The short answer
- The Common Travel Area lets British and Irish citizens move freely. Everyone else follows UK immigration rules in the UK, Northern Ireland included.
- Need a visa for the UK? You need a UK visa, even to cross the open border into Northern Ireland. Your IRP and Irish visas don’t count.
- Don’t need one? You can visit, and you don’t need an ETA if you live in Ireland and travel from Ireland. Carry your passport and IRP card.
- Coming back: a valid IRP card means no visa to return. Days in the UK count as days away.
Check your trip
UK and Northern Ireland trip check
What the UK needs from you, and what you need to come back.
Not sure about the visa? Use GOV.UK’s check if you need a UK visa tool.
Take with you
From GOV.UK’s ETA and Common Travel Area guidance and ISD’s border and registration pages. UK rules can change: check GOV.UK before you travel. Entry is always at the officer’s discretion.
Northern Ireland: an open border, but not your rules
You’ll never go through immigration control on the land border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. That doesn’t change what you need:
- If you’re a visa national for the UK and don’t have a valid UK visa, you need permission to enter the UK even when you arrive from Ireland. Without the visa, crossing is unlawful, and GOV.UK says people who enter the UK illegally from another part of the CTA may be removed.
- If you don’t need a UK visa, you can visit without one. Visits from the CTA are usually allowed for up to 6 months, without work.
Great Britain: flights and ferries
Travelling from Ireland to Great Britain, Border Force may ask to see your passport when you arrive, and it should be valid for your whole stay. The same visa rules apply as for Northern Ireland.
No ETA from Ireland, if you live here
The UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is for visitors who don’t need a visa. GOV.UK says you don’t need one if you’re from a country that would normally need it and you’re entering the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. If you need a UK visa, you still need the visa.
If you’re 16 or over, carry an original, valid document issued by the Irish government that shows you live here:
| Accepted documents | |
|---|---|
| Irish Residence Permit (IRP) | Permanent Residence Certificate |
| Irish driving licence or learner permit | National Age Card |
| Medical card or GP visit card | European Health Insurance Card |
Travelling to the UK from anywhere outside the Common Travel Area, the normal ETA or visa rules apply.
Coming back to Ireland
- By air or sea from Britain: non-EU nationals present to an Irish immigration officer. Show your passport and valid IRP card: no visa needed.
- Over the land border: there are no checks, but keep your passport and IRP card with you.
- If your IRP expires before you’re back, renew before you go: you can’t renew from abroad.
Days in the UK count as days away
Days in Northern Ireland or Britain are days outside the State, for ISD’s 90-day guidance and the 70-day citizenship rule. The exception: if you’re applying for citizenship as the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen, your rule is about the island of Ireland, so time in Northern Ireland doesn’t count as an absence.
The British-Irish Visa Scheme
The British-Irish Visa Scheme lets some short-stay visitors travel around Ireland and the UK on one visa endorsed “BIVS”. It’s for Chinese nationals living in China and Indian nationals living in India applying for visitor visas. It doesn’t cover people living in Ireland on an IRP: if you need a UK visa, you apply for one.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
Can I go to Northern Ireland with an Irish IRP?
Your IRP doesn't give you permission to enter the UK. If your nationality needs a visa for the UK, you need a UK visa, even to cross the land border. If it doesn't, you can visit without a visa, and you won't need an ETA if you live in Ireland and travel from Ireland.
Do I need a UK ETA if I live in Ireland?
Not if you're travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. GOV.UK says people who live in Ireland and would normally need an ETA don't need one on those journeys. If your nationality needs a UK visa, you still need the visa.
What should I carry to prove I live in Ireland?
From 16, an original, valid document issued by the Irish government: your Irish Residence Permit works, as does an Irish driving licence or learner permit, medical card, GP visit card, EHIC or National Age Card. Carry your passport too.
Are there passport checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland?
No. There's no immigration control on the land border, but you still need whatever the UK requires for your nationality, and entering the UK unlawfully can lead to removal.
Does my Irish visa let me visit the UK?
No. Irish visas aren't valid for the UK, except visas issued under the British-Irish Visa Scheme to some Chinese and Indian visitors.
Do days in Northern Ireland count as absences for citizenship?
Yes, for most people: they're days outside the State. If you're applying as the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen, your rule is about the island of Ireland, so time in Northern Ireland doesn't count as an absence.
What do I need to come back to Ireland?
Your passport and valid IRP card. Arriving by air or sea from Britain, you show them to Irish immigration. There are no checks on the land border, but keep them with you.
Sources
All sources checked on 3 Oct 2026.
- When you do not need an ETA (If you live in Ireland)GOV.UK
- Travelling to the UK from Ireland, Isle of Man, Guernsey or JerseyGOV.UK (UK Visas and Immigration)
- Common Travel Area guidanceGOV.UK (Cabinet Office, Home Office)
- Check if you need a UK visaGOV.UK
- British Irish Visa SchemeImmigration Service Delivery
- Entry for non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss and non-UK nationalsImmigration Service Delivery
- Frequently asked questions for registrationImmigration Service Delivery