UK School Trips May Soon Use French ID Cards Only

The news would no doubt be warmly welcomed by schools, students, and parents alike: as early as 2024, French students may be able to travel to the UK for school trips using only their national identity card. No passport required.

Brexit Changed the Game for School Travel

In the post-Brexit landscape, EU travelers face added friction entering the UK. Since the shift, a valid passport has been mandatory for crossing the Channel—a requirement that has had a tangible impact on school travel programs.

Requiring a passport has created notable challenges for the school travel sector: in addition to the extra paperwork for families, it has introduced significant additional costs—long waits for passport office appointments, for example.

National ID Cards Set to Return as Travel Documents

Recent reporting and exchanges between French and UK authorities suggest French students will soon travel to the UK for school trips using just a national ID card—how it worked before Brexit. Designed specifically for school groups, this measure aims to simplify logistics for institutions and families alike.

Key Benefits of Reverting to National ID Cards

• Fewer administrative hurdles: no emergency passport applications if one is needed just for a school trip.

• Cost savings for families: the €86 passport fee for adults, €42 for 15–18-year-olds, and €17 for under-15s is no longer a necessity.

• Easier for students requiring visas: within a school trip context, these students remain exempt from visa requirements.

A Measure That Raises Questions and Concerns

Yet this prospective change also raises critical implementation questions. Close scrutiny of ongoing negotiations between the EU and British governments will be essential.

Will this policy extend across all EU member states? Are there specific conditions? What about non-school trips—private, leisure, or work travel? At this stage, answers remain elusive.

Another pending question: will a group passport—used historically for school travel and accommodating non-EU nationals—remain in place?

Sector Reaction Gathers Pace

Although not yet official, the prospect has already sparked strong optimism among school-trip organizers and partner schools. Restoring the ID card as an accepted travel document could restore pre-pandemic booking momentum and ease the logistical complexity school groups face.

UK Tourism Could Feel the Positive Impact

A lighter-touch entry process for young Europeans may also help revitalize Britain’s battered tourism sector—still feeling the effects of pandemic restrictions and Brexit-related economic headwinds.