Quizzes & Puzzles0 min ago
Do we need to have a 10 year passport
7 Answers
If we travel in the European union are we required to have a FULL Passport ?
Answers
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Nearly all EU countries have abolished passport controls. Anyone is free, for example, to travel from France to Slovakia or from Estonia to Sweden without the need for a passport. (That applies just as much to 'outsiders', such as Americans, Nigerians or Cambodians, as it does to EU citizens. There are no passport checks whatsoever within nearly all of the...
18:49 Mon 07th Jun 2010
Nearly all EU countries have abolished passport controls. Anyone is free, for example, to travel from France to Slovakia or from Estonia to Sweden without the need for a passport. (That applies just as much to 'outsiders', such as Americans, Nigerians or Cambodians, as it does to EU citizens. There are no passport checks whatsoever within nearly all of the EU).
Only two countries have not fully signed up to the 'Schengen Agreement' (which creates a unified border-free European zone). One country has done so by choice. (Surprise, surprise - it's the UK!). The other is forced to stay out of the Schengen Zone by an existing agreement, even though it would like to join. (That country is Ireland. It can't become part of the Schengen Zone because of the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic).
Only two countries have not fully signed up to the 'Schengen Agreement' (which creates a unified border-free European zone). One country has done so by choice. (Surprise, surprise - it's the UK!). The other is forced to stay out of the Schengen Zone by an existing agreement, even though it would like to join. (That country is Ireland. It can't become part of the Schengen Zone because of the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic).
Our politicians quote 'security concerns' as the reason that we're out of step with the rest of the EU. But other countries which have suffered terrorist attacks, such as Spain, are still happy to participate. The real reason is that our politicians are scared of the response of the europhobic elements of the media (such as the Daily Mail or Daily Express) if they even suggest joining.
Even before the Schengen Agreement came into effect, any EU citizen has always been able to enter any other EU country by showing their national identity card. Up until the new Government came into office, ID cards were due to be made available to all UK citizens in the near future. (They were already available in the north west of England). By abolishing ID cards, the new Government has removed the means for UK citizens to obtain a valid travel document for much less than the cost of a passport.
So the only valid document for travelling to any other country (except Ireland) is a passport. Since the only type of passport that is now available is a full, 10 year one, that's what you must have to enter the rest of the EU (even though you won't then need it to travel between other EU countries).
Even before the Schengen Agreement came into effect, any EU citizen has always been able to enter any other EU country by showing their national identity card. Up until the new Government came into office, ID cards were due to be made available to all UK citizens in the near future. (They were already available in the north west of England). By abolishing ID cards, the new Government has removed the means for UK citizens to obtain a valid travel document for much less than the cost of a passport.
So the only valid document for travelling to any other country (except Ireland) is a passport. Since the only type of passport that is now available is a full, 10 year one, that's what you must have to enter the rest of the EU (even though you won't then need it to travel between other EU countries).
Hi Boxtops
I've also heard it suggested that the chipped passport might be abolished. If so, it's going to annoy a lot of British tourists travelling to the USA. They'll all be obliged to apply for visas, with the associated costs and inconvenience (e.g. having to take a day off work to travel to London for interview at the US embassy). Because of that, I suspect that chipped passports are, in fact, here to stay.
The iris recognition trials, however, seem not to be going well. If the chips are to contain biometric data it's probably more likely that old-fashioned fingerprints will be turned to.
I've also heard it suggested that the chipped passport might be abolished. If so, it's going to annoy a lot of British tourists travelling to the USA. They'll all be obliged to apply for visas, with the associated costs and inconvenience (e.g. having to take a day off work to travel to London for interview at the US embassy). Because of that, I suspect that chipped passports are, in fact, here to stay.
The iris recognition trials, however, seem not to be going well. If the chips are to contain biometric data it's probably more likely that old-fashioned fingerprints will be turned to.
BUENCHICO thanks for the information re the passport, very interesting ,it is great when one is able to answer with more than a yes or no, of course sometimes that is all that is required.
I have managed to educate myself with so many things since I became a member of Answer Bank ,it has really been helping to stimulate my brain ,whilst I try to recover and accept my illness.
Thank you to all.
I have managed to educate myself with so many things since I became a member of Answer Bank ,it has really been helping to stimulate my brain ,whilst I try to recover and accept my illness.
Thank you to all.
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