Ireland’s Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) has published a special “Travel Confirmation Notice” that will run from 13 July to 31 August 2026. During this seven-week window, non-EEA nationals whose Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card has expired – but who submitted a renewal application before the expiry date – may leave and re-enter Ireland using the out-of-date card together with a copy of the notice. The measure is designed to avoid holiday-season travel disruption while the immigration authorities work through a large renewal backlog. The concession applies to all categories of residence permission and covers travel by air, sea or land. ISD is formally asking airlines, ferry companies and immigration authorities in other transit jurisdictions to accept the notice as evidence that the traveller continues to hold lawful Irish permission. Travellers are nevertheless advised to carry proof of their online renewal submission and to verify in advance that any third-country transit point recognises the document. For multinational employers the announcement removes an immediate mobility obstacle. Hundreds of assignees and their family members faced the prospect of cancelling summer business trips or annual leave because their new IRP cards had not yet been issued. With the notice in place, assignees can attend overseas meetings, conferences and client visits without jeopardising their permission to live and work in Ireland. HR teams should, however, diarise the hard end-date: from 1 September, an up-to-date IRP card (or a temporary stamp in the passport) will again be required for re-entry. Immigration advisers recommend that travellers print the notice on company letter-head, keep it with their passport and expired IRP card, and arrive at the airport early in case airline staff need to verify the policy. Employers should also remind staff that the arrangement does not override any visa requirement for the country they are visiting or transiting. The summer travel facilitation notice is the latest in a series of temporary measures ISD has rolled out since 2024 to mitigate IRP processing delays. According to migrant rights NGO MRCI, renewal wait-times in Dublin routinely exceed 16 weeks, compared with the 6-to-8-week target set in 2023. The Department of Justice has signalled new investment in IT systems later this year, but for now the ad-hoc concessions remain critical to keeping Ireland’s global workforce mobile.
