Passport required on ferry between Belfast and Stranraer?

BigEejit

I know this is not the ideal place to put a thread on this subject, please move if appropriate mods.

I was thinking of driving around some of the nice bits of Northern Ireland and over to Western Scotland for a few days and then back again to Northern Ireland during the school mid term break with the wife and daughter.
Do we need our passports for the ferry from Belfast to Stranraer and vice versa? I dont like carrying around my passport if it's not required.

I have done some searching but getting conflicting answers, even on the same page:
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090531134819AAG0fBp

Jonty

BigEejit wrote: »

I know this is not the ideal place to put a thread on this subject, please move if appropriate mods.

I was thinking of driving around some of the nice bits of Northern Ireland and over to Western Scotland for a few days and then back again to Northern Ireland during the school mid term break with the wife and daughter.
Do we need our passports for the ferry from Belfast to Stranraer and vice versa? I dont like carrying around my passport if it's not required.

I have done some searching but getting conflicting answers, even on the same page:
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090531134819AAG0fBp

If customs stop you they'll ask for it

Dub13

No you don't,you don't even need a passport on the Dublin Holyhead ferry.

johnciall

Dub13 wrote: »

No you don't,you don't even need a passport on the Dublin Holyhead ferry.

As a foot passanger they normally ask for ID on the holyhead side

biko

Full immigration controls are being brought in for foreign travellers, while British and Irish nationals will have to prove their identities, either by showing a passport or a driving licence.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/passport-checks-between-uk-and-ireland-restored-876790.html

Dub13

johnciall wrote: »

As a foot passanger they normally ask for ID on the holyhead side

You can be asked for ID,it has never happened to me but you don't need a passport most forums of ID will do.Anyway this is not about the Dublin/Holyhead ferry,the Belfast to Stranraer ferry is basically a internal ferry so definitely no need for a passport.

Duiske

As Dub13 says, no passport needed. Just photo id. You have to bring your driving licence anyway as you are driving, so your sorted.

By the way, the above applies to Irish/EU citizens. If your licence states you were born outside the EU, then you would need to bring a passport.

LEIN

ID will do even if you where to fly to the UK from anywhere in Ireland.

BigEejit

Thanks for the info guys, just wondering about my wife and daughter now as neither has a driving license (daughter is 7 :P)

Quazzie

Your ID should be sufficient for your family. If your wife has any form of ID tell her to bring it. But even without it I can't see you having any hassle. Usually its only foot passengers that get asked anyways.

BigEejit

Excellent information there guys, thanks to all

Cookie_Monster

Any ID will do for the ferry. A cousin of my girlfriend showed them a British Rail ID card when he came over last week. (Had to get the ferry cos passport out of date and Ryanair told him to **** off)

netwhizkid

Damo9090 wrote: »

ID will do even if you where to fly to the UK from anywhere in Ireland.

Not with Ryanair it won't.

LEIN

netwhizkid wrote: »

Not with Ryanair it won't.

When did that change? I went to Bristol and back with them last November with no hassle with my driving licence.

BigEejit

There was a hullabaloo in the news in the UK because ryanair were looking for passport for ID on a flight from Gatwick to Glasgow (or some other internal mainland flight). They refused a driving license as a valid ID and refused to carry a passenger.

Mark200

http://www.irishpost.co.uk/tabId/550/itemId/6489/Ryanair-declines-driving-licences-for-ID.aspx

RYANAIR passengers travelling between Britain and Ireland can no longer use a driving licence as a valid form of identification.

Up until this month a driver’s licence was accepted from passengers flying between the two countries as photographic ID.

But the rules changed on October 1 when the airline introduced its new online check-in system. From now any passenger arriving at the gate without their passport or National ID card will not be allowed to travel.

It is feared that this Christmas — when traditionally a large number of people travel home for the holidays — passengers who are not aware of the change will be left stranded.

The Irish Post has been made aware of a number of cases over the past couple of weeks where people have been turned away at the airport because of the rule change.

getz

you only need proof of identity on the ferries,i travel over all the time,always carry my driving licence,but as soon as the customs/security hear my manchester accent the pass me though,remember they all looking for illegals trying to get into the UK ,mainly through ireland.

netwhizkid

You can still travel on Aer Lingus between Ireland and UK using your driving license as photo ID however.

artanevilla

Stranraer!? STRANRAER!?

