Requirement & Eligibility for Re-Entry Visas

Since there are many queries with regards to travelling abroad when the IRP card is expired, I'm opening a new thread to summarise all requirements & eligibility for re-entry visas.

For a visa-required national who is residing in Ireland, they normally need a valid IRP card to travel abroad and return to Ireland. However, with the massive delay in Burgh Quay and local Garda stations, many people have not got a chance to apply for their first IRP card, or have their IRP card renewed.

If such person needs to travel abroad for essential reasons, they can apply for a re-entry visa. Eligible applicants include those who:
- recently arrived in Ireland and have not been able to get an appointment to register;
- recently approved for naturalisation and therefore have surrendered the IRP card;
- had an expired IRP card which was automatically extended to a future date by the Minister's directives;
- are dual nationals.

Such people should use the Stamp 6 Re-Entry Visa Application Form to apply for a re-entry visa. They do not need to have a Stamp 6.

Application Form (subject to change): http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/form-REV ... m-REVA.pdf

Documents required:
- Original passport
- Current expired IRP card if you have one
- A cover letter which outlines:
--> why you don't have an IRP card or why the card is expired
--> why you need to travel abroad
--> date of travel & date of return
- Proof of address (utility bills or bank statements)
- Proof of lawful residence (e.g. a college letter for Stamp 2/1a, an employer letter for Stamp 1, a letter issued by the Minister etc)
- 2 passport sized photos
- Proof of travel for essential reasons

The visa officer may request for more documents if you have not been able to prove the 'essential' nature of your travel, or if you have not been able to prove your residence.

P.S.: A re-entry visa allows you to travel back to Ireland. It does not mean you can travel abroad to a different EU country for leisure purposes. Some EU countries currently allow travelling for leisure purposes but the person must be a resident in an EU country (or a non-EU country that EU has opened border to). In these cases, an IRP card is a mandatory requirement to enter these EU countries.

The information above has been verified with INIS today.

This is welcomed news Littlerr

My experience of getting a valid document to re-enter Ireland was interesting to say the least.

The following is only a snapshot of what I went through and hopefully my experience might help someone

My request was essential in that I was not able to apply for the Permanent Residence and Naturalisation without a valid passport.

Passport expired early 2021 but original EUFAM permission expires in 2022.

Unable to renew passport online and no embassy of country of origin available in Ireland. Closest embassy in the UK asking to present in person for passport renewal but with an expired passport unable to get a visitor visa to London.

The only option left was travelling to the home country in person and renew the passport.

Initial email to INIS Dublin advised I travel back home then apply for a re-entry visa (even though the EUFAM permission expires in 2022).

I then contacted the local INIS office (outside Dublin) and wrote a detailed letter of my situation. Luckily they helped and they were able to issue an IRP card valid until the end of EUFAM period, in my case early 2022.

Meanwhile I obtained a Laisser Passer one way travel document from the embassy of home country in London to travel and renew my passport.

Got mine re entry in 7 working days by post

No gnib card..send away with afidavit

Quick