Does Zurich to Belfast require a passport

Jim2007

I'm hoping I got this wrong…

I'm Irish by birth and Swiss by choice, travelling on a Swiss ID card. We were planning on flying to fly to Belfast rather than Dublin for a change on our way to Donegal. But we are now being told by the airline that we need passports to fly to Belfast. The alternative being fly to Dublin and take the train as Ireland accepts the ID cards.

Is this real? I mean we are talking about an extra 600 Euro plus the time and effort involved to go to a different airport on the same island with no border control!

L1011

UK does not accept Swiss ID cards except in a range of extremely specific circumstances. Airline is correct

Madd Finn

I think it depends on the airline. They have different rules. And ultimately, it's the airline that decides whether you get on the plane or not. If you're travelling Ryanair, better do what they say. They WILL refuse you boarding if you don't do what they say you have to do. You can argue "But but but British Airways/Swissair/Aeroflot etc etc recognise this documentation…" and they will just say. "OK. Fly to Belfast with them, then. Oh, and, what part of 'No Refunds' do you not understand?"

SuperBowserWorld

Maybe I don't understand ... do you not have Swiss and/or Irish passports ?

Edit ... or get them quickly ? I know it takes a very short time to renew an Irish passport.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122339526#Comment_122339526

No, the airline doesn't decide here; the UK Government have decided its a no.

wandererz

Belfast is in NORTHERN Ireland, and falls under UK laws.

Is this a spoof? You asked the same question about the Isle of Man recently.

Does the whole family not have passports or just you?

Get with it and get a passport.

In the interim, if it's just you then get a ticket for yourself only to Dublin and get the bus up.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122339662#Comment_122339662

Just like pretty much everyone in here we don't have passports, just ID cards which are accepted all over Europe, except from one little kingdom it seems…. And have no intentions of pay an extra 600 Euros for the privilege of paying to fly to Belfast.

CelticRambler

Welcome to Brexit!

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/uk-government-swiss-id-cards-no-longer-valid-from-october-2021/46085806

Even so, I would have thought you'd furnish yourself with an Irish passport simply to have every EU freedom available at a moment's notice. You never know when the Swiss will re-run one of their anti-EU referendums in the future!

gipi

As an aside, you won't get a train to Donegal from Dublin - nearest you'll get is Sligo.

3d4life

Hey OP, when you write

"…We were planning on flying to…"

how many of you are there in the group ?

wandererz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122339715#Comment_122339715

What do you mean "Just like pretty much everyone in here we don't have passports"??

Do you mean in Switzerland or on boards?

Most Irish people who travel have passports or passport cards, sometimes both. Ireland does not have ID cards.

The passport office is usually jammers every summer or just before with people trying to get renewals.

Have you only ever travelled within the EU?

The UK will only accept ID Cards from EEA countries.

https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y

wandererz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122339817#Comment_122339817

He could get himself a cheap flight to Dublin and take the bus from Dublin Airport to join the family in Belfast.

Or he could apply in person in Switzerland for a Swiss passport and get it in 10 days.

Or apply online for an Irish passport and get it in 20-30 days.

wandererz

" Is this real? I mean we are talking about an extra 600 Euro plus the time and effort involved to go to a different airport on the same island with no border control!"

Yes, it is real.

When you fly into Ireland, you are subject to immigration control. If you satisfy the requirements, then you are allowed entry.

When you travel between Ireland and Northern Ireland you are subject to the provisions of the Common Travel Area. As long as you meet the criteria (citizenship or visa, along with proof of such) then you have free movement. If you are stopped and have no proof then you are in an immigration quandary.

€600 is peanuts. I don't go on holiday without having several thousand in backup either in the bank or on credit card, just in case.

3d4life

I see ze buz Dublin - Donegal goes thru ze 6 counties ……. Might ze Jim2007 party need passports in case of a crossborder check on ze buz ?

On a slightly serious note, I'm told these cross border checks of people on buses are no longer infrequent …

wandererz

Why placethe query on the Independent and Youth travel forum?

Travelling with others is not independent. I would guess that being a boards member for 14 years and being a mod would exclude him from being considered a youth.

As a mod he should have a better idea of where to post.

Spoofsies going on here.

Tork

When are you planning to travel? Getting a passport is the obvious and simplest solution to this.

The J Stands for Jay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122339817#Comment_122339817

Derry would be nearer.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122340496#Comment_122340496

Depends where in Donegal. And even if going to Letterkenny or Inishowen by public tranport, that's not the way I'd go. Bus will be significantly faster.

munchkin_utd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122339929#Comment_122339929

if the last irish passport was issued in the past 15 years then you can get a renewal applied for online in minutes and if lucky it'll be with you in a matter of days as theres minimal processing involved, just approval and its printed and sent AND they send it now by registered post so the messing with the embassy when living abroad no longer happens in most cases.

Another advantage of having an actual proper passport book of standard EU format is that the express passport lanes can be used . The ones in Dublin dont even work with the irish card, even if they say they should/ they do.