Common Travel Area

The Common Travel Area is a travel zone that comprises the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. In general, the Area's internal borders are subject to minimal or non-existent border controls and can normally be crossed by British and Irish citizens with only minimal identity documents, however, the use of a passport is required by the airline Ryanair. The maintenance of the Area involves considerable co-operation on immigration matters between the British and the Irish authorities.

However, the Irish government has imposed immigration controls on people entering the state from the United Kingdom since 1997. These controls have been compulsory for air travellers, selective on sea crossings and occasional for land crossings. In 2008, the British government announced that it planned to impose similar controls on travellers entering the United Kingdom, which would, if implemented, effectively bring an end to the passport-free zone.