Ireland Travel Guide
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From Monday 28 September 2026, every passenger on a ferry between the Republic of Ireland and Britain, in either direction, must carry a valid passport, Irish and British citizens included. Stena Line and Irish Ferries have both said this is required by UK Border Force, and Stena says no other ID will be accepted on its Holyhead to Dublin and Fishguard to Rosslare routes. It is a striking change for a place where the Common Travel Area, in place since the 1920s, legally lets Irish and British citizens cross without one.
Ireland is not in Schengen, and that trips people up. A Schengen visa or residence permit does not entitle you to enter Ireland, all non-EEA nationals need permission to enter even if no visa is required, and an immigration officer can still refuse entry on arrival. For example, U.S. citizens can visit visa-free for up to 90 days.
The border people most often mean, the one between the Republic and Northern Ireland, has no immigration controls on the road at all. What matters is the UK's rules, because arriving in Northern Ireland is arriving in the UK.
Border crossings
- The land border with Northern Ireland
There are no routine immigration controls on the road crossings. Everyone entering Northern Ireland still has to satisfy the UK's Immigration Rules, including an Electronic Travel Authorisation where one is required. An ETA costs 20 pounds and allows multiple journeys for stays of up to six months at a time over two years or until the passport expires.
- Irish residents have a carve out
Legal residents of Ireland from a nationality that does not usually need a UK visa, for example European and U.S. nationals, do not need an ETA to travel within the Common Travel Area when they can prove residency. British and Irish citizens, including dual citizens, never need one.
- Dublin, Shannon, and Cork are the airports that matter
Ireland's immigration checks take place at ports of entry, mainly Dublin Airport, Shannon, and Cork. At Dublin and Shannon, U.S. bound passengers are also pre-cleared by U.S. officials before they fly.
Transit routes
- Dublin to Holyhead, and Rosslare to Fishguard or Pembroke
These are the main Ireland to Britain routes, run by Stena Line and Irish Ferries, and they are the ones covered by the new passport requirement, along with Rosslare to Pembroke.
- Dublin to Cherbourg
Irish Ferries also sails from Dublin to Cherbourg in France, and Dover to Calais, so a driver from Ireland can be in Schengen without ever setting foot in Britain. That is an international crossing, so bring a passport.
Entry point notes
- A Schengen visa does not work here
Ireland stays outside the Schengen Agreement. Go to the Irish Immigration Service's Travel Path tool to check your own requirements, and do not assume a French or German visa covers Dublin.
- Visa exempt still means permission is required
You show your passport and supporting documents to immigration control on arrival, and the officer decides.
- Northern Ireland is a different visa regime
An Irish visa alone does not grant access to Northern Ireland, and a UK ETA does not grant access to the Republic.
- Which ferries did not change
Stena Line's ID rules did not change for its Belfast, Liverpool, Cairnryan, and Heysham routes, so the new passport rule is specific to the Republic of Ireland to Great Britain crossings.