With a backlog of residence-card renewals stretching well into January, Ireland’s Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) has issued a special Travel Confirmation Notice allowing legally resident non-EEA nationals to leave and re-enter the country over the festive period using an expired Irish Residence Permit (IRP). The waiver applies from 8 December 2025 to 31 January 2026, provided travellers submitted their renewal applications before their card’s expiry date.
Under the initiative, carriers and border officers are instructed to accept the expired IRP when presented together with a printed copy of the Travel Confirmation Notice and the e-mail receipt proving that a renewal application is pending. ISD says postal delivery of new IRP cards can take two weeks after a renewal is processed, creating anxiety for residents with urgent holiday or business travel plans.
![Expired Irish Residence Permit? Christmas travel waiver granted for non-EEA residents]()
The department has alerted all airlines and foreign missions to the temporary rules but cautions that transit countries may impose their own visa requirements. Travellers are advised to check third-country regulations and to keep additional identity evidence on hand. The waiver does not apply to first-time applicants or to residents who allowed their permission to lapse before filing for renewal.
For global-mobility managers, the notice removes a seasonal pain-point: employees expecting replacement IRP cards can now travel without risking refusal of re-entry. HR teams should distribute ISD’s template notice, remind staff to carry renewal proofs, and verify that travel plans fall within the 8 December–31 January window.
ISD says it continues to add staff and extend office hours to clear the registration backlog, which has grown after record international student intakes and higher demand for family-reunification appointments in late 2025.
Under the initiative, carriers and border officers are instructed to accept the expired IRP when presented together with a printed copy of the Travel Confirmation Notice and the e-mail receipt proving that a renewal application is pending. ISD says postal delivery of new IRP cards can take two weeks after a renewal is processed, creating anxiety for residents with urgent holiday or business travel plans.
The department has alerted all airlines and foreign missions to the temporary rules but cautions that transit countries may impose their own visa requirements. Travellers are advised to check third-country regulations and to keep additional identity evidence on hand. The waiver does not apply to first-time applicants or to residents who allowed their permission to lapse before filing for renewal.
For global-mobility managers, the notice removes a seasonal pain-point: employees expecting replacement IRP cards can now travel without risking refusal of re-entry. HR teams should distribute ISD’s template notice, remind staff to carry renewal proofs, and verify that travel plans fall within the 8 December–31 January window.
ISD says it continues to add staff and extend office hours to clear the registration backlog, which has grown after record international student intakes and higher demand for family-reunification appointments in late 2025.
