Stamp 2 Ireland

Ireland’s Stamp 2 immigration permission acts as an Irish Residence permit for non-EU citizens taking a course which is on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes, including eligible degree and English or language programmes.

It can be extended for up to a total duration of 7 years and grants limited working permissions, allowing the holder to work for up to 20 hours a week during term time and up to 40 hours a week outside of term time. However, it does not provide a direct route to Irish citizenship and does not count towards the minimum residence period when applying for Irish citizenship by naturalisation.

Ireland also offers a Stamp 2A Residence permit for students studying a course which is not on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes. This stamp is used in the case of international students studying at an Irish private secondary school, for example. However, this stamp does not allow the holder to work within Ireland for any number of hours and also does not provide a route to Irish citizenship.

Note that, if you are a citizen of the EU or the UK, you will not require an immigration stamp in order to study in Ireland, for any duration of time.

Page Contents

• What is Ireland Stamp 2 Visa?
• Stamp 2 Eligibility Criteria
• What is the Interim List of Eligible Programmes?
• How to Apply for Stamp 2 Ireland?
• Required Documents for Stamp 2 Ireland
• Cost and Processing Time for Irish Stamp 2
• WHat is Stamp 2A in Ireland?
• Other Types of Irish Immigration Stamps
• Stamp 2 Extension in Ireland
• Applying for Irish Citizenship
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

When applying for Irish stamp 2 immigration permission, there are a number of eligibility criteria which you will need to satisfy. These are generally as follows:

• You must have confirmation from an eligible education institution confirming your enrolment on an eligible course
• You must have a clean criminal record
• You must have sufficient financial means to support yourself during your time in Ireland
• You must have sufficient private medical insurance or travel insurance, which includes cover for hospital stays

When in Ireland, you will also have to satisfy certain conditions in order to remain in good immigration standing, such as the following:

• You must not work for more than 20 hours per week during term time and more than 40 hours per week during holiday periods
• You will not be able to access publicly funded benefits or services
• You will not be able to extend your stamp 2 immigration permission beyond a total duration of 7 years
• In general, you will not be able to be joined by your immediate family members, unless you are studying a PhD or in other exceptional circumstances

To learn more about whether you satisfy the stamp 2 eligibility criteria, contact Total Law today.

The Interim List of Eligible Programmes provides a list of programmes which are eligible to support stamp 2 immigration permission. This list can be found on the Irish government website. If you have an offer of study for one of the programmes included on the list then you can apply for stamp 2 permission, provided that you satisfy the other eligibility criteria. The following course types are included on the list:

• English language programmes which are at least 25 weeks long
• Undergraduate and postgraduate university programmes
• Professional awards
• Foundation degree programmes

If you wish to study a course which is not on the list, you may be eligible for stamp 2A immigration permission. Further guidance on this stamp is provided later in the article.

When applying for stamp 2 immigration permission, you will first need to apply for an eligible course – specifically, a course which is on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes.

Once you have been accepted onto the course, you can then apply for stamp 2 immigration permission. You will be able to submit a Student visa application online, using the AVATS application form. You will also need to pay the application fee and provide your supporting documents.

If your application is successful, you will be granted an entry visa which will allow you to enter Ireland. You will then need to register for the Stamp 2 Residence permit within 90 days of your arrival in the country.

In general, the Residence permit will generally have a duration period of 1 year and can be renewed for a total period of up to 7 years, as required. You will need to satisfy certain conditions in order to do so, however, such as remaining enrolled in the course in question. Further details are provided on the stamp 2 extension process later in this article.

When applying for stamp 2 immigration permission in Ireland, you will need to provide a range of documents in support of your application. The exact documents which you need to provide will depend on the type of programme which you are planning to complete.

If you are applying as an English or Irish language student, the documents which you will need to provide are as follows:

• Valid passport
• A letter from the education provider confirming your enrolment
• Proof of paid tuition fees
• Private medical/travel insurance
• • The insurance must be valid for at least 12 months (or for the duration of your stay if your course is shorter than 12 months) and must cover hospital stays

If you are applying as a degree student, you will need to provide the following documents:

• Valid passport
• A letter from your education provider confirming that you have paid your university fees
• Proof of scholarship funding (where applicable)
• Private medical/travel insurance
• • The insurance must be valid for at least 12 months (or for the duration of your stay if your course is shorter than 12 months) and must cover hospital stays

If you are applying as an Erasmus or Erasmus+ student, you will need to provide the following:

• Valid passport
• One of the following:
  • Copy of the Mobility Agreement
  • Copy of the Learning Agreement
  • Copy of the Inter-institutional Agreement
• Details of the insurance which the project organiser provides
• In the case of minors, details of the adult(s) accompanying the minor, where applicable

When applying for Ireland’s stamp 2 visa, you will need to pay an application fee of €300. You will also need to provide evidence demonstrating your ability to financially support yourself during your course.

