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Online visas for all Dublin-based non-nationals

Justice minister Helen McEntee has announced the expansion of the online Registration Renewal System to now include all non-nationals based in Dublin who are seeking to renew their registration in the State.

This will significantly reduce the number of people who need to attend the Burgh Quay Registration Office in person.

Applicants must complete a form online, upload supporting documents, pay the fee and then submit their passport and current IRP card via registered post.

Between today and 20 July, the online system will be made available to those with an urgent need to travel and who require an Immigration Residence Permit (IRP) card before they travel.

The online system will also remain available to students seeking to renew their registrations. 

The Burgh Quay office will also reopen on July 20 to facilitate those who need to register for the first time. This requires biometrics (a photograph and fingerprints) to be taken and cannot be done online.

Pilot

The expansion of the online system follows a successful pilot programme which saw around 3,500 third level students renew their registrations online in 2019.

The Garda Naturalisation and Immigration Bureau (GNIB) processes applications outside of Dublin through the Garda Station network. GNIB is currently considering how they can reopen registration offices countrywide while adhering to public health guidelines, and applicants should contact their local office to confirm when they will reopen.

The Immigration Act 2004 requires non-nationals (non-EU/EEA & Swiss plus some other exceptions) to register if they have been given permission to remain in the State for longer than three months.

Requirement

Alongside the initial requirement to register upon arrival in the State, the registration/permission to remain must be renewed, usually on an annual basis.

The Registration Office on Burgh Quay processes applications from the Dublin region. An Garda Síochána operate local immigration offices nationwide and process applications from the rest of the country. In 2019 the Registration Office on Burgh Quay processed over 105,000 applications.

Of these approximately 60,000/70,000 were renewals. In 2019 An Garda Síochána also processed over 75,000 applications.