Stamp 4 Permission for Non-EEA Parents of an Irish Citizen Child
If your child is an Irish citizen by birth or other means and you are not, you can obtain permission to reside in Ireland with a Stamp 4 permission for up to 3 years. Non-EEA parents of Irish citizen children below 18 are eligible if they meet other criteria.
For more information, advice, or immediate assistance with acquiring immigration permission as a parent of an Irish child, call us today on (+353) 061 518 025.
Page Contents
- Parent of an Irish citizen child permission
- Eligibility requirements for Permission to Remain for the Parent of an Irish Citizen Child
- Location and applying for this permission
- How to apply
- What to expect after applying
- Application approval
- Application refusal
- What is a Stamp 4 permission?
- How can Total Law help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Parent of an Irish Citizen Child Permission?
If your child was born in Ireland before 1st January 2005, your child may be an Irish citizen automatically. Also, if your child’s other parent is an Irish citizen, or if your child has an Irish-citizen grandparent, your child may be eligible for Irish citizenship by descent — but this requires a separate application to the Foreign Births Register. It does not happen automatically.
As a non-EU/EEA parent of an Irish citizen child, you may want to live in Ireland with your child despite not being a citizen or EU national. In that case, you will need immigration permission that allows you to reside in the State.
According to the ISD, non-EEA parents of Irish-born citizen children can apply for Stamp 4 permission to reside in Ireland. The child must hold an Irish passport, reside full-time in Ireland, and be under 18 (with a limited exception for adult children with a disability making independent living impossible). The parent must be named on the child’s birth certificate as the biological parent and must demonstrate active involvement in the child’s upbringing.
Should you have any questions or need immediate assistance with your application to reside in Ireland based on being a parent of an Irish child, please call us on (+353) 061 518 025 today.
Eligibility Criteria for Stamp 4 as Parent of an Irish Citizen Child
Permitted family members for this residence permission are biological parents who are non-Irish nationals.
You may be eligible for permission to remain in Ireland based on your Irish citizen child if:
- You are the biological parent of the Irish child citizen
- Your Irish child is residing full-time and permanently in the State
- You are emotionally and/or financially involved in the upbringing of the Irish child
- Your Irish child is under the age of 18
- You are on the birth certificate of the Irish child as the biological parent
If your name is not on the child’s birth certificate as a parent, you will need to re-register the certificate to include your name. You may also be required to provide evidence of a biological link, such as a verifiable DNA result and proof of your involvement in the child’s life.
In general, the Minister for Justice may request verifiable DNA evidence to prove you are the child’s biological parent.
It is crucial that your child already has an Irish passport before applying for this permission. If your child doesn’t have an Irish passport, you can apply for one and get it first before making your own application.
Who Can Apply and Where to Submit Your Application
Before you can apply, you must be present in the State — but you do not need to hold a valid permit. The Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) accepts applications from those who have no valid permission or whose previous permission has expired.
You cannot apply from outside Ireland, so if you are currently outside the country, you can seek entry clearance through obtaining any other Irish visa or a Long Stay D ‘reside parent of Irish citizen child’ visa to allow you to enter the country.
However, if you are from a country that is visa-exempt, you can request temporary permission to enter Ireland to make an application at the port of entry. When in Ireland, you should go to your local immigration office and apply for permission to reside as the parent of an Irish child before the temporary permit expires.
Also, your Irish citizen child must live in Ireland permanently. If they don’t, you cannot apply for permission to remain in Ireland under this scheme.
We understand that living with your child in Ireland without restrictions is important to you. As such, we can help you obtain permission to remain in Ireland if you are a non-EEA parent of an Irish citizen child.
For more information on how we can help you or advice concerning this immigration route, please call us on (+353) 061 518 025 or contact us online.
How to Apply for Parent of Irish Citizen Child Permission — Three Pathways
There are two ways to apply for permission to become an Irish resident based on an Irish child’s parent.
Pathway 1: Entered on a D Reside Visa or Given a Join Family Stamp
The first option is for those who entered Ireland on a Long Stay D Reside Parent of an Irish citizen child visa or have a Stamp 1, Stamp 2, or Stamp 3 immigration permission to remain in Ireland.
If you are in this category, you can go to your local immigration office to request permission to remain in Ireland as a result of your child. You must go along with your child and the following documents:
- Your passport
- Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card, if it applies
- Your child’s Irish passport
- Your child’s birth certificate that has your name on it
- Proof that you reside in Ireland, such as utility bills and rental/mortgage agreements
- Documentary evidence of your child’s address in Ireland, such as a letter from your child’s doctor or school
Pathway 3: Entered on a Short Stay Visa or Have No Valid Permission
The second option is for those who entered Ireland with a Short Stay ‘C’ visa or don’t have a valid immigration stamp or permission.
If you are in this category, you must complete the Parent of Irish Citizen Child Application Form and submit it, along with all required supporting documents, via the ISD’s dedicated Customer Service portal at portal.irishimmigration.ie..
