Stamp 1H is a doctor-specific permission. It is granted to Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) who hold a two-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit, the permit designed for training doctors who rotate between hospitals. The stamp lets you work as an NCHD in any public hospital or health-care facility for the two-year life of that permit, without applying for a fresh permit each time you rotate to a new site.
Though it is issued on a General Employment Permit, Stamp 1H comes with Critical Skills-style benefits. Your family can join you, your spouse can obtain Stamp 1G with work rights, and, importantly, time on Stamp 1H is reckonable for citizenship. The real prize is the fast route to Stamp 4: after a minimum of 21 months registered on Stamp 1H, whether alone or combined with Stamp 1 on a Critical Skills permit or Hosting Agreement, you can apply directly for Stamp 4 with no separate support letter needed. This is not a generic interim stamp; it is a purpose-built permission for doctors moving through the public health system.
Made for people like you
Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors
You are an NCHD holding a two-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit, working in training and service posts across the public health system.
Doctors rotating between hospitals
Your training or service moves you between sites within an HSE group. Stamp 1H lets you move at the end of each contract without a fresh permit for every rotation.
Doctors bringing their family
You want your spouse and children with you. Stamp 1H carries CSEP-style family reunification, and your spouse can obtain Stamp 1G with the right to work.
Doctors building towards Stamp 4
You want the fast, direct route to Stamp 4. After 21 months on Stamp 1H, alone or combined with a Critical Skills permit or Hosting Agreement, you can apply directly.
Do you qualify?
Stamp 1H follows the two-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit for NCHDs. If you hold that permit and a contract with a public hospital, you register on Stamp 1H. It is doctor-specific, so it is not open to other General Employment Permit holders.
You will need
- A valid two-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit as an NCHD
- A salary that meets the General Employment Permit minimum of €36,605 a year (as of 2026); there is no separate, lower threshold for doctors, so the standard floor applies and NCHD hospital pay sits comfortably above it
- A six-month contract with your initial hospital at the time of application, shown at registration and renewal
- An in-date passport and, for visa-required nationals, the matching entry visa and landing stamp
- To register with ISD within 90 days of arrival if you are staying more than 90 days
- The €300 registration fee, paid by credit or debit card at your appointment
- Your employer to inform DETE of any change of location or contract before it occurs
This stamp is not for you if
- You are a General Employment Permit holder who is not an NCHD; Stamp 1H is doctor-specific
- You do not hold a two-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit; a standard GEP is registered on Stamp 1
- You want to work outside the public health system in a role your permit does not cover
- You are a consultant on a different permission; Stamp 1H is for Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors
- You expect to change hospital without valid contracts and without your employer informing DETE
Stamp 1H vs a standard Stamp 1 on a GEP
Stamp 1H
For NCHDs- Underlying permit
- Two-year Multi-Site GEP as an NCHD
- Site changes
- Move within the HSE group, no new permit each time
- Family
- CSEP-style; spouse can get Stamp 1G with work rights
- Route to Stamp 4
- Direct at 21 months, no support letter
- Citizenship
- Reckonable
Standard Stamp 1 (GEP)
- Underlying permit
- General Employment Permit, single employer
- Site changes
- Change of employer process after 9 months
- Family
- Family reunification more limited on a GEP
- Route to Stamp 4
- After 57 months on the permit
- Citizenship
- Reckonable
How the journey works
- 01
Secure the Multi-Site General Employment Permit
Before travelAs an NCHD you are issued a two-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit, allowing you to work across the public health system. You hold a six-month contract with your initial hospital at the point of application, which you will show at registration.
- 02
Apply for an entry visa if you are visa-required
VariesVisa-required nationals apply for the appropriate long stay entry visa through AVATS, with the permit and hospital contract in support, and disclose every previous visa refusal for any country. Non-visa-required nationals travel and register on arrival.
- 03
Arrive and get your landing stamp
At the border you receive a landing stamp in your passport. Keep that page safe, because you need it before you can book your registration appointment. Booking always happens after you arrive, never before.
- 04
Register for your IRP card
~15 working daysBook a free appointment through the ISD Customer Service Portal. First-time registrations happen at Burgh Quay in Dublin. Your permit and hospital contract are reviewed, your photo and fingerprints are taken, Stamp 1H is placed in your passport and the €300 fee is paid by card. The IRP card is posted to you.
- 05
Rotate between hospitals within the group
At the end of your initial contract you may move to a different hospital within the HSE group, subject to valid contracts. Your employer must inform DETE of any change of location or contract before it happens, so the permit and your registration stay in step.
- 06
Bring your family
Stamp 1H carries CSEP-style benefits, so your spouse and children can join you and your spouse can obtain Stamp 1G with the right to work. We handle the family applications alongside your own so everyone lands on the right permission.
- 07
Apply directly for Stamp 4 at 21 months
From month 21After a minimum of 21 months registered on Stamp 1H, whether alone or combined with Stamp 1 on a Critical Skills permit or a Hosting Agreement, you apply directly for Stamp 4 through the online portal, with no separate support letter required.
What to gather
Start collecting these early. Weak or missing documents are the most common avoidable cause of delays and refusals.
Passport biometric page
In date, with the landing stamp
Multi-Site General Employment Permit
The two-year NCHD permit, in date
Hospital contract
A six-month contract with your initial hospital, shown at registration and renewal
Proof of address
ISD's universal requirement at registration
Current IRP card
For renewals
Recent payslip
Dated within the last 3 months, for renewals
Family documents
Marriage and birth certificates for reunification applications
Entry visa and landing stamp
Visa-required nationals; must correspond to your permission
Evidence of registered time
For a Stamp 4 application at 21 months
Medical registration
Irish Medical Council registration, where required for the post
Every case is different. We confirm your exact list at consultation.
