Ireland-Britain ferry passport rule: what changed today
From Monday, September 28, 2026, every passenger on four Irish Ferries and Stena Line services across three crossings between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain must present a valid passport or an accepted Irish passport card at check-in. A driving licence, national identity card, birth certificate or other photo ID is no longer enough on these crossings. The rule applies to children and babies as well as adults.
*Original OpenSim editorial image. It illustrates document preparation at a generic ferry terminal and does not depict a named operator, port or passenger.*
Check before leaving home: find the passport or accepted passport card for every person on the booking, confirm that it is valid, and check whether any non-British or non-Irish passenger also needs a visa, UK ETA or proof of Irish residence. A confirmed booking does not replace the required document.
Which Ireland-Britain ferry routes require a passport?
The new boarding policy applies in both directions on these services:
| Operator | Route | Document accepted under the new policy | Not accepted from September 28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Ferries | Dublin-Holyhead | Valid passport or valid Irish passport card | Driving licence, national ID card and other photo ID |
| Irish Ferries | Rosslare-Pembroke | Valid passport or valid Irish passport card | Driving licence, national ID card and other photo ID |
| Stena Line | Dublin-Holyhead | Valid passport or passport card accepted by the operator | Driving licence and other non-passport ID |
| Stena Line | Rosslare-Fishguard | Valid passport or passport card accepted by the operator | Driving licence and other non-passport ID |
Irish Ferries' current guidance names its Dublin-Holyhead and Rosslare-Pembroke services. Stena Line's route notice names Holyhead-Dublin and Fishguard-Rosslare. Dublin Port publishes the same four route and operator combinations.
This is not a rule for every ferry associated with Ireland or the United Kingdom. Irish Ferries says the change does not apply to its Dublin-Cherbourg or Dover-Calais services. Stena says its ID requirements have not changed for routes involving Belfast, Liverpool, Cairnryan or Heysham. Those services still have their own booking, identity and immigration rules, so check the exact operator page rather than transferring this article's table to another crossing.
Why is a passport required if the Common Travel Area still exists?
The Common Travel Area and an operator's conditions of carriage answer different questions.
British and Irish citizens retain their CTA rights. The UK government says a British or Irish citizen travelling from Ireland to Great Britain does not have to show a passport to a Border Force officer, although an officer can ask for evidence of identity and nationality. The Irish government gave the same distinction in a September parliamentary answer: there is no general CTA passport requirement for those citizens, but a carrier can require a passport before allowing a passenger to board.
Irish Ferries and Stena Line say their policy supports UK Border Force requirements for accurate passenger data before departure. The result is practical even though the legal distinction remains. A British or Irish citizen may have a CTA right to travel, yet still be unable to use one of the named ferry services without the operator's required passport document.
Do not argue the CTA point at check-in as a substitute for the document. The port agent applies the operator's boarding policy.
Do children and babies need their own passports?
Yes on the affected routes. Both operators say the rule applies regardless of age. Each child and baby needs an individual valid passport or an accepted passport card where eligible. A parent's passport does not cover a child, and a birth certificate no longer satisfies the operators' stated rule for these crossings.
This is one of the most important changes for families. Older advice and many forum answers say that a birth certificate or another form of identification may be enough for a child. That advice describes the previous policy or a different route. It should not be used for Dublin-Holyhead, Rosslare-Pembroke or Rosslare-Fishguard travel from September 28.
Check every family member before paying for a hotel, train or attraction tied to the crossing. If a child's application is still being processed, contact the ferry operator before travelling to the port.
Can an Irish passport card be used instead of a passport book?
Irish Ferries explicitly accepts a valid Irish passport card on its affected services. Stena Line's current route material says passengers may present a passport or passport card, while its detailed check-in wording should remain the final authority for the exact document.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs says the Irish passport card is valid for travel to the United Kingdom, EU member states, the EEA and Switzerland. It is available to Irish citizens who hold a valid passport book, and its expiry is linked to that book. A bank card, driving licence or national identity card issued by another country is not an Irish passport card.
