Infant travel with Ryanair - Passport or Long form birth cert?

r3nu4l

Hi all, not really suitable for the travel forums (I think). Myself and Mrs r3nu4l are hoping to travel from Stansted to Dublin with Ryanair relatively soon. Our baby is only 3 weeks old and we've applied for a passport but obviously with the passport office strike we may not have a passport for her on time.

Do Ryanair accept long form birth certs for newborn babies for travel from England to Ireland and back again?

Any advice or help appreciated. Tried phoning Ryanair but no success in actually talking to a human being yet

Grawns

Yes, I've travelled several times with my husband and baby on Ryanair to Leeds with her birth cert only.

Grawns

This is from the aer lingus site but same rules apply to Ryanair

Travel between Ireland and the UK or UK Domestic travel

Citizens of Ireland and the UK must carry some form of official photo identification. The following forms of photo identification are acceptable:

* Valid Passport
* Driver's licence with photo
* International student card
* National ID card / Government issued photo ID cards
* Health Insurance cards with photo / Social security cards with photo
* Bus pass with photo
* Work ID with photo

Citizens of Ireland and the UK under the age of 16, do not need a photo ID, if travelling with their parent/guardian.

Citizens of countries other than Ireland and the UK must produce a valid passport and visa where applicable, for travel between Ireland and the United Kingdom.

emmiou

I'm waiting on a passport for my 6 month old, was hoping to take internal flights at the end of month but it doesn't look like the passport will be back in time. I rang Ryanair last week and was told I'd have to have a passport for the baby, even for an internal flight. Does anyone have recent experience of Ryanair internal flights and their infant photo ID policy?

Grawns

The last time I flew was October, no passport just birth cert.

emmiou

Just found this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=61814229
looks like its going to be a 6 hour drive instead of a 40 minute flight:(

Shelli2

Birth cert is valid for all flights until they reach 2year old. I travelled to and from the UK regularly with both Ryanair and Airlingus and also to Europe a couple of time, right up until my fella was 2.

Also, just as a side note. Ryanair no longer allow parents with small children to board first, which is ok if they are an infant sitting on your lap, but we ran into big trouble when I couldn't get two seats together for myself and my 2yr old! Staff were completely unhelpful and they wouldn't even ask someone to move....I had to ask a man myself in the end after an arguement with a steward!

emmiou

Hi Shelli2 - how long ago did you fly and to where? I'll be on the brink of getting the passport back if it is 22 working days in the passport office, don't know if it is worth the stress of booking flights now. I think Ryanair's new regulation has only been around since October 2009.

r3nu4l

Gah! This would be bad news indeed!

I know that Aer Arann accept birth cert (long form) as I'm flying to Galway with Aer Arann in early June and they have said they will accept the birth cert.

Flying to Dublin later in June with Ryanair. Surprise, surprise, We've yet to speak to a human being at Ryanair, despite my wife calling numerous times...

I really don't want to get to the airport with just a birth cert only to find we need a passport and I also don't want to end up flying to Galway or Waterford with Aer Arann and then having to hire a car and car seat etc. to get to Dublin. Pointless.

r3nu4l

emmiou wrote: »

Just found this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=61814229
looks like its going to be a 6 hour drive instead of a 40 minute flight:(

Yeah, don't fancy a 6 hour drive + Ferry with the new baby :eek:

Shelli2 wrote: »

Birth cert is valid for all flights until they reach 2year old. I travelled to and from the UK regularly with both Ryanair and Airlingus and also to Europe a couple of time, right up until my fella was 2.

Thanks Shelli, how recently was that? After October 2009?

Grawns

I checked my records and the last 2 times I flew were april may 09. I forgot we took the ferry in October. Sorry

I would have turned up at airport with birt cert. Still not convinced it won't work but guess I better see about getting her a passport.

BTW we never did online check in as my husband has an american passport so not possible as an EU passport is necessary for online check in.

Shelli2

Ah, didn't know about new regulations. My wee lad turned 2 end of August 2009, I flew a week before his birthday with just a birth cert.

On another side note, my sons passport has my surname as myself and his father are not married. He sometimes has hassle in passport control due to this....even though on my sons birthcert he has both surnames and this is also printed on a page of the passport!!!

I think it's crazy that a small infant should need a passport, sure a picture of a baby could easily pass for another baby and they change so quickly at that age that a passport valid for 2 years is pretty much useless!