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First IRP registration | €300 | Per adult, paid by credit or debit card at your appointment. No cash. |
| Each IRP renewal | €300 | Where the permission is renewed with the permit still valid. |
| Multi-Site General Employment Permit | €1,000 | The DETE first-application fee for a General Employment Permit of up to 24 months is €1,000 (it would be €500 for a permit of 6 months or less). It is paid to DETE and is separate from your €300 IRP registration fee. |
| Under-18s and exempt categories | Waived | Children under 18 pay nothing, as do certain categories such as spouses of Irish citizens. |
| Our consultation | Fixed fee | Agreed up front at booking, no surprises. |
The Multi-Site General Employment Permit carries a separate DETE application fee of €1,000 for the two-year permit. Registration fees are set by Immigration Service Delivery and can change, so we confirm the current figures with you before anything is paid.
How long it takes
Guide figures from current official processing information. Individual cases vary.
Labour Market Needs Test (if required)
+28 days before you can apply
If the post is not exempt, your employer must first advertise it on the DSP Employment Services/EURES network and one other online platform for at least 28 continuous days before a valid permit application can be lodged (as of 2026). Build in roughly four extra weeks up front, before the permit decision clock even starts.
DETE permit decision
~6 weeks
As of 14 July 2026, DETE was processing new General Employment Permit applications received around 3 June 2026, roughly six weeks. This queue moves, so treat about six weeks as indicative and we check the live DETE processing-dates page before you plan travel.
First registration
Within 90 days
Book through the ISD portal after you arrive. The IRP card is posted about 15 working days after the appointment.
Permit validity
2 years
Stamp 1H matches the two-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit, and is renewable.
Direct Stamp 4 eligibility
21 months
After a minimum of 21 months on Stamp 1H, alone or combined with a CSEP or Hosting Agreement, you can apply directly for Stamp 4.
Change of hospital
End of contract
Move within the HSE group at the end of the initial contract, with valid contracts and DETE informed beforehand.
Why applications get refused
Most refusals are preventable. These are the patterns we see and design out of every application.
No valid Multi-Site General Employment Permit
Stamp 1H rests on holding a valid two-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit as an NCHD. Without an in-date permit, the registration or renewal is refused.
Avoid it: Keep the permit current, and renew it with DETE before its expiry so your Stamp 1H registration is never left without a base.
Missing hospital contract at registration
You must show a six-month contract with your initial hospital when you apply, and valid contracts when you move sites. A gap in contracts undermines the registration.
Avoid it: Have your signed hospital contract ready at registration and renewal, and line up the next contract before your current one ends.
Changing hospital without informing DETE
Your employer must inform DETE of any change of location or contract before it occurs. Moving without that notification puts you out of step with your permit.
Avoid it: Coordinate with the hospital's medical HR so DETE is told before each rotation, not after.
Applying for Stamp 4 too early
The direct Stamp 4 route needs a minimum of 21 months registered on Stamp 1H, alone or combined with a Critical Skills permit or Hosting Agreement. Applications before that are refused.
Avoid it: Track your registered months carefully, including any combined CSEP or Hosting Agreement time, and apply once you clear 21 months.
Letting the IRP lapse before renewal
If your IRP card expires before you file a renewal, you fall out of permission and may not remain or work. The grace period only protects people who applied on time.
Avoid it: Treat the expiry date as a hard deadline and file within your 12-week renewal window, with a recent payslip ready.
Common questions
Who is Stamp 1H actually for?+
It is a doctor-specific permission for Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors who hold a two-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit. It is not a generic interim stamp for people awaiting Stamp 4 or transitioning off a Critical Skills permit. If you are not an NCHD on that particular permit, Stamp 1H is not your stamp.
Can I move between hospitals on Stamp 1H?+
Yes, that is the point of it. The Multi-Site General Employment Permit lets you work as an NCHD across the public health system, and you may move to a different hospital within the HSE group at the end of your initial contract, subject to valid contracts. Your employer must inform DETE of the change before it occurs.
Can my family come with me?+
Yes. Although Stamp 1H is issued on a General Employment Permit, it carries Critical Skills-style benefits, including family reunification. Your spouse or partner can obtain Stamp 1G, which comes with the right to work, and your children can join you.
How quickly can I get Stamp 4?+
After a minimum of 21 months registered on Stamp 1H, you can apply directly for Stamp 4 with no separate support letter needed. That 21 months can be on Stamp 1H alone, or combined with time on Stamp 1 held on a Critical Skills Employment Permit or a Hosting Agreement.
Does Stamp 1H count towards citizenship?+
Yes. Unlike student or trainee stamps, time on Stamp 1H is reckonable residence for naturalisation. It counts towards the general five years of reckonable residence, and towards your move to Stamp 4 along the way.
How long does Stamp 1H last?+
Two years, matching the validity of the Multi-Site General Employment Permit, and it is renewable. In practice many doctors move onto Stamp 4 during that period, once they clear the 21-month mark.
How is it different from a standard Stamp 1 on a General Employment Permit?+
A standard GEP is single-employer and reaches Stamp 4 at 57 months. Stamp 1H, on the two-year Multi-Site permit for NCHDs, lets you rotate between hospitals without a new permit each time, carries CSEP-style family benefits, and gives a direct route to Stamp 4 at just 21 months. It is a much stronger position, built for training doctors.
Grounded in official sources
Ready to talk through your next step?
Book a consultation with our team and leave with a clear, personal plan grounded in the official rules.
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