The 12-week window
Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card shows the date your current permission ends. If you want to stay in Ireland after that date, you renew online before it, and Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) lets you do that from 12 weeks (84 days) before the expiry date.
Two edges of that window matter more than anything else in this guide:
- It has a hard start. Apply even one day before the window opens and ISD refuses the application.
- It has a hard end. If you haven’t applied by the expiry date, you’re out of permission: you’re no longer allowed to stay or work in Ireland.
Inside the window there’s no reason to wait. ISD renews your permission from your current expiry date, not from the day you apply, so applying on the first day costs you nothing.
- Too early: applications are refused
- Best week to apply: as soon as it opens
- You can apply any time in here (numbers = weeks left)
- Apply before this date
ISD doesn’t send reminders. Knowing your dates is up to you, which is what the planner below is for.
Why day one matters right now
ISD processes renewals strictly in the order they arrive, separately for each stamp category, and the queue is long. Once your renewal is approved, the new card can take up to 15 business days to arrive by post. Put together, for most stamps the whole process takes up most of the 12 weeks you have.
| Stamp | Waiting in ISD's queue | Card by post | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stamp 1 and 1H | 7.4 weeks | 3 weeks | 10.4 weeks |
| Stamp 1G | 8.4 weeks | 3 weeks | 11.4 weeks |
| Stamp 2, 2A and 1A | 8.4 weeks | 3 weeks | 11.4 weeks |
| Stamp 4 | 5.1 weeks | 3 weeks | 8.1 weeks |
| All other stamps | 3.4 weeks | 3 weeks | 6.4 weeks |
- Waiting in ISD's queue
- New card by post (up to 15 business days)
- The 12 weeks you have between the window opening and expiry
So if you apply in the last few weeks before your card expires, it will very likely expire before the new one arrives. That isn’t a disaster if you applied in time (see working while you wait), but it makes travel and some paperwork harder for a while.
Work out your dates
Enter your expiry date to see when your window opens, where you stand today, and when your new card is likely to arrive at the current pace. Then add reminders to your calendar.
Renewal planner
Enter the expiry date printed on your IRP card.
If you apply on
- Decision from ISD
- New card by post
- Your current card expires
Worked out in your browser: nothing you enter is sent to us. Estimates use ISD's queue as published on 28 Sep 2026 and assume a complete application.
What to have ready
You apply online and upload scans or clear phone photos of your documents. Everyone uploads the same core documents; your permission adds a few more. Pick your situation to see your list, and tick items off as you gather them.
Document checklist
Scans or clear phone photos are fine, as long as every word is readable. Based on ISD'srequired documents list. Ticks are saved on this device only.
The fee
Most people pay €300 per person, by credit or debit card, when they submit. You don’t pay if you’re renewing as:
- someone under 18
- the spouse, civil partner, widow, widower or surviving civil partner of an Irish citizen
- the spouse or dependant of an EU national who has a residence permit
- a programme refugee, a person with refugee status, subsidiary protection, or permission to remain under the International Protection Act 2015
- a family member reunited with a refugee under section 56 of that Act
- someone granted a change of permission because of domestic violence
If the portal doesn’t offer you a payment step and you think you should pay, check your date of birth and the permission you selected. An application submitted as “fee waived” by mistake is refused, and you’d have to apply again.
How to apply, step by step
- Wait until your window opens. Not before 12 weeks ahead of your expiry date. If you’re on Stamp 2, your course must also have started.
- Make sure you’re in Ireland. You have to be in the country when you apply, and you declare this on the form.
- Log in to the renewals portal, or create an account if you don’t have one yet.
- Choose the Registration Renewal form and fill it in. Each person applies separately, including family members.
- Upload your documents. Every word must be readable.
- Pay the fee if it applies to you, and submit.
- Keep the acknowledgement email. It has your application number (starting with OREG) and your payment receipt. You’ll need it for your employer, for travel and if you contact ISD.
After you apply
| Step | What happens | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgement | ISD emails your OREG number and payment receipt. | Right away |
| In the queue | Applications are processed in date order, per stamp. | See the chart above |
| Questions | If ISD needs more documents, it emails you. Upload them in the portal under My Forms → Additional Information Required, not by post or email. | 14 days to reply, or the application is closed |
| Decision | You get an approval email. It is your proof of permission until the card arrives. | When your turn comes |
| New card | Posted to the home address you gave. It can’t be collected or sped up. | Up to 15 business days |
You can see roughly where you are by comparing the date on your acknowledgement with the submission dates ISD is currently processing, which it publishes on its renewals page and updates weekly. If your card hasn’t arrived 15 business days after approval, raise a query on ISD’s Customer Service Portal. You may be asked for proof of address from the last three months.
Working while you wait
If your card expires while your application is still in the queue, ISD’s notice to employers lets you keep living and working on the conditions of your current card for up to 12 weeks after the expiry date, as long as:
- you applied before your card expired (this includes applications to change stamp),
- you uploaded all the required documents with the application, including a valid employment permit where you need one, and
- you hold a valid, in-date employment permit, or a permission that doesn’t need one.
