Online Booking Help

Passports & Visas

Important Information

Your passport is a valuable document, without it you may be prevented from travelling to another country. It is each passenger's personal responsibility to ensure that they have valid documentation, which meets the requirements of Aer Lingus, immigration and other government authorities at each destination/departure Airport.

To check general passport, visa and health requirements visit the IATA Travel Centre.

• Travel from Ireland or the UK to the USA.
• Travel from the USA to Ireland and Europe.
• Travel between Ireland and the UK or UK domestic travel.
• Travel within Europe.

Travel from Ireland or the UK to the USA

Passports

• All EU passport holders of countries participating in the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme who are visiting the United States are required to have an individual machine readable passport and a return onward ticket to avail of the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme. Otherwise an advance visa is required from a U.S. Diplomatic or Consular Mission.
  
  Children, including infants, who are endorsed on a parent's passport must have an individual machine readable passport or else obtain a visa in the parent's passport. Further details are available from the U.S. Embassy: http://dublin.usembassy.gov/mrpassports.html
  
  Most passports issued by the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork and the Irish Embassy in London are machine readable, however there are still some hand-written passports and passports endorsing a minor that will be affected.
  
  Note: If you are a British National travelling to the USA and your passport was issued in the British Embassy in Dublin prior to 2001 then please contact the British Embassy in Dublin for advice. http://www.britishembassy.ie
  
  If you are in any doubt as to whether or not your passport is machine readable, please contact your nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate or local passport office:
  
  Setanta Centre,
  Molesworth Street,
  Dublin 2
  Tel. 01-671-1633 or
  LoCall 1890 426 888

  1a South Mall
  Cork
  Tel. 021-494-4700 / 276-964 or
  LoCall 1890 426 900
  For further information see the Irish Government website: http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie
  
  

ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation)

• Under the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme, passport holders from 34 countries, including Ireland and the UK, may enter the U.S. without a visa for travel or business purposes for a maximum period of 90 days. Passengers seeking to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program are now subject to enhanced security requirements.
  
  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that beginning January 12, 2009, eligible citizens or nationals from all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries must obtain approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) prior to travelling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme.
  
  All eligible passengers who wish to travel under the Visa Waiver Program must apply for authorization using the ESTA website: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov
  
  

API (Advance Passenger Information)

• Passengers travelling to the United States are required to provide Advance Passenger Information. This information is compulsory and is required for the purposes of ensuring aviation safety and security. You can add this information to your booking by going to the aerlingus.com homepage and select 'Manage Booking'.
  
  The Information required for each passenger is:
  • First Name (as on passport)
  • Family Name (as on passport)
  • Gender
  • Date of Birth
  • Nationality
  • Passport Number
  • Passport Country
  • Expiry Date of Passport
  • Country of Residence
  • Alien Registration or Permanent Resident Card Number if applicable
  • Address while in USA if you are not a US passport holder or a landed US resident.

Travel from the USA to Ireland and Europe

• Ireland: US citizens require a valid passport for travel to Ireland, but a visa is not required for tourist or business stays of up to three months. Visit the Embassy of Ireland web site for the most current visa information, or contact the embassy at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008, tel: (202) 462-3939, or the nearest Irish consulate in Boston, Chicago, New York or San Francisco.
• Europe: A valid passport is required for travel to other E.U. member states, for ALL US citizens, although a visa is NOT needed tourist or business stays. Please comply with all government travel requirements. View specific documentation requirements on the U.S. Department of State's website http://www.state.gov/travel

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
  • Drivers 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.

Travel within Europe

• The following are the only forms of identification acceptable by Aer Lingus:
  • Valid Passport
  • National Identity Card (For travel within the EU)
• Passengers travelling to Spain are required to provide Advance Passenger Information. This information is compulsory and is required for the purposes of ensuring aviation safety and security. You can add this information to your booking by going to the aerlingus.com homepage and select 'Manage Booking'. Below is a list of the information required:
  • Full given names
  • Surname
  • Nationality
  • Date of birth
  • Passport number
• Immigration Offices in some countries insist that passports must remain valid for a certain time AFTER your departure from their country. Please contact the relevant embassy for further details.
• Infants/newly-borns must have their own passport, or be named on the passport of the parent with whom they are travelling.
• Passengers 15 years and over travelling to Prague (Czech Republic) must have their own individual passport.
• Passengers 16 years and over must have their own individual passport when travelling to continental Europe, however passengers 15 years and under may travel on their parent's passport provided that they are named on the passport and that the parent is travelling with them.
• Minors under 18 years of age travelling to Portugal on their own, who do not have anyone in Portugal taking responsibility for their stay, may be refused entry to the country.
• All minors (under 18 years of age) departing Portugal may be prevented from leaving the country if he/she is travelling unaccompanied and is not carrying a notarised letter of authority from a parent or guardian.
  Similarly, a minor (under 18 years of age) travelling with just one of his/her parents, must have a notarised letter of authority to leave the country from the parent who is staying behind.
  A letter stamped by the local police station will also be accepted.

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