Stamp 4 Ireland

An Irish Stamp 4 is issued to foreign nationals seeking long-term residency in Ireland and a path to Irish citizenship.

Irish residence permits are officially called ‘immigration stamps‘. They range from Stamp 0 to Stamp 6, with each stamp number denoting the residence permit type and conditions of stay.

A non-EU/EEA citizen or resident who wants to remain in Ireland for longer than 90 days must usually apply for appropriate immigration permission and an employment permit to live and work in Ireland legally. The Stamp 4 permit removes these restrictions.

It is a long-term residence permit that allows non-EU/EEA nationals, including Canadians, to live, work, and study in Ireland without requiring a separate employment permit. A Stamp 4 Ireland grants its holder the right to:

• Legally work or practice any profession (subject to the relevant conditions of the profession) without requiring additional permits.
• Start or run a  business in Ireland
• Access state funds and publicly funded services

Stamp 4 permit applications must usually be made from inside Ireland. This means you must have lived in Ireland under other qualifying immigration permissions to qualify for a Stamp 4 permit. However, in certain special circumstances, you can apply for a Stamp 4 permit from abroad or as your first Irish resident permit.

A Stamp 4 permit is valid for 2 years on initial issuance and can be renewed for up to 5 years. Holders of Stamp 4 Ireland can apply for Irish citizenship by naturalization, provided they meet other eligibility requirements.

Page Contents

• What Is an Ireland Stamp 4 Permit?
• Eligibility Criteria for a Stamp 4 Residence Permit
• Required Documents for Stamp 4 Application
• How to Apply For and Register a Stamp 4?
• Stamp 4 Application Costs
• Validity of a Stamp 4 Permit
• Stamp 4 Ireland to Irish Citizenship
• How Total Law Can Help
• Frequently Asked Questions

Canadians may be granted Stamp 4 Ireland if they have held permission to work in Ireland with:

• A valid Critical Skills Employment Permit for 2 years
• A valid General Employment Permit for 5 years
• A  valid 2-year Hosting Agreement as a researcher
• You have been legally resident in Ireland for a minimum of 5 years with a Stamp 1G permit as the spouse, de facto partner, or dependent child of an employment permit holder.

You can also be given a Stamp 4 as your initial Irish residence permit if you’ve been granted permission:

• For long-term residence in Ireland
• To join your spouse, civil partner, or de facto partner who is an Irish citizen or an EU/EEA national with a valid Irish residence permit.
• To stay in Ireland with your child who is an Irish citizen
• As a convention or programme refugee, or have been granted subsidiary protection
• To join a family member who is a recognized refugee or has been granted subsidiary protection.
• To reside in Ireland under the Investor and Entrepreneur Programme
• As the spouse, de facto partner, or minor child of one granted permission to remain under the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP).

When registering for a Stamp 4, you must provide relevant documents demonstrating that you meet the eligibility requirements.

If you’re registering for a Stamp 4 based on a previous stay in Ireland under an employment permit, you can submit copies of your documents, as you must have provided the original documents in your first residence permit application. However, if you’re applying for a Stamp 4 as your first Irish residence permit, you must provide original documents.

The required documents for a Stamp 4 registration for Stamp 1 (Critical Skills Employment Permit, General Employment Permit, Multi-site General Employment Permit, and Research Hosting Agreement) holders include:

• A copy of the biometric page of your current and valid passport
• Copies of the front and back of your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card
• Copies of your valid employment permits or valid hosting agreement permissions issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment
• A copy of your most recent payslip
• A letter from your employer confirming your current employment, job title, employment start date, and location of employment. The letter must be less than 3 months old.
• Copies of “Employment Details Summaries” issued for each year of your employment under the relevant employment permit.

Note that you must have held a Critical Skills Employment Permit, Multi-site General Employment Permit, or Hosting Agreement permission for a minimum of 21 months on the day of your application to register for a Stamp 4 permit. If you’re a General Employment Permit holder, you must have held it for at least 57 months on the day you apply to register a Stamp 4.

If you’re applying to register a Stamp 4 based on a family relationship (as a spouse, de facto partner or parent of a minor) with an Irish citizen, you must submit the following documents.