*wonders will anyone get the reference.

Rebelheart

This thread reminds me of that scene at the outset of Marie Jones's deeply poignant play, A Night in November, where the nationalist guy arrives in the Social Welfare office in Belfast a day later than he should have. It transpired that the day before he had to bring his mother from Belfast to Dublin to visit her sister and the [unionist] guy in Social Welfare docked him a day's welfare as he was "in a foreign country"!

Insofar as I know, of all the EU countries, Irish citizens only need a passport to visit Spain. I'm not sure what the reason for the Spanish passport requirement is, but it definitely appeared on a recent checklist herself had for a trip to Madrid.

netwhizkid

Rebelheart wrote: »

This thread reminds me of that scene at the outset of Marie Jones's deeply poignant play, A Night in November, where the nationalist guy arrives in the Social Welfare office in Belfast a day later than he should have. It transpired that the day before he had to bring his mother from Belfast to Dublin to visit her sister and the [unionist] guy in Social Welfare docked him a day's welfare as he was "in a foreign country"!

Insofar as I know, of all the EU countries, Irish citizens only need a passport to visit Spain. I'm not sure what the reason for the Spanish passport requirement is, but it definitely appeared on a recent checklist herself had for a trip to Madrid.

Irish Citizens need a passport to visit all EU Countries bar the United Kingdom, Ireland is not a member of Schegen and all Irish passengers into the EU must have their passports, however "checking" means a mere glance and no details are taken. It is at the Airports that passports are examined. I travelled by Train yesterday from Hungary via Slovakia to the Czech Republic and it was the same as the train from Cork to Dublin, no difference like an internal trip. All passport controls are eliminated within the Schengen area.

robinph

Duiske wrote: »

Just photo id. You have to bring your driving licence anyway as you are driving, so your sorted.

Don't think you need a driving license on you for driving in the UK.

You obviously need a driving license to drive, but I think they still never require anyone to actually carry it, or any other form of ID, on them at any time in the UK. Part of why there is all the hullaballo over the ID cards thing they are trying to bring in.

Dub13

robinph wrote: »

Don't think you need a driving license on you for driving in the UK.

You obviously need a driving license to drive, but I think they still never require anyone to actually carry it, or any other form of ID, on them at any time in the UK. Part of why there is all the hullaballo over the ID cards thing they are trying to bring in.

But he will need his driving license in order to drive to the boat at this end....:)

robinph

Dub13 wrote: »

But he will need his driving license in order to drive to the boat at this end....:)

Yep, but he can throw it in the sea after that... well as long as he's not intending to drive back again.

laugh

Went over to Edinburgh on the ferry for the Heineken Cup final in May, wasn't asked for ID of any kind anywhere.

cujimmy

as your going from one part of the UK to another, you dont need a passport

testicle

Would you be asked for a passport on the Killimer/Tarbert ferry?

marco_polo

Magnus wrote: »

Full immigration controls are being brought in for foreign travellers, while British and Irish nationals will have to prove their identities, either by showing a passport or a driving licence.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/passport-checks-between-uk-and-ireland-restored-876790.html

It had been planned to bring it in for here as well, but the House of Lords made them drop that requirement in July for journeys within the Common Travel Area.

http://www.kable.co.uk/eborders-ireland-lords-borders-home-office-15jul09

The £1.2bn e-Borders programme aims to introduce electronic checks on all travellers entering and leaving the UK by March 2014. However, after accepting House of Lords amendments to the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill, the government said it will remove a clause to introduce checks on UK and Irish citizens travelling in the Common Travel Area (CTA) between the two countries.

netwhizkid wrote: »

Irish Citizens need a passport to visit all EU Countries bar the United Kingdom, Ireland is not a member of Schegen and all Irish passengers into the EU must have their passports, however "checking" means a mere glance and no details are taken. It is at the Airports that passports are examined. I travelled by Train yesterday from Hungary via Slovakia to the Czech Republic and it was the same as the train from Cork to Dublin, no difference like an internal trip. All passport controls are eliminated within the Schengen area.

I got a flight between two Schegen countries recently as well, no hand luggage so it was literally off the plane and straight out the door of the terminal. Good times.