From Monday, 28 September 2026, all passengers travelling with Irish Ferries between the Republic of Ireland and Britain will be required to carry a valid passport, writes Trish Whelan.
This is a change to the current ID accepted and means that from that date, no other forms of photo ID will be accepted by Irish Ferries for any passengers, including Irish and UK citizens.
This is to ensure compliance with UK Border Force requirements relating to the accuracy and integrity of passenger date before boarding and aligns ferry travel requirements with the document checks already carried out by many airlines.
Irish Ferries is encouraging Irish and UK citizens travelling or planning to travel after 28 September 2026 to check their passport is valid, and in-date (or Irish passport card) before arriving at the port to avoid delays or disruption to their journey.
Customers with existing bookings are being notified of the new requirement by Irish Ferries’ Customer Service Team.
