Publication
SAFE Registration and the Public Services Card (PSC)
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
Intreo Centres are now open for appointments, please click here to view revised opening hours. Any person who wishes to get a PSC should contact their local Intreo Centre.
To get a Public Services Card (PSC) you must attend a SAFE Registration appointment which is used by the department to verify a person’s identity. A Public Services Card can be used to prove your identity when accessing public services in Ireland. It can also protect against identity theft in respect of those services.
A person must be resident in Ireland to get SAFE registered. A Public Services Card(PSC) will only be issued to an Irish address.
SAFE Registration takes about 15 minutes to complete and usually takes place in a PSC/SAFE Registration Centres.
During this appointment your photograph will be taken and your signature recorded.
If you are under 18 years of age and wish to have a Public Services Card (PSC) issued to you, you must be accompanied by your parent or guardian.
You will need
- the letter confirming your appointment (if you received one)
- your mobile phone (if you have one)*
*Having your mobile phone with you means that your phone number can be verified by the department. You will need your phone to be verified to access public services online.
- your Social Services Card (a swipe card used to collect social welfare payments) if you have one
- certain documents to prove your identity (see below for details)
- certain documents to prove your address (see below for details)
| If you are an | you will need |
| Irish citizen born in Ireland | Current Irish passport or current Irish or UK driving licence or Irish learner driver permit* |
| Irish citizen born in Northern Ireland or a UK citizen | Current passport, or your birth certificate and current driving licence* |
| Irish citizen through naturalisation or Foreign Birth Registration | Current Irish passport or Certificate of Naturalisation or Foreign Birth Registration Certificate and Irish or UK driving licence or Irish learner driver permit* |
| EU/EEA citizen (other than Irish) | Current passport or national identity card |
| Non-EU/EEA citizen | Current passport or 1951 travel document |
*If you are an Irish citizen and do not have a passport or driving licence as identification, you may still be issued with a Public Services Card(PSC). Additional information which can be verified to confirm your identity may be gathered at your appointment interview and/or by contacting your local office for advice before your appointment.
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 for free when you show your SAFE invitation letter or appointment notification.
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
If you do not have any of these, you should bring other documents or forms of photo ID instead*.
*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.
applies to everyone (whether an Irish, EU or non-EU citizen)
You need to show evidence of your address. The document must show your name and address. You can use any of the following documents to do this:
- 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 you will need an original household bill plus a note from the bill holder confirming your residency at the bill address. This note can be written on the bill itself.
You must attend in person to have your name changed as a new signature is required for the Public Services Card (PSC).
To change the name on your Public Services Card (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)
To change your name on your Public Services Card (PSC) 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
To change your name on your Public Services Card(PSC) 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
If you have changed your name by deed poll, you must submit a deed poll registered with the Irish High Court.
- 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 have an entitlement to Free Travel you need to be SAFE registered as the Public Services Card (PSC) is used for accessing the Free Travel Scheme.
If you are entitled to free travel the Public Services Card (PSC) will display the following information in the top left-hand corner.
- FT-P - you are personally entitled to free travel.
- FT+S - you can travel with your spouse, partner or cohabitant.
- FT+C - you can travel with a companion (over 16).
If your Public Services Card is lost, stolen or damaged, you should immediately contact the Public Service Helpdesk:
Public Services Card Helpdesk
Phone number:
Further information about Public Service Identity available here
Further information about the Public Services Card (PSC) available here
