Closed petition Allow under-18s from EU countries entrance to the UK with their national ID card

Closed on 15 February 2024

We call on the government to restore the arrangements, in place until October 2021, that allowed junior residents from EU countries to visit the UK on group educational trips by using just their national identity card as opposed to a full passport.

Overseas visits form an important part of a young person's education. Until the government stopped allowing under-18s to enter the country using just their national ID card, the UK had been a leading destination for such visits from EU countries. Since the change, the numbers are thought to have dropped by 40%. This has had a devastating effect on a thriving UK industry, and a major impact on cultural exchange. Twinned-towns visits have been cancelled and longstanding links with EU schools have been severed.