Almost every conversation about Irish work permits eventually becomes a conversation about Stamp 4, because Stamp 4 is where the permit system leads. There are several doors in. Critical Skills permit holders, researchers on hosting agreements and doctors on the multi-site GEP qualify after 21 months of employment. General Employment Permit and Intra-Company Transfer holders qualify after 57 months. There are also routes through an Irish citizen spouse or partner, through family reunification, and through international protection: people granted refugee status or subsidiary protection receive Stamp 4 automatically.
The process itself changed for the better. Since 30 November 2023 there is no DETE support letter step, you apply directly to Immigration Service Delivery through the online renewals portal, and since 3 April 2024 ISD counts your months of actual employment, proven by your Revenue Employment Detail Summary, rather than your months of Stamp 1 registration. That shift catches people out, which is exactly why we audit your count before you file.
Stamp 4 through Long Term Residence, the five-year scheme with its own Stamp 4 LTR endorsement, is a distinct route with its own rules. We cover it in full on our dedicated Stamp 4 LTR page.
Made for people like you
Critical Skills holders at month 21
You are approaching 21 months of employment on a CSEP, a researcher hosting agreement or the multi-site GEP as a non-consultant hospital doctor, and want the upgrade filed right.
GEP and ICT holders at month 57
You are counting towards the 57-month upgrade on a General Employment Permit or Intra-Company Transfer, and want the timing and the employment evidence handled right.
People granted international protection
You have been declared a refugee or granted subsidiary protection, which carries Stamp 4 automatically, and want your first registration and renewals handled cleanly.
Partners of Irish citizens and permit holders
You are the spouse, civil partner or de facto partner of an Irish citizen, or a Critical Skills holder's partner finishing 5 years on Stamp 1G.
Do you qualify?
Stamp 4 is not one application but a family of routes. Most of our clients arrive through the two permit tracks, so we always start by counting your months of employment. Family, refugee and investor routes each have their own doors.
You will need
- 21 months of employment from your start date on a Critical Skills permit, a researcher hosting agreement, or the multi-site GEP as a non-consultant hospital doctor
- Or 57 months of employment on a General Employment Permit or Intra-Company Transfer permit
- Your Revenue Employment Detail Summary, because since 3 April 2024 ISD counts months actually worked, not months registered on Stamp 1
- Valid immigration permission today, with the application filed from inside Ireland through the online renewals portal
- For the refugee route, a declaration of refugee status or a grant of subsidiary protection, which carries Stamp 4 automatically
- For the family routes, a genuine relationship: spouse, civil partner or de facto partner of an Irish citizen, or 5 years on Stamp 1G as the partner of a Critical Skills holder or hosting agreement researcher
This route is not for you if
- You are on a General permit hoping the 21-month track applies, the categories are never interchangeable
- You are outside Ireland, upgrades and renewals can only be filed from within the State
- Your permission has already lapsed, gaps break the count and can put you out of permission entirely
The two permit tracks to Stamp 4
21-month track
Fast track- Who
- CSEP holders, hosting agreement researchers, multi-site GEP NCHDs
- Eligible after
- 21 months of employment
- Stamp 4 registered for
- 24 months
- Renewal cycle
- Every 2 years
- Proof of months
- Revenue Employment Detail Summary
57-month track
- Who
- General Employment Permit and Intra-Company Transfer holders
- Eligible after
- 57 months of employment
- Stamp 4 registered for
- 12 months
- Renewal cycle
- Every year
- Proof of months
- Revenue Employment Detail Summary
How the journey works
- 01
Map your route and count your months
Day 1We identify which door fits you: the 21-month track, the 57-month track, a family route or the refugee route. Then we count your months of employment from your Revenue Employment Detail Summary, because gaps between jobs push your eligibility date back.
- 02
Time the application
The upgrade is filed as part of your online registration renewal, and the portal only accepts renewals from 12 weeks before your IRP card expires. On a standard 24-month Critical Skills registration, month 21 is roughly when that window opens, so the timing usually works itself out. We diary the exact date.
- 03
Assemble the evidence
Week 1Passport, current IRP card, your employment permit, the Employment Detail Summary from Revenue myAccount, recent payslips and an employer letter. Digital scans are accepted. For family routes we prepare relationship evidence instead, and for the refugee route your protection declaration or grant letter is the basis.
- 04
File through the ISD renewals portal
Week 1-2The application is submitted online with the standard 300 euro fee paid by card. There is no separate Stamp 4 application and no DETE letter, that step was abolished on 30 November 2023.
- 05
Stay in permission while it processes
If ISD asks for more information, it must be uploaded through the portal within 14 days or the application is closed. Because you applied before your card expired, you can remain and keep working on your existing conditions for up to 12 weeks after expiry, with the confirmation email as your proof.
- 06
Receive Stamp 4 and plan the ladder
DecisionYour new IRP card arrives with Stamp 4, registered for 24 months on the Critical Skills basis or 12 months on the GEP or ICT basis. From here you renew online, keep absences modest, and we map your dates for citizenship at 5 years of reckonable residence and Stamp 5 at 8.
