Are Passports Compulsory?

Billy Griffiths
[FOI #15153 email]

Reference: IPS 891/9

13 August 2009

Dear Mr Griffiths,

Thank you for your email of 24 July.

In answer to your specific questions, I have listed below the Identity and
Passport Service's response.

1. There is a Carriers Liability, which means that carrying companies
(e.g. airlines or ferry companies) can be heavily fined if they carry
passengers who do not have acceptable identity documents. For this
reason, these companies require all boarding passengers to hold valid
passports. It is therefore unlikely that an airline or ferry company
would be prepared to take any traveler who could not prove their identity
or nationality status.

Airlines and ferry companies also check passenger's passports before
boarding as a security precaution and to protect the company from
liabilities arising when passengers are refused entry to their
destination.

2. Whilst there is no formal requirement in United Kingdom law for British
Citizens to carry a passport to enter the United Kingdom, individuals are
required to satisfy Immigration Officers of their nationality and identity
when entering any country - including the United Kingdom. The
presentation of a passport at immigration control points indicates that
the holder has provided the issuing authority with original documentation
proving entitlement to United Kingdom citizenship. In the absence of a
national identity card, this is the most convenient way of establishing
identity and providing irrefutable evidence of British nationality.

However, the UK Immigration Service may be willing to accept some other
from of documentation as proof of identity although checks would need to
be made. If so, this would inevitably lead to considerable delay and
inconvenience at the port of re-entry to the United Kingdom.

It might be worth noting that if a passenger has registered with the UK
Border Agency's IRIS system prior to travel, they will not need to show a
valid passport upon arrival, although it should still be carried.

3. For most countries in Europe (apart from the Irish Republic) people
travelling from the United Kingdom still need to have a valid travel
document to comply with immigration controls. For the moment, the only
valid travel document issued by the UK is the passport.

It may be helpful if I explain that the need to carry passports when
travelling in Europe arises from the requirements of the countries being
visited and are not set by the UK Government. All European countries,
even those which have abandoned routine passport checks at their land
frontiers, expect visitors to be able to provide proof of identity and
nationality while in their country.

4. The Common Travel Area is a 'free movement' area comprising the United
Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick
of Jersey and the Isle of Man. The United Kingdom currently makes no
routine immigration checks on passenger travel within this area, and
passengers do not need to carry a passport or national identity document
for immigration purposes.

Many European countries are members of the Schengen Arrangement, and have
abandoned routine passport checks at their common frontiers; but they all
expect visitors to be able to provide proof of identity and nationality by
way of a valid passport, or national identity card, whilst in their
country.

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the US, Canada, Mexico,
Bermuda and 17 Caribbean Region nations a "Passport Card" and several
other documents are acceptable for land and sea travel into and out of the
USA.

Other than these we are not aware of many other circumstances where travel
without a passport is possible, but an example of one is an agreement
whereby French citizens can travel on their Identity Cards to Turkey.
Even so, they are still advised to carry their passports.

I am grateful for the time you have taken to write in.

Yours faithfully,

F. Belai
Identity and Passport Service

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