone with you means that your number can be verified by the Department. You will need phone verification to access public services online . If you currently have a Social Services Card (a swipe card used to collect social welfare payments), bring that with you too.

You must prove your identify to receive a social welfare payment or benefit. If you comply with the SAFE registration process when requested, you are considered to have authenticated your identity. If you do not comply with the SAFE registration process your social welfare payments (including Child Benefit) and/or your social welfare entitlements (such as Free Travel) may be suspended.

Documents to bring to your SAFE registration appointment

1.Evidence of identity:

*If you are an Irish citizen or UK citizen and do not have a passport or driving licence as identification, you may still be issued with a Public Services Card. Additional information which can be verified to confirm your identity may be gathered at your appointment interview.

For Irish citizens born in Ireland, birth details can be verified online in most cases with the General Register Office. However, in some cases, it is not possible to locate the birth registration, so the person will need to return with a copy of his/her birth certificate.

If you wish to get a copy of your Irish birth certificate for SAFE registration purposes, you can get it from the Registrar at a reduced rate when you show your SAFE invitation letter or appointment notification.

You can read more about Public Service Identity on welfare.ie .

2. Evidence of address (applies to everyone, whether an Irish, EU or non-EU citizen):

You need to show evidence of your address. You can use any of the following documents to do this (the document must show your name and address and not be older than 3 months):

• A household utility bill
• An official letter/document
• A financial statement
• Property lease or tenancy agreement
• Confirmation of address by a third party such as a school principal/administrator, accommodation/property owner*or manager.

*If you are staying with friends or relatives an original household bill plus a note from the bill holder confirming your residency at the bill address is acceptable. This note can be written on the bill itself.

3. Additional helpful documents

If you have any of the items listed below, you should bring them along with you as they may also help to confirm your identity. If you do not have any of these, you should bring other documents or forms of photo ID instead*.

• Free Travel Pass
• Medical card
• European Health Insurance Card
• Credit/debit card
• Student card

*The following items are not acceptable as proof of identity for the purpose of SAFE registration: Baptismal certificate, work ID card, Garda form ML-10, Garda age card, photocopied certificates or documents and expired documents generally.

Lost or damaged Public Services Cards

If your Public Services Card is lost, stolen or damaged, you should immediately contact the Public Services Card Helpdesk at 0818 837 000.

Changing the name on your Public Services Card

If you want to change your name on your PSC, you must attend a SAFE Registration Centre in person with the relevant documents (see below) as a new signature is required for your PSC.

Change of name by use and repute

To change the name on your PSC, you must show 2 years' usage of your new name. To do this, you must submit at least 2 of the following documents, dating back for at least 2 years:

• Official communication with a government department
• Educational certificate
• Bank statement or card
• Utility bill
• Student or employee identification card (or similar)

Changing your name following marriage or civil partnership

To change your name on your Public Services Card following a marriage or civil partnership, you must submit:

• Photo ID in your pre-marriage/civil partnership name (for example PSC, passport or driving licence), and
• Your marriage or civil partnership certificate.

Returning to your pre-marriage or pre-civil partnership name

To change your name on your Public Services Card back to your pre-marriage or pre-civil partnership name, you must submit:

• Divorce, dissolution or legal separation agreement documents, or
• Correspondence from a solicitor showing that a separation, divorce or dissolution has been initiated.

Name changed by deed poll

If you have changed your name by deed poll , you must submit a deed poll registered with the Irish High Court.

Renewing your Public Services Card

Public Services Cards issued up to November 2018 are valid for 7 years. Public Service Cards issued after November 2018 are valid for 10 years.

Public Services Cards that were urgently renewed during the COVID-19 public health emergency may only be valid for 3 years.

You can renew your card by attending a PSC registration centre. You can also renew your PSC online .

To get a Public Services Card (PSC), you need to attend a PSC Centre. PSC Centres offer either an appointment or walk-in service.

If your local PSC Centre offers a walk-in service, you need to go to the centre during the opening hours for that centre. Find contact details to make an appointment and opening hours for walk-in centres on gov.ie .

Client Identity Services

Shannon Lodge Carrick-on-Shannon Co. Leitrim N41 KD81

Related documents

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• Hepatitis C and the Health Amendment Act Card Services that are available to people who contracted Hepatitis C through the use of Human Immunoglobulin-Anti-D or through receiving blood products or blood transfusions in Ireland. 1531.7527
• The European Health Insurance Card The European Health Insurance Card gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another EU/EEA country. Find out more. 1480.7411

If you have a question about this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

You can also contact your local Citizens Information Centre .

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Free Travel

We believe that people with epilepsy who lose their driving license due to a diagnosis of epilepsy or breakthrough seizures should be automatically given access to a free travel pass. We also believe that the free travel scheme must become a standalone scheme so that people can apply directly for the benefit.

