Irish officials announced that certain individuals will be allowed to travel this holiday season on a recently expired Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card, effective through Jan. 31, 2025.

Key Points:

  • To qualify, an application to renew the IRP card must have been submitted to Immigration Services Delivery prior to the card’s expiration date.
  • Irish officials issued a Travel Confirmation Notice, which allows carriers to travel on a recently expired IRP card until Jan. 31, 2025, provided an application to renew their registration permission was submitted in advance.
  • The measure is intended to facilitate international travel during the holiday travel season for non-European Union/European Economic Area (EEA) nationals who legally reside in Ireland.

Additional Information: According to the announcement, individuals should download and print the travel notice and present it, along with their expired IRP card and proof of their renewal application, to immigration authorities and airlines. Applications for renewals will continue to be processed as quickly as possible, but residents who intend to travel internationally this upcoming holiday season should submit their renewal applications and plan accordingly.

BAL Analysis: Ireland’s Immigration Services Registration Office is experiencing a backlog in processing registrations across several locations and estimates two additional weeks to receive an IRP card via mail after completion of a registration. Irish authorities are currently undertaking the largest-ever expansion of the Employment Permits System and announced sweeping changes to key immigration programs to make it easier for non-EU/EEA nationals to work in key jobs. The government also recently announced the launch of a new online immigration self-service portal in an effort to modernize its systems and relax certain restrictive policies.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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