IrelandResidence
Ireland permanent residence (Stamp 4, Long Term Residency and Stamp 5)
Stamp 4, Long Term Residency, Stamp 5 (Without Condition As To Time) and citizenship
In short
Ireland has no single permanent residence card for non-EEA workers; long-term status is built in stages. Critical Skills permit holders and hosted researchers can move to Stamp 4 after 21 months, General Employment Permit holders after 57 months. After 60 months on employment permits you can apply for Long Term Residency (€500, 5 years), after 8 years of residence for Stamp 5 (no time limit), and after 5 years of reckonable residence in 9 for citizenship.
Apply on ISD Customer Service Portal checked 23 October 2026
Key facts
- Maximum stay
- Stamp 4 usually 2 years at a time; Long Term Residency 5 years; Stamp 5 valid until your passport expires.
- Validity
- All require registration on the IRP card and remain conditional on obeying the law.
- Fee
- €500Long Term Residency permission fee, paid within 28 days of the approval letter, plus the registration fee. Citizenship: €175 application fee and €950 certificate fee for adults.
- Processing time
- Stamp 5: at least 6 months. Long Term Residency: ISD reports very high volumes and delays in acknowledging applications.
- Work
- Stamp 4 and Long Term Residency allow work without an employment permit; Stamp 4 also allows running a business.
- Family
- A spouse or dependant who lived in Ireland for the same 60 months may also apply for Long Term Residency; dependants with 5 years’ residence can seek an independent Stamp 4.
- Path to permanent residence
- Citizenship by naturalisation: 5 years of reckonable residence in the last 9 years, including 1 continuous year before applying, with no more than 70 days abroad in that year.
- Where to apply
- In Ireland, through the ISD Customer Service Portal or by post to the relevant ISD section.
Long Term Residency
Long Term Residency is for people with at least 60 months of legal residence on employment permits or critical skills permits, shown by Stamp 1 or Stamp 4 entries in passports or on IRP cards. You must be employed (not self-employed) during the process, of good character, not an undue burden on the State, and currently legally resident. Many stamps do not count, including student stamps, Stamp 0, STEP and investor permissions, intra-company transfers, spouse permissions and the Turkish Association stamps.
If approved, you pay €500 within 28 days and receive permission to work without a permit for 5 years. There is no appeal against a refusal, but you may reapply at any time.
Stamp 4 upgrades for permit holders
Under ISD’s rule of April 2024, employees on Stamp 1 or 1H can apply for Stamp 4 after 21 months of employment on a Critical Skills Employment Permit, a researcher hosting agreement or a multi-site GEP for non-consultant hospital doctors, or after 57 months on General Employment Permits; the two groups’ time cannot be combined. The start date is taken from your Revenue employment detail summary. DETE support letters are no longer needed.
Stamp 5: Without Condition As To Time
After 8 years (96 months) of legal residence on qualifying permissions (Stamps 1, 1H, 1G, 3, 4, 4D or 4S), you can apply for Stamp 5, which is valid until your passport expires. Stamp 0, student stamps, Stamp 1A, intra-company transfer time and visitor time do not count. Apply through the portal with a colour copy of your passport, your IRP card and 6 months of bank statements; processing takes at least 6 months and you must keep your current permission valid meanwhile.
Citizenship by naturalisation
Adults need 5 years of reckonable residence in the last 9 years, with one full continuous year immediately before applying, and must not have been outside Ireland for more than 70 days in that year (an extra 30 days may be allowed for serious unavoidable events). Time on Stamp 2 or 2A, time without permission and time waiting for a protection decision do not count. The application fee is €175 and the certificate fee €950 for adults; spouses of Irish citizens can apply after 3 years of reckonable residence on the island of Ireland.
Documents
Required documents
Identity
- Full colour copies of current and previous passports and IRP cards showing all immigration stamps
Money
- Evidence of continuous residence: bank statements, tenancy agreements, State documents
Work
- Copies of all employment permits and a current contract or employer letter (Long Term Residency)
Other
- Completed application form (Long Term Residency or Stamp 5)
Supporting documents (where they apply)
Work
- Revenue employment detail summary showing the start of permit-based employment (Stamp 4 upgrade)
How to apply, step by step
- Count your qualifying time from the stamps in your passports and IRP cards; gaps without permission do not count.
