Calls for ‘exorbitant’ cost of non-EU residence permit to be reduced

A group representing migrants is calling for the cost of non-EU residence permits to be dropped in line with other state registration fees.

The fair fees campaign by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) said the “extortionate” annual cost of the Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card needs to drop in line with other European countries’ fees.

The group said it was recently confirmed that although an IRP card costs 300 euro for the resident, it only costs the state 20.44 euro to produce and deliver each card.

It said the IRP card fee doubled to 300 euro in 2012 and has not been reviewed since.

The MRCI said that Ireland’s 300-euro fee compares with 16 euro in Greece, 20 euro in Austria and 80 euro in Luxembourg.

The group is calling on the IRP fee to be dropped in line with similar fees charged for state registrations such as a passport, which costs 75 euro; or driver’s licence, which costs 55 euro.

Lijie Shao, spokeswoman for the campaign group, said: “Can you believe that a 10-year passport costs 75 euro and a driver’s licence costs just 55 euro, but the price of an IRP card is 300 euro?

“It only costs 20 euro to issue. It’s extortionate and unwarranted and we have no other choice but to pay.”

Vanee Renghen, another campaign member, said: “My husband and I have already spent almost 5,000 euro on the IRP card fees. This year we had to postpone my son getting new eyeglasses because we had to pay to renew our IRP cards.”

Ms Shao added: “The Government generates additional income off our backs because of where we come from.

“In the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, we are being forced to make big sacrifices to make ends meet and this fee makes it much worse. Reducing this fee would make us feel equal and valued in the country we call home.”

In a statement, the Department of Justice said the 300 euro fee “is designed to reflect the effort and cost involved in processing registrations”.

An applicant is exempted from the fee if they have refugee status, are aged under 18, are resident and married to an Irish citizen and are a family member of an EU citizen, it added.

“The IRP card granted following a successful registration provides the customer with a secure immigration document including individual biometrics indicators protected by a sophisticated encryption system and showing the holders’ immigration status in the State,” the Department of Justice said.

“This high-quality secure document is easily recognisable for employers and Government agencies alike.”

It added that where a person has an in-date IRP card, there is no requirement to apply for a re-entry visa when returning after a short period abroad.

“The cost of registration has not increased since 2012. However, the fee is kept under ongoing review by the department, including in respect of increases to the costs of providing the facility,” it said.

“There are no current plans to amend the fee.”