If the card is damaged, expired or difficult to scan, use a valid passport book or ask the operator before departure. Stena says passports used for the new process need a machine-readable zone, the lines of letters and numbers on the identity page.
Do you also need a UK ETA?
A passport and an ETA are separate requirements. The ferry operator checks the boarding document. UK immigration rules determine whether a passenger needs permission to travel or enter.
| Passenger | UK ETA position for travel from Ireland | What to carry |
|---|---|---|
| British citizen | No ETA | Valid passport required by the affected ferry operator |
| Irish citizen | No ETA | Valid Irish passport or accepted passport card |
| Person with a valid UK visa or UK immigration permission | No separate ETA | Passport plus evidence linked to the permission when required |
| ETA-eligible national visiting from Ireland | Usually needs an ETA unless an exemption applies | Passport and approved ETA |
| ETA-eligible national lawfully resident in Ireland | May use the Irish-resident exemption when travelling from within the CTA | Passport plus original, valid evidence of Irish residence |
| Visa national | ETA is not a substitute for a visa | Passport and the correct visa or permission |
The UK government's ETA exemption guidance lists British and Irish citizens, people with UK permission and qualifying residents of Ireland among those who do not need an ETA. The Irish-resident exemption has conditions. It applies to travel from within the CTA, and travelers aged 16 or older should carry an accepted original Irish government residence document.
Do not assume residence, a Schengen visa or a ferry ticket creates permission to enter. Check the passenger's nationality, residence and direction of travel against official UK or Irish guidance.
What if the passport is expired, damaged or still being renewed?
The affected operator policies call for a valid document. An expired passport, a photograph of a passport or an application receipt is not a dependable replacement at ferry check-in. UK Border Force guidance may list a wider range of evidence in some CTA encounters, but that does not broaden the ferry company's boarding rule.
Use this sequence:
- Check the physical document's expiry date and condition.
- Confirm that the name matches the booking.
- If the document is missing, expired or damaged, contact the operator before going to the port.
- Ask whether the booking qualifies for a move or refund under the operator's transition policy.
- Do not buy non-refundable onward travel until the document issue is resolved.
Irish citizens can check current renewal and urgent-appointment options through the Department of Foreign Affairs. British citizens should use HM Passport Office guidance. An urgent service is not guaranteed to produce the document before a particular sailing.
Can a booking be moved or refunded if you have no passport?
Stena Line publishes a specific transition option. A customer who booked travel from September 28 before the new requirement was communicated can ask to move the booking without an amendment fee or fare difference, or cancel for a full refund if unable to meet the new rule. Stena says normal fare rules apply when a booking was made after the requirement was communicated.
Irish Ferries tells passengers whose passport will not arrive in time to contact customer service before going to the port. Its public passport FAQ does not promise the same blanket remedy for every booking. Ask for the decision in writing and do not assume that a hotel, train, event or missed-work cost will be covered.
Keep the original booking date, confirmation email, operator notice and any support response. Those records establish whether the booking predates the communicated change and what remedy was offered.
Do passport details need to be uploaded before sailing?
Irish Ferries says it collects part of the required Advance Passenger Information when the booking is made, including name, date of birth, gender and citizenship. The remaining passport details are collected when the document is scanned at check-in. Its current guidance says passengers do not need to upload the passport in advance for that process.
That is not permission to arrive late. Complete the booking details accurately, use the name shown on the travel document and follow the operator's check-in deadline. Vehicle passengers, foot passengers and coach groups can have different arrival instructions. Check the sailing confirmation, not a generic port-arrival estimate.
Keep the passport accessible rather than packed in a vehicle boot or checked bag. Every passenger may need to present their own document.
Could you use a Northern Ireland ferry instead?
A Belfast, Larne, Liverpool or Cairnryan route may have different operator document rules, but it is not a simple substitute for every traveler.
First compare the full journey: drive time, rail or coach connections, vehicle availability, accommodation and the correct port. Then check that operator's current ID policy. Finally, confirm immigration permission. A non-British or non-Irish traveler does not gain a right to enter the UK or Ireland by choosing a route with a different carrier document policy.
