Irish Ferries has begun full enforcement of its new documentation policy, requiring every passenger on crossings between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain to present a passport or Irish passport card from 1 October 2026. The company first announced the change on 28 September but reiterated the rule in a sailing update posted early Thursday, reminding travellers booked on the busy Rosslare–Pembroke route that driving licences and other photo-ID are no longer accepted. The policy brings the carrier into line with Stena Line, which introduced a similar measure in July, and follows several incidents during which passengers were denied entry by UK Border Force on arrival in Wales. Irish Ferries says the stricter approach reduces clearance times and avoids fines for transporting inadequately documented travellers. For HR and mobility managers the immediate impact is on assignees who use the ferry as a cost-effective link between the south-east of Ireland and London. Companies with van-based technicians or project teams should update travel packs to include passport-checking reminders and consider bulk ordering of Irish passport cards—valid for ten years and issued within five working days—to eliminate last-minute snags. Longer-term, the move signals growing harmonisation of ID enforcement on all CTA sea routes ahead of the UK’s ETA roll-out for non-British nationals in early 2027. Industry observers expect cross-channel operators to adopt the same passport-only standard before next summer. Mobility programmes should therefore view passport possession as effectively mandatory for any UK–Ireland movement, regardless of mode. Travellers already booked without passports can apply for a special refund or revalidation voucher until 15 October, but voyages after that date will be strictly ‘no passport, no travel’, the company warns.
Source: Irish Ferries
