Is there a new law that requires a UK citizen to have a passport when travelling from UK to Southern Ireland?

Question

Is there a new law that requires a UK citizen to have a passport when travelling from UK to Southern Ireland?

Answer 1

Are we???  Havent heard about that!!  When flying the airlines require photo id, going by boat, no id required but recommended in case of stoppage by customs/police/gardai to prove who you are.

Answer 2

I understand that the government will be introducing such a requirement at ports and airports in the near future, along with checks on roads at the NI / Republic border, on grounds of security and enabling counting out and counting in of people moving between UK and Ireland.

Another small step towards needing a pass to go anywhere!

Answer 3

We were in Southern Ireland last year and took our passports although we did not have to show them.  We were told that at some point in the future we would have to start showing our passport as the laws were changing.  We will be going again in September and will be taking them anyway.  We use the ferries not the planes.

Answer 4

As far as I know you have ALWAYS needed a Passport to go from UK to Southern Ireland.

Southern Ireland is a completely separate country - has it's own laws, and parliament.

A lot of Airlines DEMAND you produce a passport to set foot of any of their planes.

Answer 5

since the 1920's there has been no need to show any form of documentation on crossing the border between the republic, the UK, The Isle of man & the Channel Islands

there is a proposal at present to vary this, so that you will require to show some documentaton and /or a passport, but its not in force as yet

Answer 6

Not yet, but the Irish are talking about i

Answer 7

Not at the moment, though the two governments are considering changing the rules so that passports will be needed (though apparently not normally at the land border), so that they know who's coming and going between the two countries. This is likely to come into effect in 2009. Personally, I think this is a great pity as we managed to get through 30 years of the Troubles without having to put up unnecessary barriers between the UK and Ireland.

And Angel, you are wrong - you are not an English citizen, there has been no such thing since 1707.

Answer 8

As far as I am aware, there has never been a requirement for a UK citizen to have a passport to enter the Republic of Ireland - on my many visits to Dublin and to Cork, I have never had my passport examined.  However, with the constant terrorist threat affecting travellers, a passport is generally required (or a photo id driving licence) to board a plane.  This is required for example to fly from Glasgow to London!