Passports

[Mariacristina]

A couple of my Spanish friends in the village want to visit the UK with me. I asked them if they had passports and they tell me that they do not need them as their ID cards act as passports. Is this the case? This is probably a stupid question to those who know the answer but it never occurred to me that everyone didn't need a passport to cross frontiers!

[pigs-might-fly]

They DO need passports!

[Lyric]

May or may not be true but I believe within the Shengen group ID is sufficient.
The UK is non Shengen therefore Passport required.

[annfoto]

Not only is the UK a non-Schengen agreement country but Spain requires Advanced Passenger Information for visitors or it's citizens arriving from a non-Schengen country.
Some airlines require you to give the passport details at the time of booking, others scan your passport at the check-in and email the details of the passengers to the Spanish authorities before the plane lands.

[El Cid]

Spanish nationals DO NOT need a passport to enter the UK. A DNI is sufficient.

From the Border Agency:-

Entering the UK
When you enter the UK, you must show your passport or national identity card. You should use the separate channel marked 'EEA/EU', where it is available. Immigration officers will check your passport or national identity card to ensure that it is valid and belongs to you.


Sid

[bunty]

Quite right Sid, makes me mad whenever I travel with hubby and kids in Europe as they only need ID and I have to be carrying a passport...

[annfoto]

I didn't know that Sid, I thought that travelling with just DNI card was restricted to Schengen countries, I stand corrected.
How do you book an Easyjet flight to the UK without entering your passport details? You can't print your boarding pass until you have given them your passport details.
Can they enter Gibraltar on just a DNI card? They would not accept the old residentia one.

[Lyric]

Also stand corrected, if I don't learn something every day then it's a day wasted, thanks Sid

[quebin]

A Spanish passport costs less than 20 euros.

[El Cid]

I didn't know that Sid, I thought that travelling with just DNI card was restricted to Schengen countries, I stand corrected.
How do you book an Easyjet flight to the UK without entering your passport details? You can't print your boarding pass until you have given them your passport details.
Can they enter Gibraltar on just a DNI card? They would not accept the old residentia one.

I assume a Spaniard flying EJ just enters his DNI details. A DNI is much the same as a passport in terms of the data so I can't see it being a problem.

Yes, they all use DNI for entry into Gib and no, the old residencia card was not accepted.

Of course, if the UK introduced ID cards then we would be able to do the same, but of course, as we all know , that would be an invasion of privacy or contravening our human rights.

And Quebin - please don't remind us of that fact! But you have to remember that the gold plated UK passport, at vast cost, entitles us to some amazing rights - like getting repatriated from Benidorm in an alcoholic coma!

Sid

[Babby]

I have booked Easyjet flights and used the ID card details (there is a choice of whether to use passport or ID card on the Easyjet booking page).

So confirmed, Spanish people do not need passports.

[Mariacristina]

Thank you for your help. I very much appreciate that so many people take the trouble to help.

[markwilding]

I can confirm that the Spanish only need their DNI to enter the UK unless they are under a certain age and travelling without their parents then a passport guarantees entrance without a letter of permission.