Ireland has announced a temporary measure allowing eligible foreign residents to travel with recently expired Irish Residence Permit cards until August 31, 2026, as authorities work to clear a backlog in residence permit renewals.

The initiative, announced by the Minister of State for Migration, Colm Brophy, is aimed at assisting non-European Economic Area nationals legally resident in Ireland whose applications to renew their residence permits are still being processed.

This is contained in a statement published on the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Immigration website on July 13 and sighted on Wednesday.

The department said the Immigration Services Registration Office at Burgh Quay in Dublin was experiencing a surge in renewal applications, with processing times exceeding 17 weeks for some categories.

It said, “The Immigration Services Registration Office Burgh Quay, Dublin, is currently experiencing a very large volume of applications with a current processing time to renew an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card in excess of 17 weeks for some categories.”

It added that after the renewal of registration is completed, applicants may wait a further two weeks before receiving their new IRP cards.

To ease travel during the summer period, the department said eligible applicants whose renewal applications were submitted before their current IRP cards expired would be allowed to travel using the expired cards.

It stated, “To facilitate Non EEA Nationals legally resident in the State who are required to renew their current permission and who wish to travel internationally during the summer period, the Minister is issuing a Travel Confirmation Notice requesting carriers to allow individuals to travel on their recently expired IRP card where an application to renew their permission was submitted in advance of the expiry date of their IRP card.”

According to the department, the arrangement applies from July 13 to August 31, 2026.

“Non-EEA Nationals in the State who are required to apply for a renewal of their IRP card may use their current recently expired IRP card to enable them to travel in confidence from 13 July 2026 to 31 August 2026, provided an application to renew their registration permission was submitted in advance of the expiry date of their IRP Card,” the statement added.

The department advised travellers to print and carry the Travel Confirmation Notice, their expired IRP card and proof that they submitted a renewal application before the card expired.

It also urged travellers to contact their airlines before departure to ensure the temporary arrangement would be recognised and warned those transiting through third countries to verify whether the travel notice would be accepted before booking flights.

“The Department will advise all airlines and foreign missions of the initiatives in place. The Department will continue to process applications for renewals,” it said.

The latest measure comes as Ireland continues to face mounting backlogs in processing residence permit renewals, with applicants in several immigration categories reportedly waiting up to 17 weeks for renewed documentation.

The announcement also follows recent changes to Ireland’s employment permit system, including reforms aimed at addressing labour shortages in sectors such as construction, healthcare, transport, agri-food and specialist services.