- At 21 months (CSEP, researchers) or 57 months (GEP), apply online for a Stamp 4 upgrade.
- At 60 months on employment permits, post the Long Term Residency form and documents to the Long Term Residence Section in Dublin.
- If approved, pay €500 within 28 days and register the new permission online.
- At 96 months of qualifying residence, apply for Stamp 5 through the ISD portal.
- Once you meet the 5-in-9 rule and the 70-day absence limit, apply for citizenship online with the €175 fee.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ireland have permanent residence?
Not as one card for non-EEA workers. The usual sequence is Stamp 4, then Long Term Residency or Stamp 5, and eventually citizenship.
Does time as a student count?
No. Stamp 2 and 2A do not count for Long Term Residency, Stamp 5 or citizenship. Stamp 1G as a graduate does count for citizenship and Stamp 5, but not for Long Term Residency.
How long until I can become an Irish citizen?
Usually 5 years of reckonable residence in the last 9 years, with the final year continuous and no more than 70 days abroad.
Can I appeal a Long Term Residency refusal?
No appeal exists, but you can reapply at any time, addressing the refusal reasons.
Official sources
- Immigration Service Delivery – Long Term Residency
- Immigration Service Delivery – Without Condition As To Time (Stamp 5)
- Immigration Service Delivery – Update to eligibility requirements for Stamp 4 upgrades
- Immigration Service Delivery – Become an Irish citizen by naturalisation
- Immigration Service Delivery – Immigration permission stamps
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment – Critical Skills Employment Permit
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment – General Employment Permit
Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.
Other visa types for Ireland
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less.
- Family and friends visit visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less.
- Transit visa Maximum stay: No stay: a transit visa only allows passage through an Irish airport or seaport to another country.
- Medical treatment visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less.
- Culture, sports and events visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less.
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days; the immigration officer at the border writes the permitted date on the landing stamp and may give less.
- Entrepreneur and start-up visa Maximum stay: 2 years at first, renewed for 3 years, then in 5-year instalments.
Study and training
- Student visa Maximum stay: Permission follows the course; the total time on student permission is capped at 7 years (8 years including the graduate stage for level 9 graduates).
- Language course visa Maximum stay: Up to 8 months of permission per course; at most three courses, two years in total, after which only a higher education programme can be continued.
- Researcher visa Maximum stay: As long as the hosting agreement and the registered permission run.
- Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Unpaid: up to 90 days, with no extension. Paid via Internship Employment Permit: up to 12 months. Paid via AWS: up to 12 months.
Work
- Work visa Maximum stay: Initial permit up to 2 years, renewable for up to 3 more years; after 5 years a permit is generally no longer needed.
- Skilled worker visa Maximum stay: Issued for 2 years; it is not renewed but replaced by Stamp 4 permission from the Department of Justice.
- Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Up to 24 months initially, extendable to a maximum stay of 5 years; trainees up to 12 months.
- Job seeker visa Maximum stay: 12 months for level 8; up to 24 months (12 + 12) for level 9 and above, within the 7-year (level 8) or 8-year (level 9+) limit on student permission.
Family
- Family reunification visa Maximum stay: Permission follows the sponsor’s permission and must be renewed with it.
- Spouse and partner visa Maximum stay: Stamp 4 permission, renewed online while the relationship and residence continue.
Residence
- Retirement visa Maximum stay: Temporary permission renewed on a TPER renewal form while you remain financially independent.
- Residence permit Maximum stay: The IRP card is valid for the period of the permission granted (for example one academic year on Stamp 2, two years on Stamp 4).
Protection
- Asylum and international protection Maximum stay: While the application and any appeal are pending you may stay as an applicant; recognised refugees and subsidiary protection holders receive a residence permission.