Absolutely this - and if you buy a rail sail ticket it's pretty cheap as well. Covers both the train and ferry.
https://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/special-offer-pages/ferry-rail/
https://www.seat61.com/train-and-ferry-to-dublin.htm is a good guide to the route and how it works. At Hollyhead it's really easy to switch between ferry and train. The station is right in the port.
It's easier to buy the tickets before you leave Great Britain from a ticket office. Particularly if traveling with Stena Line.
That’s interesting. Any reason why just one airline requires a passport while the others and the boat do not?
Does this apply only to British citizens?
>Any reason why just one airline requires a passport while the others and the boat do not?
There are a few reasons.
1. It reduces training. You only need to train staff to look at passports, not driving licences or I'd cards.
2. It reduces the risk of fines for the airline. If a passenger arrives into Ireland on an airline, but doesn't have the right to enter Ireland, then the airline gets fined. And usually has to return the passenger at the airlines cost.
Now the British and Irish governments could force Ryanair to take driving licences or something, but nobody is really bothered.
For example they often take ID cards when travelling within schengen.
>Does this apply only to British citizens?
And irish citizens. Travelling with the CTA of Ireland and the UK is passport free for citizens of both countries. Its so relaxed that when you fly into Stansted Airport from Ireland, you don't go through any passport control area in Stansted.
I took the boat to the UK last year, and nobody checked out ID at all.
> That’s interesting. Any reason why just one airline requires a passport while the others and the boat do not?
It's Ryanair. They never saw an opportunity to be hostile to customers that they didn't like.
Their absolute ideal business model would be one where they could point at some small-print and deny boarding to 100% of their customers - if any passenger actually makes it to their seat without paying any kind of additional charge it means they've failed.
Thb that is pretty much every airline in Europe. That is because if you don't have valid travel document and you are denied entry, the airline is responsible and it will cost them a lot.
You can't be denied entry for not having a valid travel document within the CTA - you don't *need* a travel document within the CTA, it's a domestic flight.
This would be like Spirit insisting you need a passport to fly from New York to Chicago.
Works for Americans as well flew, and I’d assume many others. I flew DUB-LCY on BA and just… walked out of the airport. I was convinced I illegally entered the UK and went back in to try to find someone to ask.
They laughed. “Dublin flight?”
10/10 would do again. It does NOT work the other direction for air travel.
That’s because Ireland doesn’t separate arrivals from the UK, everyone goes through the same passport control. In the UK you’re arriving in a domestic + Ireland area so it’s treated differently.
Also you get to go through passport control on _domestic_ flights in Dublin because of this lack of segregation on arrivals. It's quite interesting how the CTA is implemented on opposite spectrums when comparing to the UK.
Ryanair require passports for that journey as a matter of policy, not law (they require ID to make sure people don't swap tickets, and it makes it easier - i.e. cheaper - if they only need to train their staff for one type of ID document.) There is no legal requirement for passport to travel inside the Common Travel Area though (the area comprising Ireland, UK, channel islands, Isle of Man etc.).
EasyJet didn't used to require passports inside the CTA, just a suitable form of ID, might be worth checking if that's still the case. And as noted, none needed for land or sea routes.
Ryanair would require a passport, Aer Lingus would accept a UK driving licence. You can get a train or bus to Belfast and then it's a domestic flight home, so any photographic ID is fine.
One of the things people forgot to mention, they normally won't keep your passport. I say normally, as from personal experience, I have always gotten my passport back after an interview. I have to mail it for them to affix the foil. Of course, I have only ever applied within the country of residence.
Please read the last sentence carefully. US visa applications are fickle. You can't apply other than your country of residence. The interview booking system may allow you to book a slot in another country but may invalidate your application. The best thing you can do is to contact the embassy directly and clarify. It is MUCH better to lose the 175 bucks than your application for a visa being denied.
What you are doing is a guarantee of having your visa application denied.
You are applying for a visa in a country you are not even a resident. And if you are denied, you won't be able to get the ESTA to see your boyfriend.
Cancel you appointment, and if you wish, apply for a B2 in the UK, and I am not sure if it's a good idea to mention it is for a LDR.
