Travel documents for refugees

A travel document allows people living in Ireland who cannot get a passport to travel outside Ireland. People who have been declared a refugee are entitled to a 1951 Convention Travel Document.

You may also be able to get a travel document if you have subsidiary protection status, and you cannot get a national passport from your country of nationality.

You should note that travel documents take 26 weeks or more to process.

You may also need a visa to enter other countries. You should check always with the embassy of the country where you to plan to travel before you go there.

You may be eligible for a travel document if you:

• Have been declared a refugee
• Have been granted Subsidiary Protection status
• Have been granted permission to live in Ireland following a request by the United National High Commissioner for Refugees (a programme refugee)
• You are the family member of any of the above

Family members

You may get a travel document if you are a family member of someone with refugee or subsidiary protection status. You must show that you have tried to get a passport or travel document from your country of nationality.

Your children need their own travel documents.

Refugees

If you were declared a refugee following an application for international protection, you can get a refugee travel document. It says “Convention of 28 July 1951” on the front cover. It is sometimes called a ‘1951 Convention Travel Document’. You can travel to most countries in the EU without a visa, and stay for up to 90 days using this travel document. You should check with the embassy of the country where you plan to travel.

Programme refugees cannot get a 1951 Convention Travel Document. Instead, you can apply for a regular travel document.

A travel document for refugee is valid for a maximum of 5 years.

People with subsidiary protection status

If you were granted subsidiary protection following an application for international protection, ISD may give you a travel document if you cannot get a passport from your country of nationality.

This travel document is valid for up to 5 years (or until your residency is due for renewal).

Since 19 July 2022, if you have a refugee travel document issued by a country outside Ireland, you must apply for a visa to enter Ireland.

You can apply for a travel document online for a fee of €55.

You can also apply by post. To get a paper form, you must email your request to INISTravdoc@justice.ie

You can find information about travel documents on the website of the Irish Immigration Service Delivery.