French day trippers will be able to visit the Bailiwick without a passport in 2026.
The scheme was introduced in 2023 by both Guernsey and Jersey in response to flatlining numbers of French visitors after post-Brexit measures were introduced at the borders.
It allows French tourists, many of whom don’t have passports, to travel to the islands for a day trip with only their national ID card on scheduled maritime services with an approved operator.
But the arrangement has faced scrutiny from the UK government and has required oversight from immigration ministers in the Home Office.
The upcoming introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisation for travel into the British Isles also posed a threat as it requires non-British or Irish travellers to obtain a permit which is linked to a passport.
But Guernsey’s Home Affairs Committee has secured the scheme for the 2026 season saying it will help to enhance the cultural links with Normandy and Brittany and boost the local tourist industry.
Deputy Marc Leadbeater, Home Affairs President, said the benefits of the scheme are “clear to see” in the tourism figures published by the States this year.
“It is also of note that we can continue this scheme after the introduction of ETAs, which did not look likely at first, but will continue to allow French tourists to easily access the island when they travel with a carrier that works with the Guernsey Border Agency.”
Officials across the Channel Islands have insisted there are appropriate safeguards in place with local immigration authorities to prevent border breaches of the Common Travel Area.
Earlier this summer it was reported no breaches had been recorded in Guernsey despite thousands of French nationals choosing to travel passport-free in the past two years.
The States of Jersey has already agreed to continue the scheme into 2026.