If a person holds a driving license and is diagnosed with epilepsy or has a breakthrough seizure, they will automatically lose their license until they are one year seizure free. We are aware of cases where a person with epilepsy has had to give up work or education due to the costs associated with public transport. As a result, they then depend on state welfare payments which can have an impact on their independence and can lead to a person becoming socially isolated. Automatic access to free travel for this group who have lost their license would help prevent this from happening in the future. 

For the cases of people who have uncontrolled seizures and for those who make a conscious decision not to drive, they too will be faced with financial implications. Some people, particularly those living with ongoing, uncontrolled seizures, will be able to access a free travel pass via qualifying payments such as disability allowance or invalidity pension. However, many will not qualify as they do not meet the strict medical criteria for these schemes. What people with epilepsy need is for the Free Travel scheme to become a standalone scheme so they can apply directly for the free travel pass in order to help them with costs of travel which results from their condition.

Update - May 2024

In advance of the changes announced in Budget 2024 coming into effect on July 29th, the Department of Social Protection is now inviting applications for the expanded Free Travel scheme. The form to apply for the scheme is available to read or download at the end of this article.    You can also read more about this by visiting the 'News' section of our website. 

Update - October 2023

In the Budget for 2024, a commitment has been made to " to provide free travel for people medically certified unfit to drive"  with  the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD commenting:

  I am particularly pleased to expand my Department's Free Travel Pass to support people who are medically certified as unable to drive. I want to acknowledge the work of Epilepsy Ireland who I have engaged with over the last two years on this matter. This is a small change but it will make a big difference.

It is expected this change will be implemented by July 2024 and we will provide further updates on the details around this in this section below.

Latest News 

The below are some of the latest updates on this matter and associated articles in the news section of our website where you can read more. 

• May 2024 - RSVP Live; Over 30,000 more people eligible for free travel as government extend scheme
• May 2024 - Independent.ie; ‘I have a bit of my independence back’ – free travel scheme extension available to those ‘medically unfit to drive’
• May 2024 - Rté; People with epilepsy to access free public transport
• May 2024 - Irish Mirror; Free travel scheme expanded to thousands more people thanks to new change
• May 2024 - Sun.ie; Major new free travel scheme open for applications as extension move expected to benefit extra 32k
• May 2024 - Gov.ie; Minister Humphreys announces New Free Travel Scheme Extension is now open for applications
• May 2024 - Virgin Media News at 5:30 - Free Travel applications open
• May 2024 -  Free Travel Applications Officially open
• April 2024 -  Upcoming Free Travel Changes discussed in Dáil
• April 2024 -  Free Travel and proposed expansion of Bike Share scheme discussed in Dáil
• February 2024 -  Minister Heather Humphreys officially announces expansion of Free Travel scheme on #EpilepsyDay!
• October 2023 -  Free Travel changes discussed in Dáil
• October 2023 - Minister speaks on Free Travel changes
• October 2023 - Independent.ie website; Wicklow TD welcomes free travel passes for people living with epilepsy
• October 2023 - Fine Gael website; Budget 2024 extends Free Travel scheme for those with epilepsy – Burke
• October 2023 -  Free Travel Budget Commitment welcomed in the Seanad
• October 2023 - Gov.ie website; Minister Humphreys announces record Social Protection Budget worth €2.3 Billion
• October 2023 -  Budget 24 – New measures to be introduced to Free Travel Scheme
• October 2023 -  New developments on EI’s Free Travel campaign
• September 2023 -  Epilepsy Ireland to meet with Minister for Social Protection on Free Travel.
• July 2023 -  Oireachtas Committee recommends extension of Free Travel scheme to people with epilepsy
• June 2023 -  Epilepsy Ireland make Budget Submission to Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection regarding Free Travel
• May 2023 -  Epilepsy Ireland Free Travel campaign raised in Dáil during #EpilepsyWeek
• April 2023 -  Epilepsy Ireland write to Minister regarding Free Travel Proposals
• February 2023 -  Irish Epilepsy League write to Minister in support of EI Free Travel Proposals
• February 203 -  Free Travel Campaign raised during Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection
• December 2022 -  Free Travel campaign raised during Debate on Social Welfare Bill
• November 2022 -  Report on Epilepsy Ireland proposals on access to Free Travel expected in coming weeks
• September 2022 -  Epilepsy Ireland resubmit proposals on Free Travel in advance of Budget 23
• Jan 2022 -  Epilepsy Ireland meet with Minister on access to Free Travel
• Jan 2022 -  Epilepsy Ireland to meet with Minister regarding access to Free Travel next week.
• November 201 -  Minister commits to meeting Epilepsy Ireland regarding access to Free Travel
• November 2021 -  Taoiseach agrees that access to Free Travel for people with epilepsy is a "fair point"
• September 2021 -  Key Epilepsy Ireland Advocacy campaign featured in DFI pre-budget submission
• August 2021 -  Key Epilepsy Ireland Advocacy campaign featured in NAI pre-budget submission
• August 2021 -  Epilepsy Ireland highlight personal impact of inadequate access to Free Travel with Ministers in advance of #Budget22.
• August 2021 -  Epilepsy Ireland submit Budget Proposal on issue of access to Free Travel
• June 2021 -  Access to Free Travel for people with epilepsy raised in the Seanad
• May 2021 -  #EpilepsyWeek Day 2 - Irish public express overwhelming support for two epilepsy advocacy issues

