26th August 2026

Dear Customer,

From Monday 28th September 2026, valid passports will be a requirement for all passengers for ferry travel between the Republic of Ireland and Britain, sailing in either direction.

This is a change to the current ID accepted and means that from 28 September, no other forms of photo ID will be accepted by Irish Ferries for any freight passengers, including Irish and UK citizens. This is to ensure compliance with UK Border Force requirements relating to the accuracy and integrity of passenger data before boarding.

This 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 that they have a valid, in-date passport (or Irish passport card) before arriving at the port to avoid delays or disruption to their journey.

Irish Ferries operates two routes between the Republic of Ireland and the UK where this new requirement is affected:

·         Dublin – Holyhead – Dublin

·         Rosslare – Pembroke – Rosslare 

Please note there are no changes to the travel requirements on either our Dublin/Cherbourg or Dover/Calais services.

Many thanks for your continued support of Irish Ferries Services.