Free Travel
Free Travel is available to people aged 66 or over resident in the State 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.
You will get a Free Travel Pass automatically at age 66 if you are resident in the State and getting a pension from this Department. If you are under age 66 and resident in the State, you will get a Free Travel Pass automatically when you are awarded an Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Disability Allowance or Carer’s Allowance.
If you qualify for a Free Travel Pass and you are married or co-habiting (that is living with a man or woman as husband and wife), you may get a Free Travel Pass that allows your spouse or partner to join you for free when travelling. This does not apply if you are a carer under 66 years.
Certain incapacitated people can get a free travel companion pass if they are assessed as unfit to travel alone. This type of pass allows any one person, aged 16 or over, to accompany you for free, when travelling.
Holders of a Free Travel Pass from the Department of Social and Family Affairs or a Northern Ireland Concessionary Travel Pass from the Department for Regional Development may make cross-border journeys free of charge between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
If you are aged 66 or over you can travel for free on transport services operating internally within Northern Ireland using a Senior Smartpass card.
Similarly, if you live in Northern Ireland, hold a Concessionary Travel pass, and are aged 65 or over you may travel for free on participating services in the Republic of Ireland