In some instances, applicants also choose to pay for legal assistance with their application. Contact Total Law today on +44 (0) 333 305 9375 to learn more about our own range of services.

In general, you should receive a decision on your application within 12 weeks. However, waiting times may vary depending on how many other applications are also being processed and whether you are required to provide additional information. In order to minimise delays, make sure to submit your application correctly and to promptly provide any additional information which is requested.

Stamp 2A is intended for applicants who are studying a course which is not on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes, or for the spouses of certain financially independent students (like PhD students).

When living in Ireland with stamp 2A permission, you will not be eligible to access publicly funded services or benefits and will need to obtain sufficient travel insurance.

Stamp 2A immigration permission may be granted in the following scenarios:

• If you are studying a semester abroad at an Irish university or college
• If you are studying at a private Irish secondary school
• If you are the spouse of a student who is financially independent

Ireland offers a wide range of immigration stamps, each designed for different immigration situations. A brief overview of each type is given below:

• Stamp 0: This stamp allows individuals who are financially independent, such as retirees, to stay temporarily in Ireland.
• Stamp 1: Stamp 1 is Ireland’s main Work Residence permit and allows the holder to either work for an Irish company or to start their own business, depending on the particular route.
• Stamp 1H: Stamp 1H allows doctors with a two year Multi-Site General Employment permit to live and work in Ireland for those 2 years.
• Stamp 1A: This stamp allows trainee accountants to complete a full-time, paid accounting course within Ireland.
• Stamp 1G: This stamp allows recent non-EU graduates of an Irish university to live in Ireland and seek Irish employment.
• Stamp 3: This stamp grants Irish immigration permission in certain circumstances such as volunteering in Ireland or working as a minister of religion.
• Stamp 4: This stamp allows the holder to live and work in Ireland without requiring an Employment permit, and serves as long-term immigration permission.
• Stamp 4D: This stamp allows non-EEA eligible family members of UK citizens to live with them in Ireland.
• Stamp 5: This stamp is given to those with permission to remain in Ireland ‘without condition as to time’.

Stamp 6: This stamp is given to individuals with Irish dual citizenship and is entered into their non-Irish passport.

If the duration of your course is longer than the validity period of your Residence permit, you will need to apply to extend your permit in order to maintain your legal immigration status. You should make sure to do so up to 12 weeks before the permit expires. You can apply online via the Immigration Service Delivery but must make sure to be located in Ireland when you do so.

When applying for an extension, you will need to provide evidence that you are still enrolled in the relevant course, still have valid private medical insurance (including cover for accidents and hospital stays), and that you are continuing to pay your enrolment fees. Note that travel insurance is no longer considered sufficient when applying to extend a Residence permit.

In some cases, you may also have to satisfy certain attendance requirements; in the case of English or Irish language students, for example, you will need to provide a letter from your college or school confirming that you have attended at least 85% of your classes.

Stamp 2 immigration permission does not provide a direct route to Irish citizenship. This is because time spent in Ireland with stamp 2 immigration permission does not count towards the minimum residence period when applying to become a citizen of Ireland. The stamp is intended as a Study visa, rather than a visa which provides a route to eventual permanent settlement.

However, if you successfully find a job in Ireland after graduating, this may provide you with a route to Irish citizenship, once you have satisfied the minimum residence requirements, which are as follows:

• You will need to continuously live in Ireland for at least 1 year prior to submitting your citizenship application, not spending more than 70 days outside of Ireland during this time (with an additional 30 days of absence sometimes allowed in exceptional circumstances)
• In addition, you also need to live in Ireland for at least 4 of the 8 years preceding the above year of residence

In addition to satisfying the residence requirement, there are a number of other criteria which you will need to satisfy when applying for Irish citizenship through naturalisation, such as:

• Being able to prove each year of Irish residency which you are counting towards your residency requirement
• Planning to live in Ireland after obtaining citizenship
• Being of good character
• Being willing to attend a citizenship ceremony and to swear fealty to Ireland