My husband and I have planned 12 days to drive Ireland and Northern Ireland. When leaving the Republic of Ireland and entering Northern Ireland and vice versa do you go through customs? Would we get our passports stamped?
Our return flight has a connection in London where we rented a hotel and will spend the night there. Same question do you go through customs? Will we receive a stamp in our passports?
I took the train, but it was just like any other international trip through Europe. No customs, no passport stamp, and the only way you'd know you switched countries was by the cell carrier on your phone.
There are no formal passport checks arriving in the UK from the Republic of Ireland by air - presuming you are a non visa national.
Greetings from Ireland. The European Union, EU, is treated as one state in terms of borders and customs in the sense that you would only ever get a stamp on the first port/airport of entry into the European Union.
There is no physical border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland anymore, hasn't been for many years now. you wont even know you've crossed the border, Which is the way it should be in my humble opinion :)
Oh, except your cellphone signal will switch, it'll become miles not KM and the line on the side of the road will change from yellow to white.
Enjoy!
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves Ireland Tour-Guide
Dingle & Derry
If driving ( between NI and Ireland) all you'll notice is a change in road signage, otherwise you wouldn't know you left one country and entered the other. If landing in Dublin on a flight from the US that's where you'll have your passports checked. Remember, you'll need Euros for Eire and Pounds for NI. good choice for a trip. Lots to explore in both countries. Mournes seafood in Belfast on Bank street (next to Kelly's Cellars pub) for fresh oysters and the best seafood chowder ever!!! Have a great trip.
Agree with previous posts, except for Marco's comment that "There are no formal passport checks arriving in the UK from the Republic of Ireland by air - presuming you are a non visa national." In 2014 we returned home Dublin-London-Seattle in one day. I am positive that we went through UK Customs or Immigration (whatever they call it there) at Heathrow for a very formal incoming passport AND security check (despite the security check in Dublin), and then another formal passport check at the gate before boarding to Seattle. I remember it all taking a rather long time due to slow processing of long lines because we got concerned about catching our outbound leg home. Don't know if the passports were stamped, but they were thoroughly scrutinized, twice. I wonder if perhaps Marco doesn't have that incoming passport issue since there was a separate line for EU citizens to go through. Is that what he means by "non visa national?" Or perhaps they have relaxed since 2014? I find that hard to believe. Maybe another nonEU person can provide a more recent experience.
What I said was perfectly correct. I travel regularly between Ireland and the UK. Irish and British citizens do not even need to carry a passport for this journey. There will always be airport security and checks to go through changing planes though as the UK trusts no other country's security on an airside transfer. The OP though will not be in transit at Heathrow and ought to be able to walk directly into the domestic baggage claim.
Can't rule out that it may well be possible to end up at immigration by taking a wrong turning.
Only terminals 2 and 5 are configured to accept flights from Ireland.
Non visa national is someone who can enter without needing a visa, such as American citizens as tourist visitors.
