Free Travel is available for people aged 66 or over resident in the Republic of Ireland and to people aged under 66 also resident in the State who are in receipt of certain disability-type social welfare payments or carer’s allowance  It allows you to use public transport, and a large number of private bus and ferry services, free of charge.

Information about the scheme, who is eligible and how to apply is available on Gov.ie  The scheme’s Operational Guidelines are also available on the Department’s website and they include the following information on Cross-border and all Ireland Free Travel:

Cross-Border Free Travel

A Free Travel Card may be used to travel free of charge on cross-border journeys between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and vice versa. The card holder’s spouse/partner person may accompany him/her free of charge where the appropriate type of card is held. Alternatively, if the Free Travel recipient holds a Companion Free Travel Card, any one companion aged 16 years or over may accompany him/her free of charge.

Residents of Northern Ireland who hold a Northern Ireland Concessionary Travel Card may also travel free on cross-border journeys. However, the spouse/partners or companions of Northern Ireland Card Holders are not entitled to Free Travel on such journeys unless they also hold a Concession Travel Card in their own right.  More information >>

Extent Of Free Cross-Border Journeys Available

• A Cross-Border Free Travel journey must originate in one jurisdiction and terminate in the other jurisdiction.
• The Cross-Border 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.
• The journey must be undertaken on the basis of one through-ticket. This means, for example, that the Free Travel recipient can travel free by train from say, Cork to Belfast, provided that the free ticket which s/he 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.

All Ireland Free Travel Scheme

Since April 2007, the All Ireland Free Travel Scheme allows a Free Travel recipient to travel for free on the various travel services operating within Northern Ireland.

Similarly Northern Ireland Senior SmartPass holders are entitled to travel for free on services within the Republic of Ireland using their existing Senior SmartPass.  More information >>

Further information

Free Travel Section, Social Welfare Services, Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, College Road , Sligo, F91 T384  Email: freetravelqueries@welfare.ie  or  Tel: (071) 915 7100

See also

• BorderPeople/Free Travel Scheme for senior citizens in Northern Ireland
• Citizen’s Information – Free Travel in Ireland
• Transport Operators in the Free Travel Scheme

Page last checked: May 2024

This webpage is for general information purposes only and while we endeavour to keep it up-to-date, errors may occur. It is very important that you check with the relevant body to ensure the information is current and is applicable to your situation.

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