• The biometric page of your current and valid passport
• The biometric page of your Irish spouse/partner or Irish child’s current and valid passport
• Proof of family relationship: Marriage certificate, civil partnership registration, or your Irish child’s birth certificate
• Front and back copies of your current Stamp 1G residence permit if applying based on 5 years of residence in Ireland as the spouse/partner of an employment permit holder.
• Proof of your joint current address with your Irish spouse or civil partner.
• If applying as a parent of an Irish child, provide proof of your current address and that of your child. You can use a letter from your child’s school or doctor as proof of address.
• Letter of permission from the Department of Justice detailing the conditions under which you’re being granted a Stamp 4 (if applicable).
• Private medical or travel insurance providing accident and medical cover, including hospital stays in Ireland, for at least 1 year. You do not need to provide medical insurance when applying for a Stamp 4 renewal.

Stamp 4 is a type of Irish residence permit and, as such, must be registered in person within Ireland. If you’re already in Ireland under a relevant employment permit, then the Stamp 4 is not your first residence permit. You can book an appointment with the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) in Dublin or your local Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) office to register your Stamp 4 permit.

However, those applying for a Stamp 4 permit from abroad based on family reunification or as a participant in the Irish Start-up Entrepreneur Programme must first obtain an entry visa to Ireland and then register their Stamp 4 permit upon arrival in Ireland.

The Stamp 4 application and registration process for foreign nationals who are currently not resident in Ireland is as follows:

1. Prepare supporting documents: Gather all relevant supporting documents that prove eligibility for a Stamp 4 visa.
2. Apply for an Irish entry visa: Create an account on the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Services (INIS) website. Fill out the relevant visa application form (family reunification or entrepreneur visa), pay the application fee, upload relevant supporting documents, and submit your application.
3. Attend a biometric appointment and interview: Depending on your circumstances, you may be required to attend an interview with Irish immigration officers. You also have to submit your biometric data (photo and fingerprints).
4. Get your Stamp 4 visa: Once your application is approved, you’ll be issued a visa allowing you to enter Ireland and register your Stamp 4 permit. The visa is usually in the form of a stamp attached to your passport. You can travel to Ireland immediately after receiving your visa.
5. Book an immigration registration appointment: You must book an appointment to register your immigration permission with the Immigration Service Delivery within 90 days of arriving in Ireland.
6. Attend registration appointment: You must attend an appointment to register your immigration permission in person at the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) office in Burgh Quay, Dublin. Your Irish family member must accompany you to the appointment, and you must bring along all the relevant supporting documents.

You’ll typically receive your Stamp 4 IRP by post within 10 to 15 days of attending your appointment. However, there may be delays during peak periods, such as at the start of an academic year.

Once you’ve booked or attended an immigration permission appointment, you have the right to remain in Ireland even if you don’t receive your IRP within the 90 days.

The standard Stamp 4 registration fee for adult applicants is €1,000. You are exempt from paying this fee if:

• You are a minor (below 18 years old)
• You are the spouse, civil partner, widow, or widower of an Irish citizen
• You are the spouse, de facto partner, or dependent child of an EU national resident in Ireland with a valid residence permit.
• You have been granted refugee status or subsidiary protection under Sections 47[1] and [4] of the International Protection Act 2015.
• You have permission to remain in Ireland under Section 49[4][a] of the International Protection Act 2015
• You have the right to family reunion with a family member granted refugee status or subsidiary protection in Ireland under Section 59 of the International Protection Act 2015.

On initial issuance, a Stamp 4 permit is valid for 12 months if you qualified for it based on your residence in Ireland under a General Employment Permit for 5 years. For all other categories of applicants, a Stamp 4 permit is valid for 24 months upon initial issuance.

You can apply to renew your Stamp 4 up to 12 weeks before the expiry date, regardless of whether your IRP has a 12-month or 24-month validity. Stamp 4 renewal applications are made online on the Irish Naturalization and Immigration (INIS) website.

A Stamp 4 permit qualifies as “reckonable residence” and counts towards meeting the eligibility requirements for Irish citizenship. You need at least 5 years of reckonable residence within the last 9 years to qualify for Irish naturalization, including 1 year of continuous residence just before your application date.

This means you may be eligible for Irish citizenship by naturalization after 1 to 3 years of holding a Stamp 4 IRP if you previously held an employment permit with a Stamp 1 residence permit, since Stamp 1 permits also qualify as reckonable residence.

If a Stamp 4 is your first Irish residence permit, you will generally be eligible to apply for Irish nationality after 5 years of living in Ireland under the Stamp 4 permit. If you are married to or in a civil partnership with an Irish citizen, the reckonable residence requirement reduces to 3 years.