Advance Passenger Information before you travel

If you’re travelling to another country, you may be asked by your airline to provide your passenger information beforehand. This is a separate requirement to getting a travel authority or a visa. In most cases you can provide your details online. Find out what you need to do before travelling.

Advance Passenger Information

For security reasons, the US, EU member states, and other countries now require airlines to provide details about their passengers before they travel. This is known as Advance Passenger Information (API).

Your airline will let you know what they need from you. Usually, they will ask you to provide your name, date of birth and passport details when you book your flight or check in.

Contact your airline if you have any questions about API requirements.

Your information will be taken either at the time of booking or by an automated passport reader during check-in. In most cases, you may not be allowed to travel if you do not provide your API in the time required.

Providing your API should not be confused with applying for a visa. You will still need to follow the entry rules for every country you visit, as well as any customs and passport control regulations.

Travelling to the US and registering with ESTA

Under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), anyone travelling to the US on a British or Irish passport needs to register their details online with the US government, using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

This is separate from providing API to your airline.

You can find out more about the US Visa Waiver Program at these links:

If travelling on an Irish passport, you can find information about visas on the US Embassy in Ireland website.

Who to contact about travelling to the US

If you have any questions, you are strongly advised to contact the US Embassy in London or the US Embassy in Ireland before your travel.

Travelling to other countries (apart from the US)

If you are unsure about what you need to do before travelling, you can:

check with the country’s consulate or embassy
check the travel advice for that country
contact your airline before you travel – ideally at the time of booking

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit. Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

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For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme, email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about 60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly. We don't have access to information about you.

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Advance Passenger Information before you travel