Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Aer Lingus travel from UK to Ireland - what ID??

Ok, the title says it all. I was looking it up on the website and I just don't trust it that if I showed up at the airport with my bus pass, I'd be let on the plane... Has anyone travelled without a passport to Ireland before? I know Ryanair doesn't seem to be as lenient any more but Aer Lingus said they do. Apparently.

http://www.aerlingus.com/cgi-bin/obel01im1/Services/visaPassport.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2039864213.1260374453@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadejdgjkflfcefecfigdffgdfkl.0&P_OID=-536881297&Category=3#ireuk

Or it's this bit if you cba scrolling down: :smile:

Travel between Ireland and the UK or UK Domestic travel

Citizens of Ireland and the UK must carry some form of official photo identification. The following forms of photo identification are acceptable:

* Valid Passport
* Driver's licence with photo
* International student card
* National ID card / Government issued photo ID cards
* Health Insurance cards with photo / Social security cards with photo
* Bus pass with photo
* Work ID with photo

Reply 1

FunLady

I'd call Aer Lingus and ask them. :smile:

Reply 2

Grotbag

I used my provisional license.

And they lost my bag.

My uncle got let on with his work photo ID, but it was an NHS one, if that makes any difference.

Reply 3

manx1991

If it's within the UK you should be allowed on with any form of photo id. My auntie got on with her credit card once because it was after the 7/7 attacks and everyone needed a passport and we didn't know! However, I've only travelled with Flybe

Reply 4

sbs6cb2

Bus pass NO driving licence yes i worked for them for a while (i was probably the one who lost that guys bag)

Reply 5

roxy potter

I'd bring a passport. I always do, and I've never seen anyone give them anything that's not a passport. Aer Lingus are more likely to be lenient, but suppose you missed your flight and had to fly with ryanair(or something) you are best off to have the passport with you.

Reply 6

magnificentduke

like it says, any official ID i.e. something government issued (driving licence, national ID card e.g. age card etc). you don't need your passport.

Reply 7

Sprockette

Thanks everyone - yeah, it's not actually for me, I've just never travelled without a passport and never seen anyone use anything else. It's just I'm trying to bring my passport-less bf home for Xmas (maybe!) so I don't know! But yeah, ringing them seems like the obvious thing to do. :smile:

Reply 8

roxy potter

Worst case scenario he can get the bus.

Reply 9

jordanb111

Can you fly from Edinburgh to dublin with any form of id ?

Reply 10

username1738583

Original post by jordanb111

Can you fly from Edinburgh to dublin with any form of id ?

You do not, legally, need a passport to travel to Ireland if you are a UK citizen, but most airlines (Ryanair inc,) insist you have a passport to board one of their planes, Ditto ferries, they may not insist on a passport but some other form of ID is necessary, driving licence etc, to board the ferry.

Reply 11

rockrunride

Original post by jordanb111

Can you fly from Edinburgh to dublin with any form of id ?

As above, you do not legally need a passport to travel to Ireland if you are a UK/EU citizen. Be aware of the following two things though:

Irish airports make you go through immigration on arrival even if you're coming from Great Britain, even though there's not supposed to be a border under the rules of the Common Travel Area. I think it's just for security reasons. The reverse is not true - there are no border checks on arrival into the UK from Ireland. You just have to satisfy them that you're a UK/EU citizen - which should theoretically be possible with a driving licence, but I can't say for sure.

It is the individual policy of Ryanair (I don't know of any others that do this) that UK citizens carry a passport to travel on their planes, even if you're going from Stansted to Edinburgh, ie from one part of the UK to another.

An interesting point on the CTA:

Wikipedia

The nature of the Irish controls was described by an Irish High Court judge, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan, in the following terms:

"The practical result of this is that all persons arriving by air from the United Kingdom face Irish immigration controls. While in theory both Irish and British citizens are entitled to arrive here free from immigration control by virtue of the common travel area, increasingly in practice such passengers who arrive by air from the United Kingdom are required to produce their passports (or, at least, some other form of acceptable identity document) in order to prove to immigration officers that they are either Irish or British citizens who can avail of the common travel area. Whatever about anyone else, Joseph Heller certainly would have approved."