Stamp 5 Ireland

Stamp 5 gives you permission to remain in Ireland Without Condition As To Time. This means there is no limit on how long you may reside in Ireland under the permission, provided you continue to meet its conditions.

With Stamp 5, you can work in Ireland without an employment permit. However, the permission does not automatically entitle you to a particular public service, benefit or source of state funding. Eligibility for these is decided separately by the relevant government department or public body.

Stamp 5 is generally available to people who have completed eight years, or 96 months, of legal residence in Ireland on qualifying immigration permissions. You must also be legally resident in Ireland when you apply, have complied with the conditions of your previous permissions and satisfy the good-character requirements.

If granted, Stamp 5 is valid until your current passport expires. You must register the permission and renew it when required.

Page Contents

• What is Stamp 5 in Ireland?
• Differences between Stamp 5 and the Other Immigration Stamps
• Eligibility Requirements for Ireland Stamp 5 Application
• Required Documents for Stamp 5
• Stamp 5 Ireland Application Process
• Processing Time and Application Fee
• Reasons for Revocation of Stamp 5 Ireland
• Can My Dependents Join Me in Ireland?
• Stamp 5 and Irish Citizenship
• How Can IAS Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

rish immigration stamps show the basis on which a non-EEA national may remain in Ireland, what activities they may undertake and how long their permission lasts. Stamp 5 differs from most other stamps because it allows the holder to remain without a time limit and to work without an employment permit.

The main stamp categories include:

• Stamp 0: temporary residence subject to strict conditions, normally including financial self-sufficiency and no right to work unless expressly permitted.
• Stamp 1: permission to work or operate a business, usually subject to an employment permit or a letter from Immigration Service Delivery (ISD).
• Stamp 1G: permission commonly granted to eligible graduates seeking work and to certain spouses or partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders or researchers.
• Stamp 2 or 2A: permission to study in Ireland for a specified period. These permissions do not count towards the 96 months required for Stamp 5.
• Stamp 3: permission to remain for a specified period without the right to work, often used for volunteers, ministers of religion and some family members.
• Stamp 4: permission to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit for a specified period. Unlike Stamp 5, it must ordinarily be renewed according to the period granted.
• Stamp 5: permission to remain Without Condition As To Time and to work without an employment permit.
• Stamp 6: an endorsement for an Irish citizen who has dual citizenship and holds a non-Irish passport.

Some stamp categories have several versions with different conditions. The name or number of a stamp alone may therefore not establish whether a period counts towards Stamp 5.

You may be eligible to apply for Stamp 5 if you:

• have completed 96 months of legal residence in Ireland on qualifying permissions
• are legally residing in Ireland when you apply
• have complied with the conditions attached to your previous immigration permissions
• are of good character and have not come to the adverse attention of An Garda Síochána; and
• have not become an undue burden on the State.

ISD currently lists the following stamps as counting towards the 96-month residence requirement:

• Stamp 1
• Stamp 1H
• Stamp 1G
• Stamp 3
• Stamp 4
• Stamp 4D
• Stamp 4S

The following permissions do not count:

• Stamp 4 EUFam
• Stamp 0
• Stamp 2 or Stamp 2A as a student
• Stamp 1A as a trainee accountant
• Stamp 1 as an intra-company transferee
• Stamp 1G as the spouse or dependant of an intra-company transferee
• temporary visitor permission granted at the port of entry
• cancelled immigration permissions

These lists are indicative rather than exhaustive. Only eligible immigration stamps recorded in your passport or copies of expired Irish Residence Permit (IRP) cards can be used to calculate the 96 months. Overlapping permissions are counted only once.

You must submit a completed Stamp 5 application form and evidence of your identity, current immigration status, residence and immigration history. The current application checklist requires:

• a full-colour copy of every page of your current passport, including pages containing entry and exit stamps;
• a copy of your current IRP card;
• full-colour copies of your employment permits;
• your employment contract or a letter from your employer on headed paper confirming your employment details; and
• evidence of your address and residence in Ireland, such as official Revenue documentation and recent bank statements.

ISD’s current guidance asks for bank statements covering the previous six months. You may also need copies of expired IRP cards or relevant passport stamps to establish the full 96 months of qualifying residence.

ISD may request additional evidence from Revenue, employers or other third parties if the documents supplied do not adequately prove your residence. Do not send your original passport: a full-colour copy is required. Every section of the application form is mandatory, so enter “N/A” where a question does not apply and explain any information or document you cannot provide.

The quickest way to apply is through the ISD Customer Service Portal. The process is as follows:

1. Download and complete the current Without Condition As To Time (Stamp 5) application form.
2. Sign the required declarations. A digital signature or typed name is accepted where indicated.
3. Log in to, or create an account on, the ISD Customer Service Portal.
4. Select Domestic Residence & Permissions, followed by Submit an application to DRP and Without Conditions as to Time.
5. Upload the completed application form and all supporting documents. The portal accepts PDF, JPEG and PNG files, with a maximum size of 5MB for each document.
6. Retain your portal reference and use the same query to upload supporting documents or respond to further requests from ISD.

You may alternatively send the application by post, although ISD warns that postal applications can take significantly longer. The postal address is:

Stamp 5 Section
Domestic Residence and Permissions Division
Immigration Service Delivery
Department of Justice
13–14 Burgh Quay
Dublin 2, D02 XK70
Ireland

Incomplete applications will not be processed. You must also remain legally resident and keep your existing immigration permission valid while awaiting a decision.

There is not currently a fee for submitting the Stamp 5 application itself. If your application is approved, you must register the permission. The standard IRP registration fee is generally €300 , although an exemption may apply in some circumstances. Follow the registration and payment instructions in your grant letter and check the current fee before registering.

Stamp 5 applications are processed in the order received and currently take a minimum of six months. High application volumes or requests for further evidence may extend this timeframe. There is no premium or priority processing service. Submitting the application through the Customer Service Portal is normally quicker than applying by post, but it does not guarantee a decision within six months.

Applying for Stamp 5 does not extend your existing immigration permission. You remain responsible for renewing your current permission before it expires while the application is being considered.

Stamp 5 may be revoked if ISD later discovers that you did not qualify, provided false or misleading information or failed to comply with the conditions of the permission.

The conditions require you to:

• obey Irish law and not become involved in criminal activity
• reside continuously in Ireland, allowing for reasonable absences
• make every effort to obtain employment and not become an undue burden on the State; and
• register the permission as required

For Stamp 5 purposes, reasonable absences for holidays, exceptional family circumstances, or overseas commitments arising from Irish-based business or employment should not exceed four months in a year.

ISD may also consider information about your character or conduct, criminal convictions, failure to register, breaches of earlier permissions, or inaccurate information given to the Minister or another state authority. Revocation can have serious consequences, including the issue of an intention to deport, so you should obtain advice promptly if ISD raises concerns about your permission.

Stamp 5 does not automatically give your spouse, partner, children or other family members the right to enter or remain in Ireland. It also does not entitle a family member to receive Stamp 4 or Stamp 5. Each person must qualify for immigration permission in their own right.

Whether a family member can join you depends on factors including your relationship, their nationality, whether they require an entry visa, your circumstances as a sponsor and the applicable family-reunification rules. A visa-required family member will normally need to obtain the appropriate long-stay D Join Family visa before travelling. Permission to enter Ireland is separate from permission to reside, and an eligible family member must complete the relevant registration or residence process after arrival.

Because the correct route and the stamp granted depend on the individual circumstances, family members should not travel or change their existing permission on the assumption that your Stamp 5 gives them an automatic entitlement.