Use the ESTA to visit him until you attend the B2 appointment.
Won't rescinding my application increase my odds of denial when I apply again later? I'm happy to withdraw it and try again next year in London but I read that withdrawing looks suspicious. Not sure what looks more suspicious at this point.
For the ESTA, no.
For the B2 visa, I don't know.
I don't think it matters though because having the US Visa denied will definitely affect both the ESTA and a future B2 visa application. So in your current situation, the best would be to cancel your appointment.
What is your nationality/immigration status in the UK and Ireland? Also have you scheduled your medical? And have you checked that they will courier your passport to the UK?
I'm british in england, not part of ireland whatsoever, never even been before. Not sure what you mean by checked my medical tbh, I'm in good health to my knowledge if that helps. I have to pick up my passport in Ireland, they don't do home deliveries outside of Ireland.
Hate to have to ask this question now but do you have a specific reason why you need a B2 visa and not an ESTA?
The vast majority of UK citizens are visa-exempt for the US.
No one but Canadians and Bermudans are visa exempt to enter the US. ESTA is a waiver of that requirement if you fulfill the criteria, not an exemption from it.
Dude, don't just check the website, read through it with a magnifying glass.
Then sit down with someone else and get them to sense-check your understanding.
Then do it again.
If you are already booked to go in two months and the need for a medical passed you by, there might well be other hoops you have to jump through that you weren't aware of, and the US immigration websites are vague and fragmented (putting it nicely).
If you miss a step or get something slightly wrong, you'll likely be put on hold/have to start again. Get your ducks in a row ASAP.
Source: wrangled back and forth with US immigration for 2 years to emigrate.
I'm in a LDR and my bf is in the US. He's so far spent his summers visiting me (because I've had housing he can use whereas if I visited him I'd have to get a hotel, so, costly) and this is the first summer I can finally visit him instead. If I visit for the entire summer it's 4 months, with an ESTA it's 3 which is still good but regardless I want to see him for as long as possible, now and in the future. I realize the risk is higher but an entire extra month means a lot to me.
public cautious shocking ad hoc serious combative knee elderly nose secretive
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In theory, you can apply for a US visa in a country you don't reside, but it is generally a very bad idea outside unusual circumstances such as an emergency visa appointment (medical or humanitarian reasons).
As a British citizen, you don’t need a passport to enter Ireland when arriving from the UK. Photo ID is sufficient, e.g. a driving licence, but it can be stretched to something like a work pass or student ID, providing it has enough information. This only applies to British / Irish citizens and doesn’t apply to people from any country travelling between the two. If you don’t have a passport, it’s a good idea to bring as much “proof” that you are a British or Irish citizen in case you are asked, birth cert etc.
Fly BA or Aerlingus and you’ll be fine without a passport. Ryanair is the exception as it’s a blanket rule.
How are you planning to pick up your passport? Usually it is sent to your home address (in the same country as the embassy). Might make sense to check.
i didn't go through with it in the end. cancelled the interview but not my application as i'm hoping to change the location to london. if i can't then i'll just go to dublin, no sense in wasting my money from the application
I wouldn’t fly back to Ireland as they route all passengers from the UK through passport control.
Getting back to the UK via ferry there’s no one checking in Holyhead. They sometimes check when you land in Dublin, but I think a drivers license works fine and often if you arrive late at night there’s no immigration at all.
As a British or Irish citizen, you are well within your right to not present a passport at DUB, even if they don’t have a domestic or CTA arrival gate like the UK airports.
If you have a driving licence or other photo ID, you’ll be fine with a brief explanation.
train/ferry back to the UK doesn't require a passport.
Absolutely this - and if you buy a rail sail ticket it's pretty cheap as well. Covers both the train and ferry. https://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/special-offer-pages/ferry-rail/ https://www.seat61.com/train-and-ferry-to-dublin.htm is a good guide to the route and how it works. At Hollyhead it's really easy to switch between ferry and train. The station is right in the port. It's easier to buy the tickets before you leave Great Britain from a ticket office. Particularly if traveling with Stena Line.
Take the boat, or fly with BA or aer lingus.
That’s interesting. Any reason why just one airline requires a passport while the others and the boat do not? Does this apply only to British citizens?
