Press release
Minister Flanagan announces new online Registration Renewal System for Dublin-based non-EEA students
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD, has today announced a new online Registration Renewal System for non-EEA students based in Dublin.
Recognising that such students will no longer have to book appointments and attend the registration office in person, the Minister also clarified that the service will be made available to all categories of non-national students residing in the Dublin area, who are eligible for renewal of their permission to reside in Ireland:
"I know that applicants have historically experienced difficulties in obtaining an appointment but the new online system should solve that because it will allow this category of applicants to complete their renewal online without having to book an appointment and then personally attend the registration office."
Students seeking to renew their permission will now complete the application form online, upload copies of supporting documents online, pay the applicable fee and then submit their passport and current IRP card via registered post. Documents will be checked and, if approved, the passport will be stamped and returned by registered post and an IRP card issued by express post.
Previously, such applicants were required to book an appointment prior to attending in person at the registration office, and these appointments were in high demand. Applicants would then wait to apply for renewal, pay the fee as applicable, and receive the permission stamp in their passport. The IRP (Immigration Residence Permission) card would issue subsequently in the post directly to the applicant.
Referring to further benefits of the changes, Minister Flanagan added:
"The new process will allow officials in my department to process renewals more efficiently by enabling them to better manage the volume of applications. This will also allow them focus more closely on the quality of documentation being provided to the office.
"Importantly, the new system will also relieve pressure on the public registration office which, when it reopens, will focus exclusively on 1st time student registrations. This will improve the quality of customer service provided to this group as well."
In making this change, the department hopes to significantly reduce the bureaucratic burden placed on applicants and also, with faster processing times, offer greater certainty to applicants that their permissions will be renewed on time.
The new system will be kept under ongoing review, with the intention that the on-line service can be rolled out to other categories of applicants in the coming months.
ENDS
The online renewal application portal can be found here.
The Immigration Act 2004 requires non-nationals (non-EU/EEA & Swiss plus some other exceptions) to register if they have been given permission to remain in the State for longer than 3 months. Alongside the initial requirement to register upon arrival in the State, the registration / permission to remain must be renewed, usually on an annual basis.
The Registration Office in Burgh Quay processes applications from the Dublin region. An Garda Síochána operate local immigration offices nationwide and process applications from the rest of the country. In 2019 the Registration Office in Burgh Quay processed over 105,000 applications. Of these approximately 60,000/70,000 were renewals. In 2019 An Garda Síochána also processed over 75,000 applications.
Note: In 2019, 3,500 3rd level students used a pilot version of the new process to renew their permissions.
The online system is only available for renewal of registrations. As 1st time registrations required biometrics (a photograph and fingerprints) to be taken, it is not possible to do these online. When the Registration Office reopens, priority will be given to those seeking to register for the first time.
Due to measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure a safe working environment, it is not possible to extend the online renewal of registrations any further at this time.