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20 August 2021

Travelling to the UK from the Common Travel Area

Woodcock Law and Notary Public breaks down all that you need to know about travelling to and from the Common Travel Area (CTA) in this comprehensive guide.
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Common travel area

The United Kingdom, Ireland, and Crown Dependencies form the Common Travel Area (Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man). 

This means that people in the UK do not necessarily have to go through the UK immigration control when traveling to the UK from somewhere within the CTA. 

Who needs permission to enter the UK from the Common Travel Area (CTA)?

There are several arrangements in place, depending on whether you travel to the UK from Ireland or the Crown Dependencies. 

You will need to seek permission to enter the UK from anywhere in the CTA if: 

  • You are subject to a deportation order
  • Your exclusion has been deemed conducive to the public good
  • You have been refused permission to enter the UK.

What are the requirements to travel from Ireland to the UK?

You will not need further permission to enter the UK from Ireland if you have a UK visa. 

You would require permission to enter the UK when arriving from Ireland only if you:

  • Arrived in Ireland from outside of the Common Travel Area (CTA) and did not obtain immigration permission to enter Ireland
  • Are a visa national who does not have a valid UK visa
  • Entered Ireland unlawfully from outside the Common Travel Area (CTA)
  • Entered the UK or the Crown Dependencies unlawfully and went directly from there to Ireland
  • Have permission to enter or stay that expired before you left the UK
  • Are the subject of an international travel ban
  • Were refused admission or subject to a removal decision under specific regulations.

If any of the above applies to you, you must apply for a visa before you travel and seek permission to enter from a Border Force Officer at the UK border.

What is deemed leave?

Deemed leave automatically gives some people the right to enter the UK when they arrive from Ireland. You would not need to make an application to get deemed leave. The period of time you get to stay in the UK and the things you can do would depend on why you entered the UK. 

You can enter on the basis of deemed leave when you either:

  • Enter Ireland from a country outside the CTA and then travel directly on to the UK
  • Were in the UK with permission to stay for a limited time, went directly to Ireland and while you were in Ireland your permission expired, and you then came directly back to the UK.

May I travel between the Crown Dependencies and the UK?

If you have entered or stayed in the UK, any conditions associated with the permission given to you would also apply in the Isles of Man, Guernsey and Jersey (the Crown Dependencies).

The same applies if Crown Dependencies gives you permission to enter or stay before traveling to the UK. However, you would need a UK visa to travel directly to the UK or any of the Crown Dependencies.

Ready for assistance?

If you have any questions about the changes or want legal advice, contact
Woodcock Law & Notary Public today. Contact us by phone on +44 (0)20 7712 1705 or
by email at info@woodcocklaw.co.uk.

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