Common Travel Area

Common Travel Area
Open borders area
The Common Travel Area
Established1923
Members
List
Area
 • covered315,134 km2 (121,673.9 sq mi)
Population
 • covered73,061,814[1][2][3][4][5]

The Common Travel Area (CTA; Irish: Comhlimistéar Taistil, Welsh: Ardal Deithio Gyffredin)[6] is an open borders area comprising the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The British Overseas Territories are not included. Governed by non-binding agreements,[7][a] the CTA maintains minimal border controls, allowing easy passage for British and Irish citizens with limited identity documentation, albeit with some exceptions.[8][9] Sustaining the CTA requires cooperation between British and Irish immigration authorities.

In 2014, the British and Irish governments initiated a trial programme to recognise each other's visas for travel within the CTA. As of August 2022, this programme extends to Chinese and Indian nationals, albeit with restrictions on certain visa categories.[10][11] Nationals of other countries and holders of non-qualifying visas must obtain separate visas for both countries and are not eligible for transit visa exceptions if travelling through the UK to the Republic of Ireland.[citation needed]

Since 1997, the Irish government has implemented systematic identity checks on air travellers arriving from the UK and selective checks on sea travellers, with occasional checks at land borders.[12]

  1. ^ "World Population Prospects - Population Division - United Nations". Population.un.org. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Jersey's population increases by 1100 in the last year". ITV.com. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Largest population increase since 2011". Guernsey Press. 28 April 2017.
  4. ^ "2016 Isle of Man Census Report" (PDF). Gov.im. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Population and migration estimates April 2019". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). 27 August 2019. 4,921,500
  6. ^ "Rheolau ar gyfer teithio rhyngwladol: coronafeirws". Llyw.cymru.
  7. ^ "Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Ireland on the CTA". Gov.uk.
  8. ^ "Common Travel Area between Ireland and the United Kingdom". Citizens Information Board. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  9. ^ "Common Travel Area guidance". Gov.uk.
  10. ^ "British-Irish visa scheme". Gov.uk. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  11. ^ "The British-Irish Visa Scheme" (PDF). Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference irishcontrols was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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