Public Services Card

A Public Services Card proves your identity to help you access a range of public services such as getting social welfare payments.

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

What information does a Public Services Card display?

The front of the card has your name, photograph and signature, and the card expiry date. The back of the card has 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 entitled to free travel.
• If FT+S is written on the card, the holder can travel with their spouse, partner or cohabitant for free.
• If FT+C is written on the card, the holder can have a companion (aged 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 Department of Social Protection (DSP) to set up a MyGovID verified account.

If you have a Public Services Card and want to get your mobile phone number verified by the DSP, call 0818 837 000.

You can register for a Public Services Card:

• Using the MyGovID app
• In-person at a Public Services Card (PSC) Centre

The MyGovID app allows you to verify your identity using your smartphone.

You can download the MyGovID app on your smartphone, if you:

• Are resident in Ireland
• Hold a current Irish passport
• Are aged 16 years and over
• Have a basic MyGovID account
• Have not already completed the SAFE Registration process

Once your online application has been approved, you will get:

• A Public Services Card (PSC) in the post
• A verified MyGovID account

If the DSP is unable to process your online application, you will be notified of what information you need to bring with you to complete the SAFE registration process at a PSC Centre.

SAFE stands for Standard Authentication Framework Environment. SAFE registration is the process the Department of Social Protection uses to check and confirm a person’s identity. Once your identity has been verified, you can be issued with a Public Services Card (PSC).

Contact your local PSC/SAFE Registration Centre to make an appointment to get registered. Your local registration centre is usually your local Intreo Centre. Some PSC Centres have a walk-in service and no appointment is necessary. Check before you go.

How long does SAFE registration take?

SAFE registration takes about 15 minutes to complete. 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 to provide answers to some security questions.

You must bring certain documents to your appointment to prove your identity and address. You should also bring the letter 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 you may need to return with a copy of your birth certificate.

You can read more about Public Service Identity on Gov.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 more than 3 months old.

• 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 that you live 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.

• 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.

When will I get my Public Services Card?

After you have attended the PSC centre and completed the SAFE registration process, your Public Services Card (PSC) will be posted to you. This usually takes 7-10 working days.

A PSC can only be sent to an Irish address.

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.

You can renew a Public Services Card that is due to expire in the next 90 days or which has already expired.

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 Centre. You can also renew your PSC online.

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