Common Travel Area

Background

The Common Travel Area reflects the fact that many Republic of Ireland citizens have the deepest family and personal ties with the United Kingdom and that many persons in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have a common Irish and United Kingdom heritage.

The CTA reinforces and supports the fact that the UK and Irish labour market have remained as one since the separation of the states. Although in earlier years this largely manifested itself in immigration to the United Kingdom from the Republic of Ireland, this has largely changed in recent years. There are now almost as many UK born nationals in the Republic of Ireland as there are the Republic of Ireland born nationals in the UK notwithstanding that the population of the UK is over 10 times of Ireland. UK born nationals comprise over 4% of the population of the Republic of Ireland.

Scope of the Common Travel Area

The Common Travel Area is much more than a right to travel. It allows British and Irish citizens to take up residence in the other state with immediate settled status. It allows citizens of each state to work in the other including work on a self-employed basis without any permission.

It is recognised in a May 2019  memorandum of understanding that the recognition of qualifications, including professional qualifications, is an essential facilitator of the right to work. Ireland and UK are committed to ensuring that their respective jurisdictions will provide comprehensive measures to continue to be in place, to allow for the recognition of such qualifications including all relevant professions in accordance with the national laws.

Travel Area

Irish citizens and UK citizens  have extensive mutual rights to travel freely between Ireland and the UK. These rights apply to Irish and UK nationals, i.e. persons were citizens.

The right is more than just one of free travel and includes a right to come to work in the other country and do business. Therefore, traders should be a position to second or send Irish citizens to undertake work in NI. Depending on who is the employer, their exact status and the duration of the stay, they may come within the UK income tax/PAYE obligations.

Movement of Irish and British citizens

6. The CTA allows Irish and British citizens to move freely between Ireland and the UK. The Participants are to continue to ensure that their national laws facilitate such movement.

The right to reside

7. The CTA permits Irish citizens to take up residence in the UK and British citizens to take up residence in Ireland. The Participants are to continue to ensure that their national laws provide for such a right to reside.

The right to work

8. The CTA affords Irish citizens in the UK and British citizens in Ireland the right to work, including on a self-employed basis, without any requirement to obtain permission. Participants are to continue to ensure that their national laws provide for such a right to work. It is acknowledged that the recognition of qualifications, including professional qualifications, is an essential facilitator of the right to work associated with the CTA. The Participants are committed to ensuring that within their respective jurisdictions, comprehensive measures continue to be in place to allow for the recognition of such qualifications, covering all relevant professions, in accordance with their national laws.

Health care

The CTA affords British citizens residing in Ireland and Irish citizens residing in the UK the right to access emergency, routine and planned publicly funded health services in each other’s state, on the same basis as citizens of that state.

Social protection

The CTA affords British citizens residing or working in Ireland and Irish citizens residing or working in the UK, social security rights in each other’s state. They are entitled, when in the other state, to the same social security rights, and are subject to the same obligations, as citizens of that state.

Social housing

The CTA affords British citizens residing in Ireland, and Irish citizens residing in the UK, the right to access social housing, including supported housing and homeless assistance, in each other’s state, on the same basis as citizens of that state.

Education

The CTA affords British and Irish citizens the right to access all levels of education and training, and associated student support, in each other’s state, on terms no less favourable than those for the citizens of that state.

Voting

British citizens residing in Ireland, and Irish citizens residing in the UK, are entitled to register to vote with the relevant authorities for local and national parliamentary elections in each other’s state, on the same basis as citizens of that state. Upon reaching voting age, these citizens are entitled to vote in those elections on the same basis as citizens in that state.

Further arrangements and implementation measures

14. The Participants are committed to ensuring that any necessary steps are taken to give effect to the associated reciprocal rights and privileges outlined above at paragraphs six to thirteen. This includes any necessary legislative steps and further, more detailed, bilateral agreements that may be entered into now or in the future to give effect to specific aspects of the CTA arrangements.
15. The Participants will take the necessary steps to provide certainty and clarity about each of the associated reciprocal rights and privileges set out above.