Common Travel Area

Common Travel Area
Open borders area
Established	1923
Members	List  United Kingdom  Ireland  Isle of Man  Guernsey  Jersey
Area
• covered	315,134 km2 (121,673.9 sq mi)
Population
• covered	73,061,814[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 program to recognise each other's visas for travel within the CTA. As of August 2022^[update], this program 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]

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