Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) is the card that proves you are legally in Ireland, and almost every non-EEA resident staying longer than 90 days needs one. Getting the first card means an in-person appointment; keeping it means renewing online before it expires. Both stages have queues, and the waits change from month to month. This guide explains how the system works in September 2026, what it costs, and what your rights are if your card runs out while you wait.
Who must register and by when
First-time registration: Dublin or anywhere else
Until early 2025, people living outside Dublin registered at their local Garda immigration office. That ended on 13 January 2025, when responsibility for all first-time registrations nationwide transferred to ISD. Wherever you live in the Republic, your first registration now happens in person at the ISD Registration Office, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2. You book through your own ISD customer portal account, which anyone aged 16 or over must create with their own email address; you can set it up before you travel and book once you arrive. There is no fee to book, and no third party can get you a slot faster.
| Item | Figure (September 2026) |
| Registration deadline | Within 90 days of arrival |
| Where to register for the first time | ISD Registration Office, Burgh Quay, Dublin (all counties) |
| Typical wait for a first-time appointment | Normally within 2 to 3 weeks (Citizens Information, page updated 18 August 2026) |
| Fee | €300 per registration or renewal |
| Card delivery after a successful appointment | By post, within about 10 working days (ISD) |
Bring your passport, proof of your permission (for example your employment permit or college letter), proof of address and, where relevant, proof of private health insurance or of your relationship to the person you are joining. The fee is paid only when your registration is completed at the counter.
What it costs and who is exempt
The standard fee is €300 each time you register or renew. You pay nothing if you are under 18, have refugee status or subsidiary protection, have leave to remain under section 49 of the International Protection Act 2015, are resident on the basis of marriage to an Irish citizen, are the family member of an EU citizen exercising treaty rights, or are a recognised victim of domestic abuse. On top of this, employment permit holders will already have paid their permit fee to the Department of Enterprise, so budget for both.
Renewing online
Renewals are done entirely online through the ISD portal: complete the form, upload scans of your passport photo page, both sides of your current IRP and the documents for your permission, pay the fee and note the reference number emailed to you. You can apply from 12 weeks before your current card expires, and no earlier. The new card is posted to you.
Processing times are published live on the ISD website and have moved a lot in 2026. In its notice of 30 June 2026, ISD said extra staff had brought certain renewal categories down to 6 to 8 weeks from application, with no category exceeding 16 weeks. Citizens Information, in its page updated 18 August 2026, still warned that some categories were taking more than 17 weeks. The safe assumption is 2 to 4 months, so apply on the first day the 12-week window opens.
If your card expires while you wait
Do not panic. Provided you applied to renew before your old card expired, you keep the conditions of your previous permission for up to 12 weeks after its expiry while ISD decides. ISD has issued a formal notice to employers confirming this, so if you are an employee show your employer the confirmation email from your renewal application as proof. If the 12 weeks pass without a decision, contact ISD through the registration queries channel with your reference number.
Travel is the main problem. Airlines and immigration officers expect to see a valid IRP when you return, and an expired card plus a pending application is a poor substitute. If you have an emergency or unavoidable need to travel, you can ask ISD for an expedited renewal or an emergency re-entry visa; you will need to explain the urgency and provide proof such as a flight booking, and each request is decided case by case. For planned trips, the practical advice is simple: book travel only for dates when your card is valid.