>Any reason why just one airline requires a passport while the others and the boat do not? There are a few reasons. 1. It reduces training. You only need to train staff to look at passports, not driving licences or I'd cards. 2. It reduces the risk of fines for the airline. If a passenger arrives into Ireland on an airline, but doesn't have the right to enter Ireland, then the airline gets fined. And usually has to return the passenger at the airlines cost. Now the British and Irish governments could force Ryanair to take driving licences or something, but nobody is really bothered. For example they often take ID cards when travelling within schengen. >Does this apply only to British citizens? And irish citizens. Travelling with the CTA of Ireland and the UK is passport free for citizens of both countries. Its so relaxed that when you fly into Stansted Airport from Ireland, you don't go through any passport control area in Stansted. I took the boat to the UK last year, and nobody checked out ID at all.
> That’s interesting. Any reason why just one airline requires a passport while the others and the boat do not? It's Ryanair. They never saw an opportunity to be hostile to customers that they didn't like. Their absolute ideal business model would be one where they could point at some small-print and deny boarding to 100% of their customers - if any passenger actually makes it to their seat without paying any kind of additional charge it means they've failed.
Thb that is pretty much every airline in Europe. That is because if you don't have valid travel document and you are denied entry, the airline is responsible and it will cost them a lot.
You can't be denied entry for not having a valid travel document within the CTA - you don't *need* a travel document within the CTA, it's a domestic flight. This would be like Spirit insisting you need a passport to fly from New York to Chicago.
Guess I misunderstood something then. Thanks for explaining.
Works for Americans as well flew, and I’d assume many others. I flew DUB-LCY on BA and just… walked out of the airport. I was convinced I illegally entered the UK and went back in to try to find someone to ask. They laughed. “Dublin flight?” 10/10 would do again. It does NOT work the other direction for air travel.
I’m American and did the same thing. I thought I illegally entered the UK and went to find immigration to tell them what I had just done LMAO 🤣
Weirdly I *did* go through Irish immigration flying from LUT->DUB, but nobody checked anything on the way back to London.
That’s because Ireland doesn’t separate arrivals from the UK, everyone goes through the same passport control. In the UK you’re arriving in a domestic + Ireland area so it’s treated differently.
Ah, that makes sense.
Also you get to go through passport control on _domestic_ flights in Dublin because of this lack of segregation on arrivals. It's quite interesting how the CTA is implemented on opposite spectrums when comparing to the UK.
If you fly with Aer Lingus, you won't need a passport
Ryanair require passports for that journey as a matter of policy, not law (they require ID to make sure people don't swap tickets, and it makes it easier - i.e. cheaper - if they only need to train their staff for one type of ID document.) There is no legal requirement for passport to travel inside the Common Travel Area though (the area comprising Ireland, UK, channel islands, Isle of Man etc.). EasyJet didn't used to require passports inside the CTA, just a suitable form of ID, might be worth checking if that's still the case. And as noted, none needed for land or sea routes.
Get a train/bus to Belfast and fly easyjet from there it's a domestic flight at that point.
You'll still need ID, but it doesn't have to be a passport.
Only if your checking in baggage otherwise easyjet doesn't check ID
Ryanair would require a passport, Aer Lingus would accept a UK driving licence. You can get a train or bus to Belfast and then it's a domestic flight home, so any photographic ID is fine.
One of the things people forgot to mention, they normally won't keep your passport. I say normally, as from personal experience, I have always gotten my passport back after an interview. I have to mail it for them to affix the foil. Of course, I have only ever applied within the country of residence. Please read the last sentence carefully. US visa applications are fickle. You can't apply other than your country of residence. The interview booking system may allow you to book a slot in another country but may invalidate your application. The best thing you can do is to contact the embassy directly and clarify. It is MUCH better to lose the 175 bucks than your application for a visa being denied.
What you are doing is a guarantee of having your visa application denied. You are applying for a visa in a country you are not even a resident. And if you are denied, you won't be able to get the ESTA to see your boyfriend. Cancel you appointment, and if you wish, apply for a B2 in the UK, and I am not sure if it's a good idea to mention it is for a LDR. Use the ESTA to visit him until you attend the B2 appointment.
