Citizens’ Rights Watchdog Issues Reminder Over Summer Travel

The Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreement (IMA) is issuing a reminder about the right to travel to the UK with a valid national identity card.

Eligible EU and EEA EFTA citizens, along with their EU and EEA EFTA citizen family members, can travel to the UK using a valid national identity card. To do so, that identity document should be registered to the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account they used or created in applying to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

It is advised that individuals register all their identity travel documents to their UKVI account. Information on who is eligible to travel to the UK with a valid national identity card, and their use at the border, can be found on GOV.UK.

In previous years; the IMA has been made aware of EU and EEA EFTA citizens, with the right to travel to the UK with a valid national identity card, encountering difficulties with carriers asking them to provide proof of their status under the EUSS or denying boarding where a valid national identity card has been provided rather than a passport.

Pam Everett, Operations Director for the IMA said, “With the summer holiday season now upon us, we are reassuring eligible citizens that they can travel using a valid national identity card, which they should register to their UKVI account.

“We are also reminding carriers that they are not currently required to check an EU or EEA EFTA citizen’s immigration status, or their entitlement to travel on a valid national identity card, when deciding whether to bring them to the UK. They only need to check that they have a valid passport or national identity card.

“We would encourage citizens planning to travel to familiarise themselves with the procedure at the UK border and to be fully aware of their rights when travelling to or from the UK”.

The IMA would encourage citizens and their family members to contact us via our website or complaints portal if they are experiencing difficulties travelling this summer.