Hot on the heels of the summer travel concession, Minister James Brophy has issued a complementary Interim Notice to Employers that safeguards the work permission of staff whose Irish Residence Permit (IRP) cards lapse while renewal applications are pending. Under the notice, announced on 13 July 2026, any employee who (1) applied to renew before the card expired, and (2) still holds a valid Employment Permit (or is in a stamp category that is permit-exempt) may remain in Ireland and continue working on existing conditions until 31 August 2026, no matter how long the IRP has been out of date. The proof requirement mirrors that for travellers: the online receipt (OREG number) and the ‘application completed’ e-mail serve as evidence of status while the new card is produced. The measure plugs a compliance gap that had begun to worry multinationals, especially in the tech and life-sciences sectors that rely heavily on non-EEA talent. HR teams no longer need to place assignees on unpaid leave merely because the physical card is delayed, provided internal files contain the renewal receipt and any linked Employment Permit. Employers must, however, verify that staff filed on time; if the renewal was lodged after expiry, the concession does not apply and the employee may be out of permission. The department emphasises that the longstanding 12-week overstay tolerance will resume once the current notice ends. Global mobility advisors should audit upcoming expiries now, ensure employees keep digital copies of their receipts, and prepare communications for airlines and client sites that may still ask to see in-date registration evidence.
Source: Immigration Service Delivery
