Does a child need a passport to travel to Holland?

**Colbert Report** · 30/08/2012, 9:04 PM

I have a friend who is wondering if his daughter needs a passport to travel from Dublin to Amsterdam. She's about five or six years old. Does she have to have a passport or will some other form of government identification do? If so, what? Thanks.

**pineapple stu** · 30/08/2012, 9:05 PM

Everyone needs a passport these days.

**Charlie Darwin** · 30/08/2012, 9:20 PM

It depends on where she's flying from. If she is Irish or British, or flying from Ireland or Britain, she'll need a passport. If it's from within the Schengen area, I think any form of government ID will do.

edit: I completely missed the part where it said Dublin. Yes, she'll need a passport, or else to be on her travelling parent's passport.

**horton** · 30/08/2012, 9:32 PM

Also check with the airline they intend to fly with as they will have their own rules. Ryanair only allow passports as proof of identity for Ireland-Britain flights even though it is not a legal requirement by either country.

**pineapple stu** · 31/08/2012, 8:28 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

or else to be on her travelling parent's passport.

Is that not gone entirely now? Kids of any age need their own passport, I thought.

**osarusan** · 31/08/2012, 8:46 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Is that not gone entirely now? Kids of any age need their own passport, I thought.

http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=255

Basically, kids who were 'attached' to a parent's passport when it was allowed (until Oct. 1 2004) can travel on it as long as the passport is valid, but the number of countries who won't accept that as proper ID is increasing.

**pineapple stu** · 31/08/2012, 8:49 AM

Ah, ok. So if this kid is 5 or 6, she needs her own passport.

**Dodge** · 31/08/2012, 11:05 AM

To sum up. If an Irish 5/6 year old wants to travel to Amsterdam from Dublin they need a passport. There's no other options.

**SkStu** · 01/09/2012, 2:55 AM

Even still, I'm going to say that foot.ie (or any messageboard that isnt specifically related to passport requirements for minors) shouldn't be anyone's port of call for these sorts of things!

**pineapple stu** · 01/09/2012, 7:22 AM

Which is why osarusan posted a link to the Department of Foreign Affairs!

**SkStu** · 01/09/2012, 10:48 PM

Oh, I'm not saying that we shouldn't speculate or advise on any subject, just there are certain subjects important enough where you just should know not to trust a guy calling himself Dodge or a guy who likes UCD football and pineapples (though probably not at the same time) about!!