How to Get an IRP Card

When you arrive in Ireland, you’ll be required to pass through border control. If you wish to stay for more than 90 days, you should ask for permission to stay from the immigration officers at the Ireland border control.

When your request is granted, you must make an appointment to register your permission within 90 days. If you live in Dublin city or county, you should make an online appointment to attend the Burgh Quay registration office in Dublin.

However, if you live outside Dublin, you must register your permission with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). You can visit the Garda website to find the registration office closest to you and make an appointment.

Do not be worried if you cannot schedule an appointment within 90 days, as you won’t be asked to leave Ireland while you wait to register. However, you might need to prove that you have sought an appointment within this 90-day period and that you tried registering as soon as possible.

When going for your appointment, you will need to go along with your passport. Only individuals who have been granted international protection as a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection do not need passports to register.

The other documents you are expected to come with will depend on the type of permit that you have been granted.

For example, if you have permission to work, you must present your original employment permit or original permission letter from the Minister for Justice, along with any other documents listed in that letter that permits you to work in Ireland.

Our immigration consultants at IAS are versed in Irish immigration law and can help you put together the specific documents you require to register your residence permit. Our immigration consultants in Ireland are highly qualified in all areas of immigration law, just like an immigration lawyer.

At your appointment, you will be required to pay a fee of €300 to register your immigration permission. You can only make this payment by credit or debit card.

However, you do not need to pay a fee if you:

• Are below 18
• Are a spouse or dependent of an EU national who has a residence permit
• Are a spouse, widow, widower, civil partner, or surviving civil partner of an Irish citizen
• Have refugee status
• Have subsidiary protection status
• Have been granted permission to remain under Section 49(4)(a) of the International Protection Act 2015
• Are a family member reunited with a recognised refugee in Ireland under Section 56 of the International Protection Act 2015.

When you arrive for your appointment, an immigration officer will review your documents and your immigration permission. They will then record your photograph and fingerprints.

The officer will process your payment and give you a stamp on your passport.

Ireland’s immigration stamps indicate different types of residence permissions which are the activities individuals are allowed to do while in Ireland, such as work, study, or invest in a business.

If you are a Dublin resident registering at the Burgh Quay registration office, the immigration officer handling your registration will arrange to send your IRP card to you via mail. Before you leave the registration office, make sure to verify your precise address with the officer.

You should receive your IRP card within 10 working days of processing your application.

However, if you are attending a registration office outside Dublin, the immigration officer will inform you of a day to return to the office to pick up your IRP card.

Depending on your permission, you may be able to renew your IRP card when it expires. You can also choose to renew your registration for a change in your stamp or residence permit.

It is advisable to make an appointment for your renewal seven weeks in advance of the expiry date of your permission.

Renewing in Dublin

If you live in Dublin city or county, you can renew your residence permit online without visiting the registration office.

To renew your IRP registration, you will need the following documents:

• A copy of your current card
• A copy of the biometric page of your current valid passport

You will also need to provide documents that show that you satisfy your immigration conditions. Depending on your situation, the required documents may include

• Proof of your current employment (it could be a payslip dated within the last three months).
• Proof that you are enrolled as a student in a college, you have paid your fees and met the minimum attendance requirement.
•  The biometric page of your EU family member’s passport.

To renew your residence permission registration, you should:

• Complete the online registration form
• Upload your documents
• Pay the renewal fee of €300 (if applicable)
• Submit your application

If your application is successful, you will receive your new IRP card within a few weeks.

Renewing Outside Dublin

If you reside outside Dublin, you must contact your local immigration office to book an appointment.

For your renewal appointment, you should go along with your old IRP card, your passport, and evidence to support your residence permission.

If your residence permit is based on another person such as your spouse, civil partner, or a sponsoring relative, they must attend your appointment with you.