Stamp 4 Ireland: Live and Work Without an Employment Permit

For Spouse, Civil Partner or De Facto Partners

In general, you must:

• Be 18 year old or older
• Be in a monogamous, consensual marriage recognised by Irish law
• Be in a monogamous, consensual relationship with proof of having cohabited with your partner for two years prior to your application
• Be able to demonstrate commitment to each other permanently.

As there are several different routes to obtaining Stamp 4, the application process varies according to which visa you have or your reasons for staying in Ireland.

If you are from a non visa required country, you will not need to apply for a visa and can proceed to applying for Stamp 4 straight away. You will still need the same documentation that is required for the visas listed below.

All applications should be done online, unless you have particular mitigating circumstances that means you must apply in-person at your local immigration office.

If you wish to apply for Stamp 4 through the Immigrant Investor Programme, you are required to obtain an Investment Visa.

If you wish to apply for Stamp 4 as a family member, dependant or partner of an Irish citizen or permanent residence permit holder, then you should apply for the Join Family Member Visa.

If you wish to apply as an already long-term resident, then you should be able to apply with the current visa, employment permit and any other immigration permission documents you have.

The application process for Stamp 4 varies greatly depending on which visa you have and the reasons for your stay in Ireland.

In general, it is best to assume that the application process will take between 3 to 6 months, though could take more or less time depending on how complex your personal circumstances are or whether you have any criminal convictions.

We understand that applying for Stamp 4 and all the visas and permits that you may also require takes a lot of time and is complicated. You want to be sure that your application process goes as smoothly as possible – that’s why we are here to help.

Contact our team of expert immigration lawyers at Total Law online or call us on +353 061 518 025 today.

There is no one specific application fee for Stamp 4.

The exact cost of obtaining Stamp 4 will depend entirely on the type of permit you have, as different permits in Ireland carry different application costs. For instance, a long-term General Employment Permit costs an initial €1,000 to apply for, while a long-term Critical Skills Employment Permit costs €1,000.

Alternatively, those who are given Stamp 4 as the result of joining their Irish spouse or partner may not need to pay an application fee at all.

However, it is important to note that there is a general registration fee of €300 if you wish to register your immigration permission in Ireland.

It is advised to carefully check your chosen permit or visa route to determine what fees you may have to pay.

You may have to renew your Stamp 4 permission in order to continue living in Ireland.

Your Immigration Residence Permit (IRP) will normally show the expiry date of your current permission. You can apply to renew your permission up to 12 weeks before its expiry date.

To renew your permission, you will need to log in to your online account on the official ISD website. You will then need to scan your supporting documents and fill in the registration renewal form.

If your application is successful, you will be sent a new IRP with around 10-15 working days.

Most applicants are required to have the following documentation to apply for Irish Stamp 4:

• Stamp 4 application form
• Your current passport with at least 12 months of validity
• A recent passport photograph
• Itinerary detailing your intentions for staying in Ireland
• Previous Irish visas or clearances
• Information detailing any visa refusals or criminal convictions you’ve received in Ireland or abroad (if applicable)
• Either:
  • An Authentic Employment Permit from INIS (Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service) also known as ISD (Immigration Service Delivery), or
  • A letter detailing an offer of employment by an Irish company, or
  • A letter from the Minister of Justice explaining that the applicant is eligible without an employment permit
• Contact details of the relevant persons or companies that are involved in employing you or supporting you with a family work permit
• Irish Residence Permit card (IRP) if you already have one
• Proof of address in Ireland
• Proof of private medical insurance
• Proof that you can financially support yourself for the duration of your stay in Ireland (an employment permit can act as proof of finances)
• Application fee payment, if applicable.

The 2023 and 2024 Rule Changes

If you are an employment permit holder planning your move from Stamp 1 to Stamp 4, two policy updates — one in late 2023 and one in early 2024 — directly affect your eligibility timeline.

In November 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) became the sole authority for Stamp 4 eligibility assessments. Previously, applicants had to obtain a support letter from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) before applying to the DOJ — a two-stage process that has now been removed entirely.

At the same time, however, a stricter rule was introduced: the 21-month qualifying clock was reset to begin from the date of Stamp 1 registration, rather than the date employment started. For applicants who faced delays in obtaining their first Irish Residence Permit, this pushed back their eligibility date significantly.

That approach was reversed in April 2024. From 3 April 2024, the qualifying period is once again calculated from your employment start date in Ireland. The ISD confirmed it will use your Revenue Employment Detail Summary to verify this. As a result, registration delays no longer affect your Stamp 4 timeline.

If you were advised to obtain a bridging employment permit as a result of the November 2023 change, you may have become eligible sooner than anticipated. An immigration adviser can review your specific dates and confirm your position.

Current Qualifying Timelines

Under the rules in force since April 2024, the qualifying periods are:

• Critical Skills Employment Permit holders: 21 months from employment start date. This also applies to Researchers on a Hosting Agreement and Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors holding a Multi-Site General Employment Permit.
• General Employment Permit holders: 57 months from employment start date. This was clarified in the April 2024 update. These applicants can upgrade directly at their local registration office — no separate long-term residency application is required.

Small differences in your employment start date can shift your eligibility window. If your dates are close to a threshold, it is worth getting a professional review before you apply.

Stamp 1 vs. Stamp 4: What Is the Difference?

Both permissions are employment-related, but they work very differently. Stamp 1 is tied to your specific employment permit — including your employer and role. Changing jobs usually requires a new permit and a fresh application.

Stamp 4 removes those restrictions entirely. With Stamp 4 you can work in any role for any employer without an employment permit, change jobs freely, and start or run a business. You also gain access to certain state-funded services and supports, subject to individual eligibility rules.

Both Stamp 1 and Stamp 4 count as reckonable residence for Irish citizenship, provided your stay has been lawful and continuous. However, Stamp 4 is the more significant step — it gives you full access to the Irish labour market and sets you on the clearest path towards long-term settlement.