MrsKhan wrote:Hi Emilie,
I have only started this ridiculous process myself and I have encountered equally unhelpful gardai at my local garda station where they take at least 10 days to return your call and don't seem to know anything about the immigration system that they are running.... BUT I went into the central GNIB office in Dublin today on Burgh Quay and the security guard (probably not the right person to ask I know but there was a queue a mile long and I had to go to work) said that you do not need an appointment to get your GNIB card there, you just drop in early (VERY EARLY, you will need to queue before 7.30am, possibly starting around 4am if you want to be seen quickly), get a ticket and someone will see you to do it on the spot. I can't vouch for this info as I haven't done it yet myself but if you can get down to Dublin it might be an option for you... maybe give the office a call and they might confirm that for you?
MrsKhan,
That security man is detached from reality (like most people) and the information he gave may be incorrect. As of the last time I checked based on personal experience, your card can only be renewed at Burgh Quay if you live within the Dublin area. If you live outside of Dublin area, you will not be attended to EXCEPT in an extraordinary case if you have the opportunity to meet someone nice at the immigration desk willing to help.
I live in Leixlip and over the last 6years, I have always renewed my permit a week (as I have to be at work) before expiry at Burgh Quay until two months ago when I arrived as usual only to be told things have changed and I needed to call the Leixlip Garda station. I was given this information AFTER I have queued outside in the rain and cold since 530am and have already handed my GNIB card and documents to the officer behind the glass. He told me I will be sorted "shortly" but as I needed to travel out of the country the following week, I mentioned this to him and he said I still needed to contact the Leixlip station
I called the Leixlip station and someone at the other end told me the immigration officer is not available and I needed to leave my name and number for a call back and it may take up to two weeks! I explained I needed to travel and went back to GNIB in Burgh Quay and was sent back to Leixlip!
To get a record of my issues, I emailed the GNIB team and they replied that I needed to go and explain the circumstances to the immigration officer at Leixlip station and he will help. The problem is that I cannot see the immigration officer without appointment and he wont call me back for another two weeks......obviously too late for my planned trip!
I then actioned what I thought was a sensible thing to do under the circumstances. I went to the station and waited till 9pm when the officer finished seeing everyone on the appointment list and explained my issues to him. However, he returned my documents and card and suggested I should wait for him to call me back!
He did not call back for another two weeks to schedule me for a date two weeks after the call! At that stage, my card has expired and it took a whole month from the date I booked appointment before a new card was issued at a cost of e150 then.
I narrated the whole story to highlight the exploitative and inhuman services received by non-EU national by the GNIB. At an exploitative cost of e150 then but now at e300, it is the height of exploitation when the cost of an adult 32page passport is e80.
However, above is not to suggest that it cannot be done at Burgh Quay
All the very best
