Here’s a question that trips up parents every single school holiday: what ID do children need to fly within the UK? Unlike international travel, there’s no legal requirement for a passport on domestic flights — but that doesn’t mean your kids can just stroll through security with nothing. The rules vary by airline, and getting it wrong at the gate is a special kind of stress.

The short version: children under 16 generally don’t need photo ID on UK domestic flights, but airlines set their own policies and some are stricter than others. Adults, meanwhile, do need photographic ID. Let’s break down exactly what each major airline asks for, so you’re never caught out.

What ID Do Children Need to Fly Within the UK? The Airline-by-Airline Rules

There is no single UK law on this — domestic air travel ID is a matter of airline and airport policy. That means the answer depends on who you’re flying with:

• British Airways: children under 16 don’t need to show ID on domestic flights, though BA recommends carrying some form of identification. Adults need photo ID such as a passport or driving licence.
• easyJet: children under 16 on domestic flights don’t require photo ID, but easyJet advises bringing proof of age such as a birth certificate. Adults need photographic ID.
• Ryanair: the strictest of the bunch. Ryanair requires all passengers, including children and infants, to carry valid ID — a passport or national ID card. For domestic UK flights, Ryanair’s policy has historically required children to have a passport. Always check their current terms before booking.
• Loganair and Eastern Airways: generally follow the under-16s-don’t-need-ID approach on domestic routes, but confirm at booking.

The practical takeaway: even where ID isn’t strictly required for children, bring something anyway. A birth certificate or a copy of the child’s passport costs nothing to pack and resolves any question instantly. Gate agents have discretion, and a calm parent with documents beats an argument every time.

What Counts as ID for Adults (and Older Teens)

On domestic flights, adults need photographic ID. A passport or UK photocard driving licence is the gold standard and works everywhere. Some airlines also accept other forms — BA, for instance, accepts a range of photo IDs on domestic routes — but don’t gamble on anything obscure. If you’re 16 or over, you’re treated as an adult for ID purposes, so teenagers need full photo ID too.

Worth knowing: a passport that’s recently expired is sometimes accepted on domestic flights at the airline’s discretion, but this is absolutely not guaranteed. Renew in good time via the gov.uk passport service rather than hoping for leniency at 6am in Terminal 5.

Flying with Babies and Infants

Babies need a ticket (usually an infant fare) and appear on the booking, but the ID rules above still apply by airline. Ryanair’s strictness extends to infants — they’ll want to see that passport. For other airlines, carrying the birth certificate is the sensible minimum. If only one parent is travelling with the child, it’s also wise to carry a consent letter from the other parent — not legally required for domestic flights, but it can smooth over questions, and it’s essential if your domestic leg connects to an international flight.

Unaccompanied Minors on Domestic Flights

Most UK airlines don’t offer a formal unaccompanied-minor service on domestic routes the way they do internationally. BA, for example, requires children under 14 to be accompanied on all flights; young flyers aged 14–15 can travel alone but need full adult ID. easyJet doesn’t allow under-14s to fly unaccompanied at all. If your teenager is flying solo to visit grandparents, check the specific airline’s age policy carefully — and make sure they have proper photo ID, because the under-16 leniency generally assumes an accompanying adult.

Practical Tips for Smooth Domestic Travel with Kids

• Check the airline’s website, not forums. Policies change; the airline’s current “travel documents” page is the only source that matters.
• Photograph all documents and keep copies in your phone and email as backup.
• Arrive with time to spare. ID queries get resolved far more calmly when you’re not sprinting to a closing gate.
• Remember the return leg. Whatever you needed outbound, you’ll need coming home — don’t leave documents in the hotel safe on departure day.

And while you’re planning, consider whether you need travel insurance for a UK staycation — domestic trips have their own cover considerations — and if you’re weighing flying against other options, our guide to cheap flights from the UK covers the booking tricks that work domestically too.

What to Do If There’s an ID Problem at the Airport

It happens: you arrive and realise the driving licence is in the other jacket, or a teenager’s passport expired last month. Don’t panic — you have options. First, speak to the airline’s check-in desk, not security; the airline decides whether you fly, and check-in staff deal with document issues daily. Explain calmly and show whatever you have — an expired passport, a photo of your licence, a birth certificate. On domestic routes, airlines have more discretion than international ones, and a reasonable agent can often verify your identity another way.

Second, know who else can help. If someone at home can photograph a document and send it, that sometimes suffices for domestic travel. The CAA’s passenger guidance notes that ID requirements are set by airlines rather than law on domestic flights, which is precisely why discretion exists. What won’t work: arguing with security staff, who enforce the airline’s decision rather than making it. Stay polite, stay early, and you’ll usually find a way through.

The deeper lesson is to build a pre-flight documents ritual: the night before, every traveller’s ID goes into one pouch, in the bag you’re taking. Photograph the lot. It takes three minutes and eliminates an entire category of holiday disaster. For families, make one adult the designated “documents person” — diffused responsibility is how things get forgotten.

The Takeaway

Under-16s usually don’t need photo ID on UK domestic flights — except on Ryanair, where they do. Bring a birth certificate or passport copy anyway, make sure everyone 16+ has proper photo ID, and check your specific airline’s current policy before you leave for the airport. Five minutes of checking beats a missed flight.