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Get the facts on Ireland's Free Travel Scheme

Everyone aged 66 and over, living permanently in Ireland, can get the Free Travel Scheme

WHAT is the Free Travel Scheme?

The Free Travel Scheme allows you to travel, free of charge, on public transport and some private bus and ferry services.

Who qualifies for it?

Everyone aged 66 and over, living permanently in Ireland, can get the Free Travel Scheme.

People with disabilities and carers aged under 66 may also qualify for Free Travel if they are in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. You can check with your local Citizens Information Centre if you are unsure whether or not you qualify.

If I have Free Travel can somebody else travel with me?

If you qualify for Free Travel and you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, your partner may travel with you for free. They cannot travel with you for free, if you are under age 66 and getting Free Travel because you are getting Carer’s Allowance, or you are the nominated carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relatives Allowance

If you can’t travel alone for medical reasons, you may get Free Travel for a companion. This allows a person aged over 16 to travel with you for free.

If you qualify for Free Travel, your Public Services Card (PSC) will have FT (for Free Travel) in the top left-hand corner. The letter following it shows who you can take with you:

FT-P - you can travel for free

FT+S - your spouse, partner or cohabitant can travel with you for free

FT+C - you can have a person (over 16) travel with you for free

You must carry it with you when you are using public transport.

Paper free travel passes are no longer being issued but you can still use your paper pass, if it is valid.

Where can I use Free Travel?

You can use your Free Travel on most Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, DART and Luas Services and on certain private bus and ferry services. Free travel is also available on Local Link services.

It does not include some special services such as Dublin Bus AIRLINK services.

Are there any limits on the times when I can use my Free Travel?

There are no restrictions.

Can I use my Free Travel to travel to Northern Ireland?

You may also travel free of charge on certain cross-border services between Ireland and Northern Ireland. But to travel free in Northern Ireland, you must have a Senior Smartpass.

How do I get a Senior Smartpass?

To qualify for free travel within Northern Ireland, you must be in receipt of a Free Travel Card or Paper Pass and be aged 66 years or over. Your spouse, civil partner, cohabitant, or companion is not eligible to accompany you for free in Northern Ireland under this scheme. You can get an application form from your local Social Welfare Intreo office or Citizens Information Centre

What happens if I have Free Travel due to a disability and I start work ?

You can keep your Free Travel for 5 years, if you moved from one of the following disability payments to work:

Disability Allowance

Invalidity Pension

Partial Capacity Benefit (from Invalidity Pension)

Disablement Benefit paid along with Incapacity Supplement

You can also keep your Free Travel for 5 years if you transferred from Disability Allowance or Invalidity Pension to a Community Employment, SOLAS or a Back to Work scheme.

How to apply for Free Travel

If you are aged 66 or over and are getting a social welfare pension, your Public Service Card (PSC) will be issued showing that you have Free Travel automatically. You must have completed the PSC SAFE registration process and be getting one of the following payments:

State Pension

Blind Pension

Carer’s Allowance

If you are married or in a civil partnership, your PSC will be issued with FT-S on it. If you are cohabiting, you must fill in Part 1 and 2 of the Free Travel application form FT1.

If you are not getting one of the payments above, but you are eligible for Free Travel you must fill in the Free Travel application form FT1.

You can get an application form for Free Travel from the Department of Social Protection. The form is also available at your local post office and Citizens Information Centre.

What happens if I lose or damage my Free Travel pass or PSC?

There are currently 2 types of Free Travel Pass - a paper Free Travel Pass and a Public Services Card with Free Travel (with F-T written in the top left-hand corner). Paper passes are no longer being issued so if you need a replacement for a lost or damaged paper pass you must undergo SAFE registration and get a Public Services Card.

If your Public Services Card Free Travel is lost, stolen or damaged, you should telephone 0818 837 000 to request a replacement card.

The telephone lines for South Munster Citizens Information in Cork City are monitored from 10am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. In addition, the Cork City Centre CIC in Cornmarket Street is open to the public from 10am to 12.30pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the Blackpool CIC is open to the public each morning from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday. Full details for all Citizens Information Centres and their opening times are available on our website.

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