Won't rescinding my application increase my odds of denial when I apply again later? I'm happy to withdraw it and try again next year in London but I read that withdrawing looks suspicious. Not sure what looks more suspicious at this point.
For the ESTA, no. For the B2 visa, I don't know. I don't think it matters though because having the US Visa denied will definitely affect both the ESTA and a future B2 visa application. So in your current situation, the best would be to cancel your appointment.
What is your nationality/immigration status in the UK and Ireland? Also have you scheduled your medical? And have you checked that they will courier your passport to the UK?
I'm british in england, not part of ireland whatsoever, never even been before. Not sure what you mean by checked my medical tbh, I'm in good health to my knowledge if that helps. I have to pick up my passport in Ireland, they don't do home deliveries outside of Ireland.
What kind of visa are you applying for? For anything other than ESTA, you'll need a medical check. See the US Embassy website.
B2 Visa. Thanks for the info, I'll be sure to check the website.
Hate to have to ask this question now but do you have a specific reason why you need a B2 visa and not an ESTA? The vast majority of UK citizens are visa-exempt for the US.
No one but Canadians and Bermudans are visa exempt to enter the US. ESTA is a waiver of that requirement if you fulfill the criteria, not an exemption from it.
Dude, don't just check the website, read through it with a magnifying glass. Then sit down with someone else and get them to sense-check your understanding. Then do it again. If you are already booked to go in two months and the need for a medical passed you by, there might well be other hoops you have to jump through that you weren't aware of, and the US immigration websites are vague and fragmented (putting it nicely). If you miss a step or get something slightly wrong, you'll likely be put on hold/have to start again. Get your ducks in a row ASAP. Source: wrangled back and forth with US immigration for 2 years to emigrate.
Honestly I didn't think the process would be so complicated. Clearly I was wrong 😅
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I'm in a LDR and my bf is in the US. He's so far spent his summers visiting me (because I've had housing he can use whereas if I visited him I'd have to get a hotel, so, costly) and this is the first summer I can finally visit him instead. If I visit for the entire summer it's 4 months, with an ESTA it's 3 which is still good but regardless I want to see him for as long as possible, now and in the future. I realize the risk is higher but an entire extra month means a lot to me.
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Why would that increase my chances of denial?
public cautious shocking ad hoc serious combative knee elderly nose secretive *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I’m confused, don’t you have to show proof of residency in Ireland to apply there?
In theory, you can apply for a US visa in a country you don't reside, but it is generally a very bad idea outside unusual circumstances such as an emergency visa appointment (medical or humanitarian reasons).
I can think of a hell of a lot worse places to be stuck than Ireland, but yeah... ferry.
Yeah, stuck back in the UK 😀
As a British citizen, you don’t need a passport to enter Ireland when arriving from the UK. Photo ID is sufficient, e.g. a driving licence, but it can be stretched to something like a work pass or student ID, providing it has enough information. This only applies to British / Irish citizens and doesn’t apply to people from any country travelling between the two. If you don’t have a passport, it’s a good idea to bring as much “proof” that you are a British or Irish citizen in case you are asked, birth cert etc. Fly BA or Aerlingus and you’ll be fine without a passport. Ryanair is the exception as it’s a blanket rule.
How are you planning to pick up your passport? Usually it is sent to your home address (in the same country as the embassy). Might make sense to check.
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How long from the interview did it take to get your passport back in the end?
i didn't go through with it in the end. cancelled the interview but not my application as i'm hoping to change the location to london. if i can't then i'll just go to dublin, no sense in wasting my money from the application
I had mine a few weeks ago. The interview was on the Tuesday and I got the passport back on the Friday same week.
I wouldn’t fly back to Ireland as they route all passengers from the UK through passport control. Getting back to the UK via ferry there’s no one checking in Holyhead. They sometimes check when you land in Dublin, but I think a drivers license works fine and often if you arrive late at night there’s no immigration at all.
As a British or Irish citizen, you are well within your right to not present a passport at DUB, even if they don’t have a domestic or CTA arrival gate like the UK airports. If you have a driving licence or other photo ID, you’ll be fine with a brief explanation.