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How to get an Irish Residence Permit
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Last updated on
The Irish Residence Permit (IRP) is your registration certificate. You will be given an IRP whenever you register with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS).
An IRP indicates:
The IRP is not an identity card - it is a registration certificate. It is not valid for any reason except to certify that you are registered with immigration in Ireland.
You must carry your IRP with you at all times and present it to an immigration officer or a member of An Garda Síochána (police) if requested. This includes whenever you leave or re-enter the country.
Note:
From 11 December 2017 the new IRP has replaced the 'GNIB card'. Do not apply for an IRP until your current GNIB card expires.
If you are a non-EU/EEA and non-Swiss citizen and you want to stay in Ireland for any reason for longer than 90 days, you must apply for immigration permission and, if successful, then register.
If your registration is successful, you will be issued with an IRP.
To register you must:
If you want to stay in Ireland past the expiry date on your IRP, you must apply to extend your immigration permission and renew your registration. If successful, you will be given a new IRP.
An IRP costs €300 per person every time you register and renew.
You may also have to pay for a new IRP if your current card is lost or stolen.
The process for issuing IRPs is different if you register in Dublin or outside Dublin.
If you register in Dublin, the immigration officer will arrange to send your IRP to you by post.
Make sure to confirm your exact address, including Eircode, before you leave the registration office.
Your IRP should arrive within 10 to 15 working days. If it does not arrive within 15 working days, contact INIS.
If you register outside Dublin, the immigration officer will arrange a date and time for you to return to the registration office to collect your IRP.
You cannot get an IRP during your first visit to a registration office outside Dublin because parts of the process are managed centrally.
You must return to the registration office to collect your IRP.