UK ID cards

[Fred James]

ID cards are now being issued, on request, to certain categories of people in the UK.

However, they will not, under the present rules, be available to non UK residents.

Clearly, with the demise of the old "residencia" card the UK ID card would be a perfectly legal form of ID and an alternative to a passport.

Whether you approve of the UK ID scheme or not and whether you would bother to apply for one if you could, it is yet another piece of discrimination (or lack of planning) against Ex-Pats.

There is currently a E-Petition available to sign should you wish to do so.

Petition to: Provide ID cards to UK citizens living in countries where a national photo ID is required to be carried at all times. | Number10.gov.uk

[Woody]

Hi Fred

I saw your post and did a bit of research as ID cards are in the news again in the UK today.

Apparently, as of today (Monday 8th February) anyone signing up to register their interest in UK ID cards can now obtain one, providing you're a UK citizen, have a UK address and have a valid UK passport, or one that expired in the last 12 months. All you have to do is go to the Identity and Passport Service website which you can find on the Directgov website and sign up. Then you simply call the UK passport advice line (0300 222 0000), tell them you're registered on the interested in an ID card website and make an appointment to enroll for your card. In addition to signing up to the website you do need to demonstrate that you are a UK resident by supplying a UK address, and if you don't have a UK address you aren't eligible (they will only deliver your ID card to a UK address). That said, many of us do still have a UK address, so will be eligible. Of course they are only doing it in the UK, so it would involve a trip back home to visit the Passport office to get enrolled, and to get the card delivered. Still, I do that fairly regularly anyway, and I suppose other people do too.

So, there you have it. They've hidden it in the small print as usual (they are were talking about ID cards for young people in London on the news just now), but it seems for some expats at least you can get a UK ID card too.

Woody

[Gerry]

Hi Fred

I saw your post and did a bit of research as ID cards are in the news again in the UK today.

Apparently, as of today (Monday 8th February) anyone signing up to register their interest in UK ID cards can now obtain one, providing you're a UK citizen, have a UK address and have a valid UK passport, or one that expired in the last 12 months. All you have to do is go to the Identity and Passport Service website which you can find on the Directgov website and sign up. Then you simply call the UK passport advice line (0300 222 0000), tell them you're registered on the interested in an ID card website and make an appointment to enroll for your card. In addition to signing up to the website you do need to demonstrate that you are a UK resident by supplying a UK address, and if you don't have a UK address you aren't eligible (they will only deliver your ID card to a UK address). That said, many of us do still have a UK address, so will be eligible. Of course they are only doing it in the UK, so it would involve a trip back home to visit the Passport office to get enrolled, and to get the card delivered. Still, I do that fairly regularly anyway, and I suppose other people do too.

So, there you have it. They've hidden it in the small print as usual (they are were talking about ID cards for young people in London on the news just now), but it seems for some expats at least you can get a UK ID card too.

Woody

Do you have to have a UK passport ? I am a UK citizen but have an Irish passport

[Tim]

Do you have to have a UK passport ? I am a UK citizen but have an Irish passport

Trust you to be difficult

[Woody]

Do you have to have a UK passport ? I am a UK citizen but have an Irish passport

Yeah, you do. If you're a UK citizen though you could always get one. Starts to make it a bit expensive for both mind you.

Apparently it's a time limited offer too. You have to register by the end of June.