Passport Now Required for the Ferry to Ireland From 28 September 2026

From Monday 28 September 2026, Stena Line and Irish Ferries will only accept a passport, or an Irish passport card, at check-in on their routes between Wales and the Republic of Ireland. Driving licences and other photo ID stop working on these crossings, for every passenger regardless of age or nationality.

The underlying law has not changed. British and Irish citizens still do not need a passport to travel within the Common Travel Area. What has changed is what the ferry operators themselves will accept at check-in, and that gap between the law and the check-in desk is exactly what catches people out.

What's Changing

• Stena Line: from 28 September 2026, "all passengers travelling from Dublin, Holyhead, Fishguard or Rosslare ports will be required to present a valid passport at check-in." (Stena Line)
• Irish Ferries: the same date applies to the Dublin-Holyhead and Rosslare-Pembroke routes, in both directions. Driving licences, national identity cards "and other forms of photographic identification will no longer be accepted." (Irish Ferries)
• Everyone, any age. Irish Ferries says the rule "applies to all passengers, including Irish and UK citizens", and Stena Line says it covers "everyone, regardless of age", so children need their own passport too.
• Why. Stena Line attributes the change "to meet the requirements of UK Border Force in relation to the accuracy and integrity of passenger data before boarding." No Home Office or Border Force notice has been published naming the change, so this is the operators' own explanation, not a government announcement.

Do You Need a Passport for the Ferry to Ireland?

From 28 September 2026, yes, on these specific routes. A passport or Irish passport card is the only document Stena Line and Irish Ferries will take at check-in, whatever your nationality. Stena Line accepts emergency passports and confirms "no additional months of validity are required" beyond the document being in date. A photograph or photocopy is only accepted "in certain circumstances", with customer service contacted at check-in, so bring the original documents, children's passports included, rather than relying on a copy.

Passengers travelling with Stena Line from Belfast, Liverpool, Cairnryan or Heysham are not affected: those routes keep their existing ID rules. Check directly with your operator if you're travelling a route not named here, since other carriers' Northern Ireland services were not covered by this review.

Has the Law on Travelling to Ireland Changed?

No. The Home Office's Common Travel Area guidance (version 16.0, published 9 April 2026) is unambiguous: "British and Irish citizens travelling to GB via Ireland are not required to present a passport as evidence of identity and nationality." They may instead present other proof of identity and nationality, such as an expired passport, a copy of a passport, or other satisfactory evidence, at Border Force's discretion. (Home Office Common Travel Area guidance)

That legal position is unaffected by this change. Stena Line and Irish Ferries are private companies tightening what they will accept at their own check-in desks, not implementing a new government requirement. In practice, if your ferry operator won't let you board without a passport, the legal position at the border is no help to you at the port.

What About Passengers Who Aren't British or Irish?

Non-British and non-Irish nationals travelling from Ireland to Great Britain may assume they need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) as well as a passport. Usually they don't. Gov.uk states that you do not need an ETA if you are "from a country that needs an ETA to travel to the UK" and you are "entering the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man." (gov.uk: when you do not need an ETA)

This exemption covers ETA-eligible nationalities travelling by ferry or other local journeys from Ireland. It does not apply to nationalities that need a full UK visa rather than an ETA: those travellers still need that visa arranged before they travel. If you're unsure which category applies to you, check the current rules on gov.uk before booking rather than relying on the ferry operator's own summary.

When It Takes Effect

The new document rules apply from Monday 28 September 2026 on the routes named above. Neither operator mentions a grace period, so a passenger arriving at check-in on or after that date without a passport risks being turned away.

What This Means for You

Before a Wales-Ireland ferry crossing booked from 28 September 2026 onward, check every passport in the party, including any children's, and confirm none has expired. If anyone travelling is a dual British-Irish citizen, our guide on which passport dual citizens should use covers which document to carry for different legs of a trip. Anyone applying for an Irish passport or passport card for the first time through the Foreign Births Register should also see our guide to Irish citizenship by descent for current fees and processing times.

Paramount Visas' personal applications service can check that your travel documents are in order before a trip. Get in touch if you're not sure whether your documents meet the new rules for your route.