Some Brits will soon need passports to visit Ireland – new rules explained

Taking a boat from the UK to Ireland this autumn? Double-check that your passport is in date because it’ll soon be the only ID that’ll allow you to make the journey. 

At the moment, multiple forms of photo ID (like bus passes, work ID cards and international student cards) are accepted on the ferry journey between Britain and Ireland. But from late September onwards, passengers will need a valid passport, regardless of age or nationality.

Stena Line and Irish Ferries confirmed that passengers on the Holyhead to Dublin and Fishguard to Rosslare services must soon show a passport on departure – no other form of ID will be allowed. The change comes from UK Border Force rules concerning the ‘accuracy and integrity of passenger data before boarding’ and will take effect from Monday September 28. 

Stena Line added: ‘Customers with existing bookings are currently being notified by the customer service team to ensure customers are fully supported during this change of operations.’

However, if you’re using Stena Line for services via Belfast, Liverpool, Cairnryan or Heysham, then any form of photo ID is still fine. There are also still no passport checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. 

Despite the new rule, the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are all still part of the Common Travel Area, which means that citizens aren’t legally required to show a passport to travel freely between each place. However, Aer Lingus (as of February this year) and Ryanair both demand that passengers going between Ireland and Great Britain must present a passport at departure, not any other photo identification. The lesson? It’s just best to pack your passport for any journey over to the Emerald Isle.  

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