Residence permission guide
IRP stamps explained
Understand the difference between an employment permit and immigration permission, and what the main Irish Residence Permit stamps allow.
Permit vs. stamp: the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) issues your employment permit. ISD, part of the Department of Justice, issues your IRP card and the stamp on it. Getting an employment permit approved does not by itself let you into the country or let you stay, you also need to register for the matching stamp after you arrive. See the After Approval guide for the registration steps.
Stamp 1
Who gets it
Holders of a General Employment Permit, Critical Skills Employment Permit, Intra-Company Transfer Permit, Contract for Services Permit, and most other employment-permit types.
Work rights
Can work only for the named employer, in the occupation stated on the employment permit.
This is the stamp most permit holders are registered on. It is tied directly to your employment permit staying valid, so if the permit lapses or is revoked, the immigration permission underneath it changes too.
Stamp 1G
Who gets it
Two distinct groups get this stamp: (1) graduates on the Third Level Graduate Scheme after finishing a qualifying course in Ireland, and (2) spouses and de facto partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders.
Work rights
Permission to work without needing an employment permit. Graduates use this window to search for a job and convert to a full employment permit; spouses/partners of CSEP holders can take up employment directly.
Because the two groups arrive at Stamp 1G from completely different routes (finishing a degree vs. a family relationship to a CSEP holder), the renewal conditions differ. Check current guidance for your specific situation on irishimmigration.ie.
Stamp 2
Who gets it
Non-EEA students registered on a full-time course on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP).
Work rights
Limited work rights: generally up to 20 hours per week during term time, and up to 40 hours per week during official college holiday periods.
Stamp 2 is a study permission, not an employment-permit-linked stamp, and it generally does not count toward the reckonable residence needed for Irish citizenship. See the Students & Graduates guide for how this transitions into the Third Level Graduate Scheme.
Stamp 4
Who gets it
Employment permit holders who have built up enough continuous permit-based residence, plus spouses of Irish citizens, certain long-term residents, and others.
Work rights
Open work permission. No employment permit is needed, you can work in any profession, for any employer, or run your own business.
Critical Skills Employment Permit holders typically reach Stamp 4 at around 21 months. General Employment Permit holders typically reach it after 5 years. Both figures depend on maintaining continuous, valid permission the whole way through, so treat them as a general guide and confirm your own timeline with Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) before making plans around it.
IRP card renewal processing
Submission date of registration/renewal applications ISD is currently processing, by stamp category. This is a separate process from employment permit applications, run by Immigration Service Delivery (Department of Justice), not DETE.
| Stamp Category | Submitted On or Before |
|---|---|
| Stamp 1, 1H | 07/08/26 |
| Stamp 1G | 31/07/26 |
| Stamp 2, 2A, 1A | 31/07/26 |
| Stamp 4 | 23/08/26 |
| All other categories | 04/09/26 |