The Department of Justice has granted another short-term reprieve to thousands of non-EEA residents whose Irish Residence Permit (IRP) cards are stuck in the renewal backlog. In a notice confirmed on 23 July and circulated to employers by global immigration firm Fragomen, the authorities state that any foreign national who has submitted an on-line renewal application but has not yet received a new card may continue to live, work and, crucially, travel in and out of Ireland on the strength of their expired IRP until 31 August 2026. The move acknowledges severe processing delays at the Burgh Quay Registration Office, where routine renewals are currently taking 10–12 weeks instead of the published six. Without an IRP card, many assignees risked being unable to prove lawful residence to airlines, landlords or banks, and were facing cancelled business trips because carriers would not allow boarding. The temporary measure allows those travellers to download a Travel Confirmation Notice, carry their expired card and proof of renewal, and re-enter Ireland without a re-entry visa or additional paperwork. Employers welcomed the decision, noting that skills shortages have forced companies to rely heavily on non-EU talent: more than 24 000 new employment permits were issued in 2025 and demand has continued to climb in 2026. HR teams are being advised to update posted-worker files and to brief line managers that employees remain work-authorised despite out-of-date cards. Payroll departments should keep copies of the Travel Confirmation Notice on file in the event of a Revenue audit. From a compliance perspective, the extension does not change any underlying immigration conditions; it merely suspends the documentary requirement while the backlog is cleared. Applicants must still monitor their MyGovID portal for requests for additional information, and must travel with the same passport used for their online renewal. Travellers transiting a third country are warned to check with the airline and the transit-state authorities that the Irish notice will be accepted at the connection point. The Justice Department says it expects waiting times to ease once new biometric equipment comes on-stream later in the summer, but further extensions cannot be ruled out if volumes remain high.
Source: Fragomen
