Migrant workers paying 'unjustifiable fee for service that is failing them'

James Cox

Migrant workers are paying €300 for a card that costs the State €20.44 to produce, according to the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MCRI).

The group also said workers are then facing waits of up to 16 weeks for the card to arrive.

MCRI has called on the Government to reduce the fee for the Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card and "significantly increase staffing" at the State's registration division.

The group said migrant workers are "paying an unjustifiable fee for a service that is currently failing them".

In its pre-budget submission for Budget 2027, MRCI is calling for the €300 IRP fee to be capped at €75 for first-time registrations and €55 for renewals. The card costs the State €20.44 to produce and deliver.

The IRP is paid annually by non-EU workers including healthcare assistants, chefs, agri-food workers and bus drivers.

The MRCI is also calling for a 30 per cent increase in staffing at Immigration Service Delivery's registration division, after applicants faced delays of up to 16 weeks throughout 2026.

Registrations rose 138 per cent, from 133,058 in 2021 to 316,347 in 2025, while staffing at the division grew by just 71 per cent over the same period, reaching 93.1 whole-time equivalent (FTE) staff in June 2026, up from 89.1 in 2024.

"This fee is completely unfair, and the service migrants are getting for it now makes that even clearer," said Neil Bruton, director of MRCI.

"People are paying €300 a year for a card that costs a fraction of that to produce, then waiting months for it to arrive. We hear from workers who've lost their jobs, missed out on job opportunities, or couldn't travel home even when a family member became seriously ill or died. Many are going without groceries or clothing to cover an exorbitant fee which raises almost €80 million in revenue each year."

At €300, Ireland's IRP fee is one of the highest in Europe for a comparable service, MRCI said.

It is three times Germany's €100, and several multiples of Portugal's €85.80, Luxembourg's €80, Switzerland's €42, Spain's €16.08–€21.87 and Greece's €16.

"A fair fee and a properly staffed service aren't too much to ask," Bruton added. "Budget 2027 is the Government's chance to deliver both."