Ryanair - Traveling to Belfast, Ireland without passport?

This is what it says in their FAQs about online check in

What documents do I need to produce at the airport when using online check-in?

To qualify for Online Check-in each passenger must be an EU/EEA citizen (including Switzerland) and present either a valid passport or National Identity Card,


For British and Irish citizens who are travelling on flights to/from the United Kingdom, to/from the Republic of Ireland (Common Travel Area), a valid driving licence with photo is acceptable photo ID

And in What photo ID Question it states -

A valid driving licence with photo is acceptable photo ID for travel on domestic flights. (Please note that driving licences are not accepted when passengers are using online check-in)
So it would seem you are not going to be able to use the Driving Licence. If I remember right you have to quote your passport number as part of the on line check in process. So I guess its pay up or forget the trip.

The rest of you can still use the online check in though as you enter each one separately so it will only be your friend who has to pay the airport check in fees. Make sure his driving licence is a photographic one!

Rachie004 wrote: »

Assuming of course that you're a UK citizen, I'm not sure of the ins and outs for citizens of other countries.

Indeed. Only British / Irish citizens are entitled to move among the Common Travel Area without the need to carry a passport. All other nationals must carry a valid passport or EEA National ID card, when travelling between the UK and Ireland.

Of course, this begs the question - are the provisions of the CTA agreement compatible with EU Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens of the Union to move at reside freely among the Member States. It would appear not, since Member States are not permitted to treat their own citizens more favourably than other Union citizens. Still, that's another issue, not for here..

To answer the OP (and to echo the other advice given), Belfast is in the United Kingdom, not in Ireland. If your friend wishes to enter Northern Ireland from Britain, he is entitled to do so without any documentation whatsoever, regardless of his citizenship. However, since he is travelling by air, the airline is entitled to request to see photographic ID of all their passengers.

Ryanair do not permit the use of their online check-in service for passengers who are not carrying their passport. In short, your friend (unless he can obtain a passport in time for travel) will have to pay for Ryanair's airport check-in "service" and travel on his photocard driving licence.

irishjohn wrote: »

For domestic flights withing the UK - which includes Northern Ireland - a passport is not essential - it is possible to fly using other photographic ID but not all airlines accept the same types of photo ID so its better to use the universal document - The passport

Nonsense.

The individual airlines will all accept an EU driving licence on CTA flights - however, Ryanair (and possibly others) may insist that you check in at the airport if you aren't carrying a passport. It may be for security reasons - or it may just be Ryanair getting extra money. Whatever - the point is that a driving licence is accepted by all airlines on CTA flights.

It should be doubly noted that many CTA flights don't even go through passport control - Ireland will check at all ports, but anyone who's been through Dublin Airport or Dublin/Dun Laoghaire ferry ports will know that they tend to wave people through. And certainly, Aer Lingus flights from Ireland to Heathrow tend to land in the domestic areas anyway.

cceg wrote: »

My brother lives just outside of Ireland and i fly often with EasyJet from Gatwick to see him.
I HAVE to have my passport. No questions about it. I know it is part of the Uk etc and i know what it says on the questions board and someone has so kindly posted above. But when i flew last year sometime there was a business man without a passport who was saying he didnt need a passport as he was only flying into Belfast.
He wasnt allowed to board the flight as far as i knew.

that's just not correct. he would've needed photographic id, but not a passport.