Travelling to Ireland without a Passport

MickeyFinns

MickeyFinns

MickeyFinns

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Joined
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Hi all,

I thought someone here might have experience with this. I've heard that you can travel to Ireland using just a Drivers license and the FCO website backs this up but mentions that some carriers will require a passport regardless.

Has anyone ever done this successfully? And if so which airline did you fly with?

I've heard this is easier to do on the ferries so I might have to take that route...

Cheers for any help!
 
YOu can fly to NI from any airport in the UK without a passport but with a recognised form of Photo ID e.g Drivers Liscence

I did this recently with easyjet to belfast. Ryan Air are a PITA as they want passports. When I got to belfast I hired a car and drove south into Eire no questions asked.
 
Skidder said:
Can't you get a passport?
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I've got one but the purpose of the trip is to apply for an Iranian Visa. I need to make two trips to Dublin 7 days a part and when I leave the first time and arrive the second time I won't have a passport as it'll be in the embassy.

The other option is to pay for 3 hour turnaround application but this actually costs more than visiting twice.
 
wildman said:
YOu can fly to NI from any airport in the UK without a passport but with a recognised form of Photo ID e.g Drivers Liscence

I did this recently with easyjet to belfast. Ryan Air are a PITA as they want passports. When I got to belfast I hired a car and drove south into Eire no questions asked.
Click to expand...

Hmm that might work actually!
 
I've never seen an airline that will let you fly without a passport apart from Easyjet, but reports seem inconsistent. You can get the ferry without one no problem.
 
MickeyFinns said:
I've got one but the purpose of the trip is to apply for an Iranian Visa. I need to make two trips to Dublin 7 days a part and when I leave the first time and arrive the second time I won't have a passport as it'll be in the embassy.

The other option is to pay for 3 hour turnaround application but this actually costs more than visiting twice.
Click to expand...

Ahh. I'd just pay the turnaround. What's your time worth? Iran for work? I had a spot of bother with that a couple of years ago and didn't get to go in the end.
 
Aer Lingus allow crew to fly without passports to Ireland from the UK so would have thought they'd allow passengers. Phone them to check tho.
 
wildman said:
YOu can fly to NI from any airport in the UK without a passport but with a recognised form of Photo ID e.g Drivers Liscence

I did this recently with easyjet to belfast. Ryan Air are a PITA as they want passports. When I got to belfast I hired a car and drove south into Eire no questions asked.
Click to expand...

This is the best way to get over without a passport as easyjet are pretty reasonable.

Don't call it Eire though, that's embarrassing, no one calls the republic that, especially everyone I've met from the republic. No one speaks galic Irish so there's no reason to chuck "local dialect" place names into the English language. It's exactly like referring to Spain as Éspania when talking about it in English. Only time to do it is when a country demands it, so the Ivory Coast actually demands to be called its name in French regardless of language used. The republic doesn't.

/takes rant hat off

If flying doesn't take your fancy getting the ferry over only requires a photo idea as well from memory but driving a car over and doing 4 trips can cost more than flying easy jet...
 
Skidder said:
Ahh. I'd just pay the turnaround. What's your time worth? Iran for work? I had a spot of bother with that a couple of years ago and didn't get to go in the end.
Click to expand...

Nah just going as a holiday.

I think I'm leaning towards the one day turn around but it is quite a jump in price (150EUR for 7 day, 300 EUR for same day). Factoring in the extra day of annual leave + flights it is probably cheaper in the end.
 
You could always get another UK passport? If this is business travel, all you'll need is a letter from your employer stating you travel a lot and therefore require another passport. It's ideal for people that often have their passport away getting visa's. I think the cost is the same as for a new one.
 
Dunks said:
Can you not apply at the Embassy in London?
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I would if it wasn't closed for the foreseeable future :).

peter_hutson said:
You could always get another UK passport? If this is business travel, all you'll need is a letter from your employer stating you travel a lot and therefore require another passport. It's ideal for people that often have their passport away getting visa's. I think the cost is the same as for a new one.
Click to expand...

Yeah I've read about those, wish I could get one! This is a tourism trip not business.

Biohazard said:
Point a gun at them and yell "stand and deliver!" authoritatively. Pot luck if it would work mind you.
Click to expand...

Waving guns around Iranian embassies does not have a great track record of success!
 
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