Do I need a Passport to Travel to Ireland? Everything You Need to Know About the Common Travel Area

What is the Common Travel Area?

The Common Travel Area (CTA) was established in the 1920s to give British and Irish citizens the ability to travel freely between the two countries. It is a free borders area that includes the UK, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Ireland.
 
The rules of the CTA mean citizens from the UK and Ireland aren’t required to pass through passport control and can travel between both countries without a valid passport.
 

What are the rules of the CTA?

Citizens travelling to the UK or Ireland should be given free entry if they can prove that they are a valid UK or Irish national. Free travel between the two countries is the fundamental rule of the CTA agreement.
 
Another rule of the CTA concerns immigration. As part of the CTA agreement, both countries are expected to cooperate with one another regarding matters of immigration. For example, if it becomes clear to Irish officials that a citizen from outside of the CTA is attempting to enter Ireland with a view of travelling illegally to the UK, the individual may be refused an Irish visa. In 2011, the UK and Irish governments came together to agree tighter restrictions for the external CTA border.
 

Do I need a passport to travel between the UK and Ireland?

If you are a UK citizen and are planning to travel to Ireland, you won’t need a passport, but you will need a valid form of ID to prove your nationality, such as a driving licence. Although UK citizens don’t need to take their passports on trips to Ireland, many choose to use it as their form of ID.
 
On arriving in Ireland by air from the UK, immigration officers will check the ID of all passengers and may request proof of nationality, particularly if you were born outside the UK. Passengers are therefore advised to bring their passports.
 
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What if I’m not a UK citizen?

If you are not a UK citizen but are staying in the UK under a valid UK visa and want to travel to Ireland, you may need to apply for a separate Irish visa depending on your nationality. The Short Stay Visa Waiver programme allows citizens of some Middle Eastern, Asian and Northern European countries to travel to Ireland under their UK visas for a period of up to 90 days. 
 

Are there any restrictions that I need to be aware of?

Although the fundamental goal of the CTA was to permit free travel between the UK and Ireland, both countries retain the right to refuse entry to any individual whom they feel is a threat to their country. In the late 1990s, the Irish government began to carry out security checks on all individuals entering the country by plane, including those who originated from the UK.
 

Will the CTA be affected by Brexit?

In June 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU, a move which could have ended the Common Travel Area agreement. However, despite the fact that Ireland will technically become an external EU border, both the UK and Irish governments have indicated that they wish to protect the Common Travel agreement and not enforce a 'hard border' between the UK and Ireland.

Individual Airlines may also have their own requirements on what forms of ID they can accept. You can always check the requirements directly with them.
 
For full details about the Common Travel Area, visit the Gov.uk website here.