To think I can't take a baby to Northern Ireland from England without a passport?

[DownmarketSellingSunset]

I'm due a baby later this year, and then approx. 2 months later we're due to go to Ireland for a family gathering. It's quite an important family party, and my DH would really like to go if possible. Chances are we'll drive rather than fly, but I don't think that's necessarily relevant.

The internet seems to suggest I don't legally need photo ID for the baby, a birth certificate would be fine. That seems risky to me, has anyone ever done it? I'll try and get a passport in time whatever happens, but I don't know how long they're likely to take in late spring so it's possible we won't be able to register the birth and get the passport in time.

Disclaimer - this is my second baby so I have some idea what I'm letting myself in for in terms of travelling so soon after the birth. Obviously, I'm aware that it might not be a straightforward birth this time, or the baby could need extra support after the birth etc, which means we might not be able to travel so soon anyway...

My toddler has a passport already.

So, Ryanair ON their own website states :

Domestic Flights - photo ID accepted

UK aged 16 or over

ANY photo ID which matches the passengers name in the booking
Aged under 16 and travelling with an adult aged 18 or over
No photo ID is needed.

which I already knew because Inhave flown within the U.K. WITH children numerous times with only a drivers licence for a and nothing for them.

The point was about the CTA as aholw actually, with regard to people coming from the UK to Ireland that don't benefit from cta provisions.
But it is also relevant to GB/NI traffic due to the open border between NI and Ireland, and the implications for that (currently extremely important)

Also the airlines have significant legal obligations when it comes to immigration and visas etc, so that's not true at all.

I've flown to NI multiple times with my kids when they were younger and definitely didn't need a passport. I can't remember RyanAir specifically but I know for a fact that they definitely can fly at 15 without a passport of their own via Easyjet and on my identification because we did that to a funeral in an emergency and I remember asking EasyJet on their chat about it. And we then got the DC passports straight after because the stress was more than I needed at the time.

Op you dont need a passport for a kid to fly between England and Northern Ireland. You will if you fly into Dublin though.

I will be flying from Scotland to Belfast with a 3 month old with easyjet so I have looked into this recently.

Just doublecheck with the airline you are flying with in relation to their policy as I know ryanair in particular tend to sometimes ask for more than is legally required.

Ryanair do not insist that all passengers have a passport. You can travel with a national ID card.

A baby won’t have a national id card either @supersonicginandtonic the poster asked about birth cert

Check the airline for their child policy. But it's domestic. No one needs a passport. You'll only need a driving licence.

Eg BA children don't need any ID but I always check before I travel incase they randomly change for whatever reason. My eldest is 13 and I travel domestically roughly 4 times a year with them and never needed ID

@Fupoffyagrasshole I was replying to posters insisting you needed a passport

I fly all the time between NI, Scotland and England and I do it all on my driving license as my passport is out of date and cannot be used. Including Ryanair. People are a lil confused here.