Ireland ferry passengers now have to show passports

Ferry passengers traveling between Ireland and the UK are being asked to show passports for the first time in more than a century, as a new requirement takes effect this week. Starting Monday, passports became mandatory for boarding at Holyhead, Fishguard, Pembroke, Dublin and Rosslare ports, including on services operated by Stena Line and Irish Ferries. Previously, travelers could use other forms of ID such as driving licences and national identity cards under the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangement dating back to 1922. The shift is intended to meet UK Border Force conditions on the accuracy and integrity of passenger data. Stena said all passengers, regardless of age or nationality, must present a passport at check-in, though Irish citizens can use passport cards. Northern Ireland routes between Belfast and Liverpool/Cairnryan/Heysham are unaffected, it said.