Don’t Pay for a Passenger Locator Form
23/09/21
Since earlier in 2021, it has become a legal requirement for everyone going into Ireland to fill in a Passenger Locator Form. The same applies to many countries. But, you do not need to pay for these.
When you book travel, you will be asked / advised to ensure you have all the correct documentation for your trip by your carrier. When you’re going into Ireland, depending on your circumstances, that means proof of vaccinations, proof of a negative RT-PCR test and your Passenger Locator Form. You can always find a list of everything you will need on the Irish government website, gov.ie
You’ll also need your travel documents, i.e. passport, driving licence or ID. You can find out all you need about travel documents in this blog post ‘Travelling between the UK and Ireland // What Travel Documents do I need?’
Dubious Passenger Locator Form Websites
A Passenger Locator Form is a document that is required to be completed by the traveller into a country. This normally includes, your name and contact details, address you’re staying at, how and when you came into the country and the duration of your stay. At time of writing, it is a legal requirement to complete a Passenger Locator Form when entering Ireland from abroad.
You do not need to pay to complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF). These forms are free and are available from the websites of the countries governments who require them. There is no charge for them and there is definitely no charge for filling in an Irish Passenger Locator Form, which can be found here on travel.eplf.gov.ie
However, as with everything in life, there is always someone somewhere who thinks they can make a quick buck. Unfortunately, during the Covid-19 pandemic, this is rife. There are a number of websites which have set up with the intention of making the unsuspecting traveller pay a fee for the privilege of filling in a passenger locator form. Please do not do this, it only encourages these people. There’s no need to pay someone for this.
Don’t Pay Someone Else To Fill In A Passenger Locator Form
Only use official government forms. If these people are going to fill in a PLF for you, you need to give them all the information. You need to give them this information on their website. They will then copy and paste your information into the Irish government Passenger Locator Form and you’ll be quids down. You
Some of these websites charge between 27-35 £/Euro. Each traveller over 18 must fill in their own individual form. So, for a couple that’s an extra 50/70 quid for the pleasure of filling in a form. Remember, the details you just gave them are the same details you could have filled in yourself on the real form!
Would You Give A Stranger Your Passport and Bank Details?
Also, and here’s the concerning bit for me. These companies have been set up to ‘provide a service’. If people are unfamiliar with the internet or are unsure of exactly what they are looking for, they become easy prey for these companies. I’m not saying that they are scammers, it seems that they do actually fill in the form. But, as well as having all your details, name, address, date of birth, passport number etc., they also now have your bank details, which for me is a major issue. Just think of the potential for data protection breaches.
The bottom line is you don’t have to pay to get yourself a Passenger Locator Form. You can fill it in yourself. The Irish one can be found here. If you fill in a form on a website where you pay to get a PLF, you don’t know what they do with your data. Bottom line, they now know everything about you and have your bank details.
Do your research. Only use a form from an official government website. You don’t want your holiday turning into a nightmare!
If you’re Irish or going to Ireland and have any doubts about what you should do, always contact your local Embassy or Consulate for advice.
Photos from Pixabay.