The documents include:
- A full copy of your valid passport
- Two passport photographs of you with your signature at the back
- A copy of your child’s birth certificate
- A copy of the biodata page of your child’s valid Irish passport
- Two proofs that the child lives permanently in Ireland such as a:
- Copy of the Immunisation passport
- Letter from their doctor confirming their attendance at medical appointments
- Letter from their school/crèche confirming attendance
- At least two pieces of evidence of your residency in the State, if it applies, such as a:
- Letter from a rental agency, rental contract, or tenancy agreement
- Letter of Registration of Tenancy from the Private Residential Tenancies Board
- Utility bills in your name
- Bank statements in your name
- Mobile phone bills in your name
- At least two pieces of evidence that you play an active role in your child’s life, such as a:
- Letter from the child’s school/crèche providing records that you attended parent/teacher meetings or dropped off or collected the child
- Letter from the child’s doctor confirming that you attended medical appointments with the child
- Access Orders/Agreements and letter from the other biological parent confirming attendance at access appointments
- Letter from child’s social worker confirming applicant’s role in the child’s life
- Statutory declaration from the other biological parent outlining the emotional and financial role you play in the life of the citizen child
- Evidence of applicant’s relationship with the other biological parent of the Irish citizen child before the birth of the Irish citizen child, such as a:
- Marriage certificate
- Proof you live together as a couple
- Dated photographs where you both appear together
What Happens After You Apply — Decision Times and Current Delays
After applying for permission to remain in Ireland, ISD will review your application to determine if you should be granted permission to reside in Ireland based on your child’s Irish citizenship.
While waiting for a decision, you are not allowed to work unless you have permission to do so. You can apply for an Employment Permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment while you wait.
If Your Application Is Approved: Stamp 4 Duration and Registration
As confirmed by the ISD, non-EEA parents of Irish citizen children who successfully apply will receive a Stamp 4 permission. This permission lasts between six months and three years, depending on the applicant’s role in the child’s life and their immigration history in Ireland.
Stamp 4 allows the holder to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit, establish and operate a business, and access state services.
When registering, you should bring your Irish citizen child along with you, and you may have to pay a fee. If you don’t register your permission, future applications for Irish visas or citizenship may be refused.
If Your Application Is Refused: No Appeal, But You Can Reapply
If your application is refused, you will receive a letter of refusal with reasons for the refusal. You cannot appeal a refusal of this permission, but you can reapply at any time.
If your application was refused, we recommend that you contact immigration lawyers to review the reasons for the refusal and your chances of being accepted if you re-apply and assist with re-application if you are eligible. Call us today at (+353) 061 518 025 to discuss.
What Does Stamp 4 Permission Allow You to Do in Ireland?
Stamp 4 permission allows you to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit for the duration it is valid. Also, you can establish and operate a business and access state funds and services.
If you wish to be a citizen in the future, a Stamp 4 permission will come in handy because time spent in Ireland on a Stamp 4 counts as reckonable residence when applying for Irish citizenship by naturalisation.
How Can Immigration Lawyers Help With Your Stamp 4 Application?
Total Law provides Irish immigration support to foreign nationals who want family reunification opportunities in Ireland. We have a wealth of experience and are understand Ireland’s immigration laws to help you to stay with your family member.
We can help you complete a high standard application to maximise your chances of securing permission to remain in Ireland with your child or children who are Irish citizens. Our services cover all aspects of applying for this immigration permit, from accessing your eligibility to advising you, to preparing and submitting a quality application on your behalf. Call us now on (+353) 061 518 025 to get started on obtaining permission to remain in Ireland with your Irish child or children.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no application fee. However, you may be required to pay to register your Stamp 4 permission in the local registration office, but that differs by the office.
Since this permission isn’t just for any non-EEA family member of an Irish citizen, You may be required to get a DNA test to prove your family relationship as a biological parent. This may be necessary when applying for permission to remain with your Irish citizen child. Home DNA tests or those from unauthorised clinics will not be accepted as proof of parentage.
If you need to get a DNA test, you must use a court-approved DNA service so that the test results are legally defensible in court.
When you have made an appointment with the court-approved DNA service, you must inform the Parent of Irish citizen child unit of the time and location of the test. That is to ensure that department representatives are available to attend the test if necessary.
Yes. The Minister for Justice may revoke your permission to remain with your Irish child if it is discovered that you did not meet the qualifying criteria or provided false information when applying.
Your permission may also be revoked if any of the following comes to light:
- You broke the conditions of your permission
- You are not of good character
- This may be because of criminal convictions that happened before or after you were granted permission. Regardless of when it happened, the Minister will consider the nature of the conviction to determine the decision.
- If it happened before your application, inform the Minister for Justice in your application.
- You did not register your permission with your local immigration officer
- You provided misleading or inaccurate information to the Minister for Justice or other Irish authorities
If your permission is revoked and you don’t have any other permission to reside in the state, the Minister for Justice may issue you an intention to deport.
The term “Zambrano rights” refers to an EU Court of Justice ruling (Case C-34/09, Ruiz Zambrano, 2011) which established that EU member states cannot refuse residence to a non-EU parent of an EU citizen child where doing so would effectively force the EU citizen child to leave the EU. In Ireland, this principle is implemented through the parent of Irish citizen child permission described on this page. If your child is an Irish citizen and lives in Ireland, you may have a right to remain in Ireland under this doctrine. Because these are discretionary permissions assessed case by case, we strongly recommend taking legal advice before applying.
The parent of Irish citizen child permission applies while your child is under 18. If your child turns 18 during the period your Stamp 4 is valid, your existing permission will remain valid until its expiry date. However, at the point of renewal, you would no longer qualify under this scheme unless your child is over 18 with a mental or physical disability that makes independent living impossible. In that case, you would need to demonstrate this to the ISD as part of your renewal application. We recommend seeking legal advice well before your child’s 18th birthday to plan your alternative immigration options.
