Non-EEA family members or dependents of UK nationals continue to hold the same residence rights to live, work or study in Ireland, if they resided here at the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. It is estimated that approximately 6,000 non-EEA nationals resident in Ireland may apply for a new residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement as family members of UK nationals.
Non-EEA family members or dependents of UK nationals are required to exchange their current valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card for a new one stating that they benefit from the Withdrawal Agreement. This card exchange programme has applied from 1 January 2021, and is administered by my Department for applicants nationwide. Applications are made through an online renewal system.
Those who have not yet applied to exchange their card can do so until 30 June 2022.
As of February 2022 (the latest date for which statistics are available), some 2,023 card exchange applications have been received, of which 2,001 have been completed. The ten most common nationalities of those applying for Withdrawal Agreement cards are set out in the following table.
|
Nationality
|
Count
|
|
South African
|
879
|
|
Pakistan
|
369
|
|
Nigeria
|
122
|
|
Afghanistan
|
113
|
|
India
|
59
|
|
United States of America
|
56
|
|
Philippines
|
51
|
|
Brazil
|
40
|
|
China
|
36
|
|
Thailand
|
24
|