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, matching the name on everything else
Current IRP card
Both sides, still valid when you file
Employment permit
Every DETE permit you have held, for mixed histories
Revenue Employment Detail Summary
From myAccount. This is how ISD counts your 21 or 57 months
Recent payslips
Showing you are still in the qualifying employment
Employer letter
Confirming your role, start date and continued employment
Protection declaration or grant letter
For the refugee route: your refugee declaration or subsidiary protection grant
Full stamp history
Old passports and expired IRP cards, essential for your later Stamp 5 count
Marriage or civil partnership certificate
For the spouse-of-an-Irish-citizen route
Proof of address
Tenancy agreement or utility bill at your current address
Bank statements
Six months' worth as continuous-residence evidence for your later Stamp 5 application
Every case is different. We confirm your exact list at consultation.
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp 4 upgrade or renewal (online portal) | €300 | The standard registration fee, paid by card during the online application. |
| Spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen | Fee waived | De facto partners of Irish citizens and parents of Irish citizen children pay the standard €300. |
| Refugee and subsidiary protection holders | Fee exempt | Registration and renewals on a protection-based Stamp 4 carry no registration fee. |
| Our consultation | Fixed fee | Agreed up front at booking, no surprises. |
Fees are set by Immigration Service Delivery and can change. Family reunification and refugee-based Stamp 4 registrations and renewals are fee-exempt. 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.
Upgrade decision
Weeks to months
ISD publishes processing dates weekly. In July 2026 the Stamp 4 renewal queue was the slowest category at roughly 18 weeks, while Stamp 1 renewals ran around 6 weeks.
New IRP card
Up to 15 days
Business days after approval. The confirmation email is proof of your renewed permission in the meantime.
Stamp 5, when you get there
6+ months
The minimum processing time for the 8-year without-condition-as-to-time application, handled in strict date order.
Why applications get refused
Most refusals are preventable. These are the patterns we see and design out of every application.
Counting registration months instead of employment months
Since 3 April 2024 the 21 and 57 months are months of actual employment, evidenced by your Revenue Employment Detail Summary. Time registered on Stamp 1 between jobs no longer counts, so a 3-month gap moves your eligibility date by 3 months.
Avoid it: Download your Employment Detail Summary early and count from your commencement date, not your registration date. We do this audit before anything is filed.
Mixing the two permit tracks
ISD is explicit that the 21-month and 57-month categories are not interchangeable. Months worked on a General permit never accelerate you onto the Critical Skills track, even after you switch permits.
Avoid it: If you moved from a GEP to a CSEP, the 21-month clock starts with the CSEP employment. We recalculate your true date so you do not file early and get refused.
Applying too early or from outside Ireland
The renewals portal only accepts applications from 12 weeks before your IRP expiry, and only from applicants physically in the State. Earlier applications and applications from abroad are refused.
Avoid it: Diary the day your 12-week window opens and file then. If you must travel while it is pending, remember visa-required nationals need a fresh entry visa to return.
Letting your permission lapse before filing
If your permission expired before you applied, you are out of permission and may not remain or work. Gaps like this also poison your later citizenship count, where even short undocumented periods can make you ineligible.
Avoid it: Apply before your card expires. The 12-week grace period after expiry only protects people who filed in time with complete documents.
Common questions
When exactly can I apply as a Critical Skills holder?+
After 21 months of employment counted from your commencement date, proven by your Revenue Employment Detail Summary. The upgrade is filed through the online renewals portal, which opens 12 weeks before your IRP expires, and on a standard 24-month registration that window opens at almost exactly the 21-month mark.
Do I still need a support letter from DETE?+
No. DETE stopped issuing Stamp 4 support letters on 30 November 2023. You apply directly to Immigration Service Delivery as part of your online registration renewal, and there is no separate application form.
How do I prove my 21 or 57 months?+
With the Employment Detail Summary you download free from Revenue myAccount. Since 3 April 2024 ISD counts months of actual employment rather than months of Stamp 1 registration, so gaps between jobs do not count and bridging registrations no longer help.
Do refugees and people with subsidiary protection get Stamp 4?+
Yes. Once you are declared a refugee or granted subsidiary protection, you receive Stamp 4 as of right. It gives you the same permit-free access to work and business as any other Stamp 4 holder, your registration and renewals are fee-exempt, and your time on it is reckonable for naturalisation. We handle the first registration and the renewals so your permission never lapses.
What can I do on Stamp 4 that I cannot do on a permit?+
Work for any employer with no employment permit, change jobs or careers whenever you like, work in professions subject only to professional-body registration, and establish and operate your own business. Stamp 4 also carries access to State supports and services, as determined by the individual departments, that permit stamps do not.
How long is Stamp 4 granted for and how do I renew?+
24 months if you qualified through the Critical Skills, researcher or NCHD track, then renewable every 2 years. 12 months if you came through the GEP or ICT track, renewable yearly. Renewals are online only, cost 300 euro, and can be filed from 12 weeks before expiry with no time lost, since the new permission runs from your current expiry date.
Do I lose Stamp 4 if I leave my job?+
No. Stamp 4 is not tied to an employer, so changing or leaving a job does not automatically affect it. You do need to keep meeting the general conditions and renew on time. Keep your absences from the State modest too, because long gaps outside Ireland can affect your later citizenship and Stamp 5 applications.
When can I apply for citizenship or Stamp 5?+
Naturalisation generally needs 5 years of reckonable residence in the last 9, including 1 continuous year immediately before applying, and both your permit years and Stamp 4 years count. It costs 175 euro to apply and 950 euro on approval, with a median decision time of around 8 months in 2025. Stamp 5, which removes the time condition entirely, needs 96 months of qualifying residence and currently takes at least 6 months to process.
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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