Passport check

[scruggs]

Hi,

I returned from Dublin on an Aer Lingus flight on Monday 14th Aug, and upon arrival in EGBB/Birmingham, passengers did not have to produce their passports to control. I have flown through this airport many times, and this is the first time I have not had to go through passport control upon arrival. It was straight off the plane, to baggage collection and out! I was very surprised indeed.

Cheers,
eP.

[SXB]

I haven't been to Ireland for years and years but I thought you didn't need a passport to travel between those two countries ? I know you need ID to be able to board a plane these days and what with the brits not having ID cards I suppose that only really leaves passports...

[scruggs]

On my outbound leg we had to produce passports, or at least photo ID, at both Birmingham and Dublin. I frequently fly this route and as I say, this is the first time I have not been checked upon arrival back in Birmingham.

Cheers,
eP.

[johnref]

On my outbound leg we had to produce passports, or at least photo ID, at both Birmingham and Dublin. I frequently fly this route and as I say, this is the first time I have not been checked upon arrival back in Birmingham.

Cheers,
eP.

In Dublin you may go through passport control depending which pier you land - however even showing them a boarding pass to prove flight from UK results in a wave straight through.

[Flame]

In Dublin you may go through passport control depending which pier you land - however even showing them a boarding pass to prove flight from UK results in a wave straight through.

At Dublin there are Immigration officers on duty at all three piers (A,B & C). Passengers arriving from the UK are travelling within the CTA (Common Travel Area) and as such, are NOT required to have passports. The CTA regulations apply only to citizens of the United Kingdom and Citizens of the Republic of Ireland only. All others arriving MUST have their passports and if required, valid visas

[Globaliser]

I returned from Dublin on an Aer Lingus flight on Monday 14th Aug, and upon arrival in EGBB/Birmingham, passengers did not have to produce their passports to control. I have flown through this airport many times, and this is the first time I have not had to go through passport control upon arrival.I'd be more surprised if anyone returns from Dublin to the UK and does have to produce passports to the immigration control. That isn't required by UK immigration. At some airports (LHR T1 springs to mind), the relevant part of the building is actually designed without an immigration control.

Sometimes, Special Branch will be there on arrival, but that's different.

[scruggs]

Cheers for the replies guys.

[WHBM]

I've never understood some aspects of the CTA.

Until recent times there was no document check at either end (although up to about 8 years ago there were customs, now abolished). Now the Irish have introduced a check but this seems due to the design of their airports where pax from the UK and those from elsewhere in Europe (who definitely do need passports) are all mixed in the same arrivals gate area.

As I read it the Irish government should not be entitled to have a passport check for those arriving from the UK under the CTA agreement (as is still the case in the opposite direction). How did they get away with introducing one ?

I have often wondered what their officers say if you do not show a passport, as it seems to be 100% compliance nowadays. Even UK passports they now open up and look at.

More complicated regarding visas. Separate visas required for UK and for Ireland for those from outside Europe. But if you go through Ireland first, there is no check on entering the UK. Of course at one time those from outside Europe were unknown in Ireland. Certainly not the case any more.

For those who have never done it, there are no controls whatsoever on the land border in Ireland, in either direction, there is not even a sign you have passed from one country to another. You have to spot the paint lines at the side of the road (white in UK, yellow in Irish Republic) to see the transition point. Likewise nothing on the train to indicate you are in a different country now. So anyone who wants to cross without control just needs to go this way.

[Shanwickman]

WHBM you should have read the post of Flame before your posting.
The checks are for people who are not either Irish or British citizens.
Passports are NOT required for Irish and British citizens, any kind of legible ID will suffice eg driving licence, work ID etc.
Your information concerning trains is not correct. The Belfast/Dublin train stops in Dundalk and Garda immigration board there and carry out ID checks.
The main reason for the checks is to deter illegal immigrants from outside the E.U.

[1DC]

Must be about ten years since i last went to Ireland but i did a day return from LBA and didn't take my passport and wasn't asked for it.

[WHBM]

Now I did read the post of Flame and it didn't correspond with my experience, which is that all pax show passports to the immigration officer. There is no notice at all that UK/Ireland citizens are exempt from showing them or that they have any different procedure. At least there is a separate procedure (usually separate channels) for Irish arrivals in UK airports.

Although it's been a couple of years since I took the train southbound across the border, by road there are still no checks, nor could there be without a lot of cost - there are hundreds of roads that go across, and no facilities for inspection.

[angels]

A habit I developed in Asia when I worked out there was to carry my passport with me at all times. In some places I worked, technically you were obliged to. Not once in eight years did I have to produce it for a police officer.

That said it came in handy when cashing large sums of money etc, so it's a habit I've continued to this day.

Re Ireland, I've been to Northern Ireland quite a few times and crossing the border in either direction was a doddle with border checks only infrequently made (exclusively during the Troubles).

The area around Strabane, for example, is littered with small roads that were never properly checked during the Troubles and certainly won't be now. This led to a rather novel VAT scam which some of the locals got up to -- but that's a different story!!

[Flame]

Hi all;

I understand fully the comments made by all here in relation to Immigration checks at Dublin airport, but hopefully, this may clarify the situation at Dublin ....

As I said earlier, there are 3 piers at Dublin. Flights from within the CTA (Common Travel Area) are brought in to any of the 3 piers, with Ryanair going to Pier A. Domestic flights almost %99.99 use Pier A as well, but a practice has developed that flights from Europe use Pier A as well and this is where the confusion starts. Passengers from the CTA, domestic and Europe are mixed together as they approach the Immigration booths. Officers on duty have no idea where passengers are coming from, so ask each passenger for passports.

If PAX are from the UK or from a domestic flight and have no passport, there is no problem as they are not obliged to carry as passport as long as they are citizens of the UK or Republic of Ireland

The Dublin Airport Auth., is well aware of the problems they are causing by mixing passengers like this at Pier A and appear to be unwilling or unable to provide extra space to the Immigration Department, they have been made aware on numerous occasions in the past that Domestic flights need NEVER be brought through the Immigration control area

If you think its bad now imagine what it will be like when the new Pier D comes into use, which is linked into Pier A

[eastern wiseguy]

WHBM you should have read the post of Flame before your posting.
The checks are for people who are not either Irish or British citizens.
Passports are NOT required for Irish and British citizens, any kind of legible ID will suffice eg driving licence, work ID etc.
Your information concerning trains is not correct. The Belfast/Dublin train stops in Dundalk and Garda immigration board there and carry out ID checks.
The main reason for the checks is to deter illegal immigrants from outside the E.U.

Haven't seen a Garda or PSNI guy on the Enterprise(train) for years...that seems to have stopped. We used to have a customs guy as well who walked through the train...all window dressing really