Explainer: How you can get free travel to the North

A Free Travel Public Services Card may be used to travel free of charge on cross-border journeys between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and vice versa.

Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may accompany you free of charge where the appropriate type of entitlement is held.

Everyone aged 66 or over living permanently in Ireland is automatically entitled to the Free Travel Scheme on a Public Services Card (PSC)

Alternatively, if you hold a Companion Free Travel Public Services Card, any one companion aged 16 or over may accompany you free of charge.

A Cross-Border Free Travel journey must originate in one jurisdiction and terminate in the other jurisdiction.

The journey may be undertaken using one mode of transport only, i.e., bus or train. It is not possible to use a combination of both modes of transport.

It must be undertaken on the basis of one through-ticket. This means, for example, that you can travel free by train from, say, Cork to Belfast, provided that the free ticket which you obtained in the Cork railway station clearly denotes Belfast as the final destination.

The same principle applies when travelling by bus on Cross-Border journeys.

Your PSC with Free Travel cannot be used for travel within Northern Ireland. You will need to apply for a Senior SmartPass.

What is the Senior SmartPass?

If you are 66 or over and have free travel, you can travel free of charge on all bus and rail services within Northern Ireland using a Senior SmartPass card.

You do not need to meet the residency condition in Northern Ireland to apply for a Senior SmartPass card. There is no charge for it.

It does not cover your spouse, civil partner, cohabitant or companion.

How do I apply for a Senior SmartPass?

To get a Senior SmartPass, you must fill in an application form (FTNI1).

You can get this form from your local Intreo Centre, Social Welfare Branch Office or Citizens Information Centre. It is not possible to get this form online.

You should not use a photocopy of the form as each form is barcoded. The application form must be filled in with black ink only and returned in person (not posted) to your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

You must bring each of the following items with your application form to your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office:

• Your Irish Free Travel pass/Public Services Card
• Proof of your address, (for example, a gas, electricity, phone bill or bank statement)
• Proof of your identity, (for example, your driving licence, passport or another form of photo identification)
• A recent passport standard colour photograph

It may take up to six weeks to process your application.

How do I renew or replace a Senior SmartPass?

Your Senior SmartPass card will expire after five years. Approximately three months before your SmartPass expires, Translink will send you a renewal application form.

If you lose, damage, change your name or need to replace a Senior SmartPass that has not expired, you apply for a replacement using form FTNI 2. Your local Citizens Information Centre can provide you with a form if you need it.

Further information on this and other topics is available from Cork City Centre Citizens Information Centre in Cornmarket Street, open to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.45am to 12.30pm and Wednesdays from 2pm to 4pm, Tel 0818 07 6950 (Lines open Mon-Fri 10am-4.30pm).

Blackpool CIC is also open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Tel 0818 07 6890, while Hollyhill CIC is open Mondays and Fridays from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Tel: 0818 07 6850.

Information is also available from the Citizens Information Phone Service, Tel: 0818 07 4000 (9am-8pm, Mon-Fri) or online at www.citizensinformation.ie