Show your employer the application receipt with your OREG number, together with the notice. If you were eligible for a Stamp 4 upgrade when you applied and asked to renew on Stamp 4 conditions, you’re covered too, and you don’t need an employment permit while you wait. The full guide, with a work cover checker, is Can I work if my IRP expired while I wait?
Travelling while you wait
ISD asks people not to request faster processing or re-entry visas to travel while a renewal is in progress. What happens if you leave depends on your nationality. The full guide, with a trip checker, is Can I travel while my IRP renewal is pending?
| If you need a visa to enter Ireland | If you don’t need a visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting back in | Apply for a “D” entry visa at the nearest Irish embassy or consulate once you’re abroad, then return on it. | You don’t need an IRP card or a visa to return. |
| What to carry | Passport with your “D” entry visa. Keeping your renewal acknowledgement with you is sensible too. | Passport and evidence of your submitted renewal (your acknowledgement email). |
| Emergency re-entry visa before you go | Only for a genuine, unforeseen emergency, and only if your permission lasts until your return date. | Not needed. |
During busy holiday periods ISD has sometimes published temporary travel notices for people waiting on renewals. The most recent ran from 13 July to 31 August 2026. Check ISD’s news page before you book anything.
If your card has already expired
What you can do now depends on one date: when you applied.
| You applied before the expiry date | You didn’t apply before the expiry date | |
|---|---|---|
| Your status | Your application is in the queue. | You’re out of permission. |
| Work | Usually allowed for up to 12 weeks after expiry, on your current conditions (see above). | Not allowed. |
| What to do | Keep your OREG receipt, reply to any ISD request within 14 days, and wait for your turn. | Get advice before you do anything else. |
Special situations
- Your passport has expired or is lost. You need a valid identity document to renew. If you’ve applied for a new passport, upload your embassy’s confirmation. You’ll probably get permission for a shorter period, and can ask ISD for the rest once your new passport arrives.
- Your passport expires before your permission would. Your permission may only be granted up to your passport’s expiry date.
- Your employment permit is being renewed. Renew the employment permit first. ISD refuses renewals that don’t include a valid, in-date permit.
- You’re moving from Stamp 1 to Stamp 4. Apply in the window as usual, but you must reach 21 months (Critical Skills permit or hosting agreement) or 57 months (General permit) of employment by the time your current card expires. ISD only processes upgrades that meet this at expiry.
- You’re on Stamp 2. Your new course or year must have started before you apply.
- You’ve moved house. You’re legally required to tell ISD, through the Customer Service Portal, with proof of your new address from the last three months. Do it before you renew, so the new card goes to the right place.
- You’ve become an Irish citizen. Once you’ve attended your citizenship ceremony, you don’t need to renew, even if your certificate hasn’t arrived yet.
Common questions
How early can I renew my IRP?
Up to 12 weeks (84 days) before the expiry date on your card. Immigration Service Delivery refuses applications made earlier than that, so check the date before you submit.
Do I lose time if I renew early?
No. Your new permission runs from your current expiry date, not from the day you apply, so applying on the first day of the window costs you nothing.
Will Immigration Service Delivery remind me to renew?
No. ISD doesn't send reminders. You are responsible for knowing your expiry date and applying before it.
Can I renew my IRP from outside Ireland?
No. You must be in Ireland when you apply, and you declare this on the application. Applications made from abroad are refused.
How much does it cost to renew an IRP?
Most people pay €300 per person, by credit or debit card, when they submit. Some people don't pay, including under-18s, spouses and civil partners of Irish citizens, and people with refugee status or subsidiary protection.
Can I keep working if my card expires while I wait?
Usually, yes, for up to 12 weeks after the expiry date, if you applied before your card expired, uploaded all the required documents, and have a valid employment permit or a permission that doesn't need one. If you applied after expiry, this does not apply.
How long does the new IRP card take to arrive?
Up to about 15 business days by post after your renewal is approved. The approval email is your proof of permission until the card arrives.
Can I renew in person instead of online?
No. All renewals and stamp changes are done online, unless a Registration Officer specifically asks you to attend in person.
Sources
All sources checked on 1 Oct 2026.
- Renewing your registration permission if you live in the Republic of IrelandImmigration Service Delivery
- Notice to employers regarding employees awaiting renewal of their IRP cardImmigration Service Delivery
- Interim notice to employers regarding renewal of registration (ended 31 August 2026)Immigration Service Delivery
- Required documents and registration feesImmigration Service Delivery
- Frequently asked questions for registrationImmigration Service Delivery
- Information on Stamp 4 upgradesImmigration Service Delivery
- News and updatesImmigration Service Delivery
- Registration of non-EEA nationals in IrelandCitizens Information