Aer Lingus is preparing to introduce one of the most significant changes to its short-haul travel rules in years. From 25 February 2026, all passengers flying between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom on Aer Lingus services will be required to present a passport or Irish passport card. The new policy ends the longstanding practice of accepting alternative photographic ID such as driving licences on these routes, bringing the airline into closer alignment with both UK border controls and rival carriers. For the millions of people who rely on the Ireland–UK air bridge for work, family and leisure, the shift marks a new era in what was once the most informal of international journeys.
What Exactly Is Changing on 25 February 2026
Under the updated travel documentation policy, Aer Lingus will require every passenger on flights between the Republic of Ireland and the UK to show either a valid passport, an Irish passport card, or another state-issued passport at check-in and boarding. Previously accepted forms of ID such as Irish or UK driving licences, Garda age cards, some student cards and various workplace passes will no longer be accepted for these international services. Aer Lingus has confirmed that the rule applies across both its mainline and Aer Lingus Regional operations on cross-channel routes.
The airline has set 25 February 2026 as the date from which the change takes effect. Passengers who booked flights months ago on the understanding that a driving licence would suffice will still need to comply with the new rules if they are travelling on or after that date. For those flying earlier in February 2026, existing documentation rules remain in place, which makes it crucial for travellers to double-check the date on their reservation against the new policy start date.
There are defined exemptions. Aer Lingus domestic flights within the Republic, notably the Dublin–Donegal service, are not affected and will continue under domestic ID rules. Likewise, services between Belfast and other UK cities, which operate entirely within the United Kingdom, fall under separate arrangements and are not subject to the new passport-only requirement. The focus of this overhaul is specifically on flights that cross the international border between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.
Why Aer Lingus Is Tightening Documentation Rules Now
Aer Lingus has framed the move as a practical response to increasing scrutiny at UK borders and a desire to simplify and standardise its own procedures. In recent years, UK Border Force has taken a firmer line on passengers arriving without passports, even when those travellers boarded based on alternative IDs accepted by airlines under the Common Travel Area traditions. Each incident in which a passenger is refused entry can result in fines and operational disruption for the carrier, something Aer Lingus is keen to minimise.
By shifting to a passport-only model, Aer Lingus effectively removes the grey area between what is acceptable to board the aircraft and what is acceptable to enter the UK. The airline has indicated that harmonising its policy across the Ireland–UK network will reduce last-minute problems at the gate, speed up document checks and provide clarity for passengers who have, until now, faced a patchwork of rules depending on the route and carrier.
The timing also reflects the broader context of the UK’s evolving border regime. The phased rollout of Electronic Travel Authorisation requirements, new carrier obligations and more stringent data checks all push airlines to adopt more robust pre-departure verification. For Aer Lingus, long seen as the flag-carrier bridge between Ireland and Britain, the new policy is both a defensive measure against regulatory risk and a way to bring its practices into line with competitors that have long insisted on passports on the same routes.
How the Rule Interacts with the Common Travel Area
The Common Travel Area, the historic arrangement that allows Irish and UK citizens to move, reside and work in each other’s jurisdictions, technically does not require a passport for travel. In theory, an Irish or British citizen can travel between the two states without formal immigration checks in the way they might face entering the Schengen Area or North America. This has long underpinned the relatively relaxed atmosphere on ferries, some regional flights and land crossings.
However, the Common Travel Area is not a substitute for carrier policies or border-control practice. While the arrangement guarantees rights to enter and reside for Irish and UK citizens, it does not compel airlines or ferry companies to accept any particular form of ID. Aer Lingus, like other transport providers, remains responsible for ensuring that everyone it carries has the necessary documents to satisfy immigration authorities upon arrival. Where previously that responsibility was interpreted more loosely, the trend in recent years has been towards stricter, more easily verifiable credentials, meaning passports.
Ryanair and several ferry operators already require a passport or EU identity card for most travellers on Ireland–UK routes. Aer Lingus’s decision effectively completes a shift that has been happening incrementally across the industry: the Common Travel Area continues to exist in law and policy, but the operational reality at airports is converging on the same passport-based standards familiar from other international journeys. For passengers, that means the cultural memory of hopping across the Irish Sea with only a driving licence is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.
Impact on Irish and UK Nationals
For Irish and British citizens, the most immediate impact is the end of flexibility. Many passengers, especially frequent commuters, have grown used to leaving their passport in a safe place and relying instead on a wallet ID card when flying between Dublin, Cork, Shannon or Knock and UK airports. From late February 2026, that habit risks a denied boarding at the check-in desk if a passport or Irish passport card is not produced.
