The short answer
- No open scheme: the 2022 regularisation scheme for undocumented people is closed.
- IRP expired? Some people have a route back, but you’re out of permission meanwhile: no work.
- A section 3 letter: you have 15 working days to leave, consent to deportation, or make your case.
- Voluntary return: flights, help and a grant, with no re-entry ban. A deportation order means a lifetime ban on Ireland and the EU.
See your options
Options checker
Your realistic options, any deadline, and what voluntary return involves.
What to have ready
From ISD’s Repatriation Division and Voluntary Returns pages. Not legal advice: get advice now. Nothing you enter is sent or saved.
If your IRP expired
If you didn’t apply to renew before your card expired, ISD treats you as out of permission: you can’t stay or work, even after applying late. ISD describes routes back for spouses, parents, dependants, permit holders and students. Time without permission doesn’t count towards Irish citizenship.
The section 3 letter
If you’re refused protection or found to be illegally resident, ISD can send you a notification of intention to deport, under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999. It gives you three options:
- Leave voluntarily.
- Consent to deportation.
- Send written representations to the Minister on why you shouldn’t be deported, within 15 working days.
The Minister weighs:
| You | Your age, character and conduct, including any convictions |
| Your life here | How long you’ve lived here, your family and domestic circumstances, your connection with Ireland |
| Work | Your employment record and prospects |
| Wider | Humanitarian considerations, the common good, security and public policy |
| Safety | Whether you’d face serious harm if returned (non-refoulement) |
The outcome is either a deportation order or permission to remain, with conditions you register.
Deportation orders
A deportation order is served on you, and you must present to the Garda National Immigration Bureau on the date and time given. If you don’t, you become liable to arrest and detention. It means a lifetime ban on entering Ireland and the EU.
You can ask the Minister to revoke it on Form 3.11, with a criminal declaration, but only on new or changed circumstances.
Voluntary return
Voluntary return is open to people with no legal status, and to people whose protection claim was refused or withdrawn. It isn’t open to people considered a danger to security, or convicted of a particularly serious crime.
| Voluntary return | Deportation | |
|---|---|---|
| How | Your choice | Enforced |
| Detention | None | A risk |
| Travel | Like any passenger | Escorted |
| Help | Flights, travel document, a grant | None after arrival |
| Coming back | No re-entry ban: you can return legally | Lifetime ban on Ireland and the EU |
If you’re undocumented, the reintegration grant is up to €1,200, or €2,000 for a family, partly on a prepaid card and partly in kind. Apply with ISD’s form, or email voluntaryreturns@justice.ie. For confidential counselling first, call IOM on Freephone 1800 406 406: asking doesn’t affect your case.
Leaving on your own? Tell ISD after you’ve gone, if you’ve ever held a permission or applied for protection. It can stop a deportation order being made in your name, or your children’s.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
What happens if I overstay my visa in Ireland?
You're illegally resident, and ISD can send you a notification of intention to deport under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999. You also can't work, and the time doesn't count towards citizenship.
Is there an amnesty for undocumented people in Ireland?
Not now. The Regularisation of Long-Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme ran from 31 January to 31 July 2022 and is closed.
What is a section 3 letter?
A notification that the Minister intends to make a deportation order. It gives you three options: leave voluntarily, consent to deportation, or send written representations on why you shouldn't be deported, within 15 working days.
What does the Minister consider?
Your age, how long you've lived here, your family and domestic circumstances, your connection with Ireland, your work record and prospects, your character and conduct, humanitarian considerations, the common good, security, and whether you'd be at risk if returned.
What's the difference between voluntary return and deportation?
A voluntary return isn't enforced, has no detention or escort, and leaves no re-entry ban, so you can come back legally later. A deportation order is enforced, can involve detention, and means a lifetime ban on entering Ireland and the EU.
How do I get help to go home?
Apply for voluntary return through ISD's Voluntary Returns team (voluntaryreturns@justice.ie). Flights, help with a travel document and a reintegration grant are available. For confidential advice first, call IOM on Freephone 1800 406 406.
Can a deportation order be revoked?
You can ask, with Form 3.11 and a criminal declaration, but only on new or changed circumstances the Minister hasn't already seen. Meanwhile, you must keep to any reporting requirements.
Sources
All sources checked on 5 Oct 2026.
- Repatriation divisionImmigration Service Delivery
- Voluntary ReturnsImmigration Service Delivery
- Regularisation of Long-Term Undocumented Migrants SchemeCitizens Information
- How to become an Irish citizen guide (time that doesn't count)Immigration Service Delivery