Passports and Identification: Dover – Calais route
Dover / Calais route:
It is compulsory for all passengers (including babies) to have their own valid passport or officially recognised European Union I.D. card when travelling to and from Britain or France. In some cases, a visa may also be required. If you are driving a vehicle you will also need a valid driving licence.
If you are a UK passport holder travelling into a EU member country (except Ireland), as of 1 January 2021, you must make sure your passport:
- is valid for at least three months from the date you will leave the EU member country, unless the person has a EU-issued residence permit or an EU long-term visa.
- should be issued within the previous ten years upon the date of arrival.
- It is your responsibility to make sure your passport is valid to travel to/from the EU.
- French people not resident in the United Kingdom and entering UK territory will have to carry a passport. The identity card will no longer be accepted as a travel document.
- For French people resident in the UK who have settled or pre-settled status, the identity card will remain valid until 2025.
- Note: If you have a passport and an identity card, you are strongly advised to travel with the identity document that is linked to your resident (settled or pre-settled) status in the UK.
- UK Government: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements
- French Government: https://uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rules-for-travel-between-France-and-the-UK-28918
Non-EU nationals should check with the relevant embassy before travelling as they may need a visa as well as a passport.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can travel to the UK for holidays or short trips without needing a visa. You can cross the UK border using a valid passport which should be valid for the whole time you are in the UK. You will not be able to use an EU, EEA or Swiss national ID card to enter the UK from 1 October 2021, unless you:
- have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit
- have a frontier worker permit
- are an S2 Healthcare Visitor
- are a Swiss Service Provider
In these cases, you can continue to use your national ID card to enter the UK until at least 31 December 2025.
Passengers who turn up at our ports without a valid passport or an officially recognised European Union ID card (and a visa if required) will not be allowed to travel and / or enter either France or Ireland.
Please visit the relevant government / embassy website for the most up-to-date information and to ensure you comply with the requirements:
