The Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has announced details of a new Irish passport card. It will be accepted for travel within the European Union and the European Economic Area.

The card will be available from mid-July to all Irish citizens who are over 18 and hold an Irish passport.

It will be valid for a maximum of five years - or the remaining validity of a person's passport book - and will cost €35.

Unveiling the card at the Passport Office in Dublin, Mr Flanagan said: "The passport card will be particularly useful for young people who use their passport booklet as identification, especially on nights out."

A smartphone app will also be launched in July, which makes it very easy to apply for the card.

It also includes a feature allowing a photograph to be taken that will meet international standards for passports.

The reverse of the card features a hologram photo | Image: Dept of Foreign Affairs 

"Frequent travellers will find this particularly useful if their passport booklet is with an embassy as part of a visa application process. The new card will also provide a useful backup travel document within Europe in the event that someone loses their passport while travelling," Mr Flanagan added.

The security features of the card have incorporated the advice of security experts, including An Garda Síochána, and includes an embedded hologram photo on a strip on the reverse.