No changes to ID rules for ferry passengers 

Ferry passengers between Britain and Ireland will soon require passports 

Changes made to passport requirements for ferry passengers crossing the Irish Sea will not impact services to and from the Island. 

It follows reports in the UK media that ‘new UK Border Force requirements’ will require passengers between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland to show their passports. 

Ferry company Stena Line said all passengers travelling between Holyhead and Dublin or Fishguard and Rosslare will now need to show a passport on departure. 

Irish Ferries also said that all passengers ‘including Irish and British citizens travelling between the Republic of Ireland and Britain (both directions) will be required to carry a valid passport’.

Despite this, the UK’s Home Office said there has been no change to requirements and that it was a ‘decision made by the ferry companies’. 

Manx Radio contacted the Manx government to seek confirmation on whether Steam Packet passengers would be expected to do the same when sailings return to Dublin.

A spokesperson said that travel between jurisdictions in the Common Travel Area ‘is not subject to routine immigration controls, and travellers are not required by law to carry evidence of their identity or immigration status when making these journeys’.

They added: “However, travellers must ensure they comply with the requirements of the carrier they are travelling with and carry any documentation required by that operator. 

“Some carriers have recently announced changes to their own boarding requirements. For example, certain airlines now require passengers to present a valid passport when travelling, including on routes within the CTA.”

It was also confirmed that the changes made by other operators do not impact services to the Isle of Man.

A recent public consultation on requiring all passengers on Steam Packet sailings to carry photographic ID received broad support with more than three-quarters of respondents saying that the proposals could help reduce organised crime.