The new rule may be particularly disruptive for those who travel infrequently and whose passports have lapsed during the pandemic or the years that followed. Aer Lingus has indicated that it is setting up dedicated helplines and customer service channels for travellers who find themselves booked to travel without suitable documentation after the rule comes into force. Options are expected to include rebooking for a later date, vouchers or refunds, but none of these are likely to help a traveller who needs to be in London or Dublin for a specific event and discovers too late that their old ID is no longer enough.
Families will also need to pay close attention to children’s documents. While some domestic UK routes continue to allow under-16s to travel without photo ID when accompanied by a parent or guardian, this does not apply on Ireland–UK international flights. Parents who once relied on birth certificates for younger travellers will need to ensure their children have valid passports or, in the case of Irish citizens, passport cards if eligible. With school trips, family visits and sporting events increasingly organised around budget short-haul flights, this could drive a surge in passport applications in both countries.
What Non-Irish and Non-British Passengers Need to Know
The documentation landscape is even more complex for non-Irish and non-British nationals using Aer Lingus services between Ireland and the UK. Alongside the airline’s new passport-only boarding rule, UK authorities are expanding the Electronic Travel Authorisation system, which requires many visa-exempt travellers to secure digital permission before departure. For such passengers, a valid passport is just the starting point. They must also hold either an appropriate UK visa, residence document or a pre-approved ETA, depending on their nationality and purpose of travel.
Aer Lingus staff will be under instructions to verify that required permissions are in place before allowing boarding. In practice, this means that for a growing number of travellers, check-in will involve not just a passport scan but also a confirmation of ETA approval or visa status in the relevant system. Passengers who arrive at the airport with only a passport, assuming that the short flight across the Irish Sea is purely a regional hop, may find themselves turned away at the counter if the necessary electronic clearance has not been obtained in advance.
The interplay between Irish residence, EU citizenship and UK border rules can create additional layers of complexity. For example, an EU national who lives and works in Ireland but is not an Irish or British citizen cannot rely on the Common Travel Area in the same way as their Irish colleagues. They will still be subject to UK entry conditions, which, depending on their country of citizenship, may include the ETA system or a visa. Aer Lingus’s decision to require passports for boarding makes these distinctions more visible and underlines the need for non-Irish and non-British passengers to check their status carefully before booking.
Practical Steps for Passengers Between Now and 2026
With the start date approaching, travellers who fly regularly between Ireland and the UK would be wise to treat 25 February 2026 as a firm deadline for putting their documentation in order. Anyone whose passport is expired or within a few months of expiry should begin the renewal process as soon as possible, factoring in potential processing delays during peak seasons. Irish citizens who prefer a wallet-sized option may consider applying for an Irish passport card, which will satisfy Aer Lingus’s new requirements while remaining convenient for frequent cross-channel trips.
Passengers with existing bookings that fall on or after the rule change should revisit their confirmation emails and travel plans. Although Aer Lingus and partner airports have begun publicising the new policy through media, airport notices and online channels, the responsibility ultimately rests with the traveller to ensure they turn up with the right documents. Building a simple pre-trip checklist that includes “passport or passport card in hand” may sound basic, but it is likely to be the difference between a routine journey and a ruined weekend.
Non-Irish and non-British passengers should also use this lead-in period to familiarise themselves with UK entry requirements, including ETA rollout timelines and visa categories. While immigration regulations are ultimately the responsibility of governments rather than airlines, carriers like Aer Lingus are the first line of enforcement at the point of departure. Verifying well ahead of time whether you need an ETA, eVisa or full visa, and securing that permission before travelling to the airport, will be essential once the carrier begins enforcing the new boarding checks in full.
Looking Beyond 2026: What This Signals for Travel in the Region
The Aer Lingus passport-only rule is part of a wider tightening of travel documentation across Europe and its near neighbours. On the continent, the European Union is rolling out its own Entry/Exit System and a separate travel authorisation scheme for non-EU nationals, signalling a long-term shift toward more data-driven, pre-cleared borders. While Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area and maintains its own arrangements with the UK, the pressures that drive these changes are similar: security, migration management and a desire for clear, enforceable rules at the border.
For the Ireland–UK market specifically, Aer Lingus’s decision marks the end of what many older travellers remember as an almost domestic shuttle culture. As more carriers, airports and governments align on passport-based verification and digital pre-clearance, the distinction between “short hop” and “international flight” is narrowing. The Ireland–UK corridor is still among the quickest and most intensively served air links in Europe, but in documentation terms it is now catching up with the standards that apply everywhere else.
In the long term, travellers may benefit from clearer expectations, fewer last-minute refusals at immigration and more streamlined airport processes once the various systems and policies have bedded in. In the short term, though, the responsibility falls heavily on passengers to adapt. For anyone with ties on both sides of the Irish Sea, 2026 will be the year when the passport becomes not just a travel accessory, but an absolute prerequisite for stepping on board an Aer Lingus flight between Ireland and the United Kingdom.