For a British or Irish citizen, an alternative route may solve a practical document problem only if the operator confirms the accepted ID and the added land journey still works. For everyone else, the passport, visa, ETA and residence questions remain separate.
Ferry-day document and phone checklist
- Valid passport or accepted passport card for every passenger.
- Booking confirmation and vehicle registration details where required.
- Visa, UK ETA or proof of an exemption when applicable.
- Original evidence of lawful Irish residence if relying on that ETA exemption.
- Offline copy of the booking reference and operator contact details.
- Address and phone number for the first accommodation.
- Payment card and enough time for the published check-in deadline.
- Downloaded maps for Holyhead, Dublin, Rosslare, Pembroke or Fishguard.
- Onward rail, bus or driving plan saved outside the booking app.
Mobile data for ferry check-in and onward travel
The passport must be physical and valid; mobile data cannot replace it. Data is useful for the tasks around the document check: opening the booking, checking a sailing update, retrieving an ETA confirmation, finding the correct terminal and changing onward rail or accommodation.
OpenSim's public Ireland catalog returned 16 plans when checked on September 28. One listed Ireland option provided 10 GB for 30 days at US$8.56, supported top-up and listed eir 5G in its public coverage details. Prices, networks and availability can change, so the product page remains the current authority.
For a journey on both sides of the Irish Sea, compare an Ireland and UK OpenSim plan with separate Ireland or United Kingdom coverage. The practical advantage is choosing the geographic scope before departure instead of relying on terminal Wi-Fi for booking changes. It does not confer immigration permission, guarantee signal on the sea or replace emergency communications.
Use the travel data calculator for the wider trip, check whether the phone supports eSIM, and review when to install an eSIM before travel.
Ireland-Britain ferry passport questions
1. Do British citizens now need a passport for the Dublin-Holyhead ferry?
Yes for the Irish Ferries and Stena Line services covered by the new operator policy. That boarding condition applies even though British citizens retain Common Travel Area rights.
2. Do Irish citizens need a passport for the ferry to Britain?
Yes on the four affected routes. A valid Irish passport card is also accepted under the operators' published guidance.
3. Can I use a driving licence instead?
No. Irish Ferries and Stena Line say driving licences and other non-passport photo ID are no longer accepted on the named routes from September 28.
4. Does a baby need a passport for the ferry?
Yes on the affected routes. The rule applies regardless of age, so each baby and child needs an individual valid passport or accepted passport card.
5. Is a birth certificate accepted for a child?
Not under the new policy for these crossings. Older advice accepting birth certificates does not describe the September 28 rule.
6. Is an expired passport acceptable?
Do not rely on one. The operators require a valid passport or accepted passport card. Contact the operator before travel if the document is expired or damaged.
7. Does the passport rule apply to Belfast ferries?
The announced change covers the named Dublin, Rosslare, Holyhead, Fishguard and Pembroke services. Stena says the ID rules for Belfast, Liverpool, Cairnryan and Heysham services have not changed. Check the separate route policy.
8. Do I need both a passport and a UK ETA?
Possibly. The passport satisfies the carrier's document policy. ETA or visa requirements depend on nationality, immigration status, Irish residence and direction of travel. British and Irish citizens do not need a UK ETA.
9. Can Stena move or refund a booking made before the announcement?
Stena publishes a move-or-refund option for eligible bookings made before it communicated the new requirement. Contact the operator and keep the written decision. Later bookings follow normal fare rules.
10. Will a passport photo on my phone work?
No. Bring the physical valid document required by the operator. A screenshot is useful as a backup record but is not a substitute at check-in.
Sources and policy updates
This guide uses the current Irish Ferries and Stena Line document pages for the affected routes and accepted documents, Dublin Port for the route summary, the Irish parliamentary answer and UK government guidance for the CTA distinction, and GOV.UK for ETA exemptions. We will update it if an operator changes the route list, accepted documents, transition remedy or check-in process, or if either government changes CTA, ETA or entry guidance. For an individual sailing, the booked operator's current instructions take priority over this page.
