# Irish immigration stamps explained: Stamp 0 to Stamp 6 | Visas and permits | Moving to Ireland > Every non-EEA resident in Ireland holds an immigration permission that is recorded as a "stamp" on their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card. The stamp… Source: https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/irish-immigration-stamps-explained/ Visas and permits · Step 3 of 7 # Irish immigration stamps explained: Stamp 0 to Stamp 6 4 min read · Updated 13 September 2026 Every non-EEA resident in Ireland holds an immigration permission that is recorded as a "stamp" on their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card. The stamp number tells you what you can do: whether you can work, study or run a business, and whether the time counts towards citizenship. Reading the wrong stamp can cost you a job offer or years of reckonable residence, so it is worth knowing them all. The descriptions below follow the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) definitions as published in September 2026. ## The full list at a glance
StampWho gets itWork allowed?Counts for citizenship?
Stamp 0Retirees, dependent elderly relatives, visiting academicsNoNo
Stamp 1Employment permit holders, business owners, working holiday makersYes, per permit or ISD letterYes
Stamp 1ATrainee accountantsOnly the training contractNo
Stamp 1GThird Level Graduate Programme; spouses and partners of CSEP holders and hosted researchersYes, no permit neededYes
Stamp 1HDoctors on a 2-year Multi-Site General Employment PermitYes, in public hospitalsYes
Stamp 2Full-time students on ILEP coursesCasual: 20 hours per week in term, 40 in holidaysNo
Stamp 2AStudents on non-ILEP courses, semester abroad, private secondary schoolNoNo
Stamp 3Non-working spouses and dependants, volunteers, ministers of religionNoYes
Stamp 4Spouses of Irish citizens, CSEP holders after 21 months, refugees, long-term residents, investorsYes, any employer or self-employmentYes
Stamp 4DNon-EEA family members of UK citizens resident since 1 January 2021YesYes
Stamp 5People granted permission "without condition as to time"YesYes
Stamp 6Dual citizens who ask for an endorsement in a non-Irish passportYes (Irish citizen)Not applicable
## Stamp 0: temporary and self-funded Stamp 0 is for people of independent means, such as retirees, dependent adult relatives of residents, or visiting academics. You cannot work, claim benefits or use publicly funded services, and you must hold private health insurance. Crucially, **Stamp 0 time does not count** as reckonable residence for naturalisation, and it does not count towards long-term residency either. ## Stamps 1, 1A, 1G and 1H: working permissions **Stamp 1** is the standard work stamp. You get it when you hold a General or Critical Skills Employment Permit, or a letter from ISD saying you may work without one. Working Holiday Authorisation holders also get Stamp 1, but that version cannot be renewed or changed. Stamp 1 is reckonable for citizenship. **Stamp 1A** is limited to full-time paid accountancy training and is not reckonable. **Stamp 1G** has two uses. Graduates of Irish institutions who held Stamp 2 can switch to Stamp 1G under the Third Level Graduate Programme: **12 months** for a Level 8 degree, and up to a further 12 months for a master's or PhD, to a maximum of 24 months. Spouses and de facto partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders and of researchers on hosting agreements also get Stamp 1G, which lets them take any job without an employment permit. Stamp 1G holders cannot be self-employed or run a business. It is renewed annually, and after **5 years** on Stamp 1G you may apply for Stamp 4. ISD confirms that Stamp 1G time in either category is reckonable for citizenship. **Stamp 1H** covers non-consultant hospital doctors on a 2-year Multi-Site General Employment Permit. ## Stamps 2 and 2A: study **Stamp 2** is for full-time courses on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), from English language to PhD. You may work up to 20 hours a week during term and 40 hours a week during the set holiday periods, but you cannot claim benefits and must hold private insurance. **Stamp 2A** is for courses that are not on the ILEP, such as a semester abroad or a private secondary school, and allows no work at all. Neither stamp counts towards citizenship, which is why many graduates rely on Stamp 1G and then a permit to start their clock. ## Stamp 3: residence without work Stamp 3 is a residence permission that does not allow employment, business or a profession. It is typically given to spouses and dependants of General Employment Permit holders, volunteers with charities and ministers of religion. Although you cannot work, **Stamp 3 is reckonable** for naturalisation. If you get a job offer you would need your own employment permit and a move to Stamp 1. ## Stamps 4, 4D, 5 and 6: settled statuses **Stamp 4** is the most valuable working permission. You can take any job without an employment permit, work in a regulated profession subject to its professional body, establish a business or be self-employed, and access services in line with your entitlements. Routes include being the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen, holding a CSEP for 21 months, refugee or subsidiary protection status, long-term residency after 5 years on permits, and the Immigrant Investor Programme. It is usually granted for 1 to 3 years and is reckonable. **Stamp 4D** is the post-Brexit version for non-EEA family members of UK citizens. **Stamp 5** is "without condition as to time" and is valid to the expiry of your passport; you typically need 8 years of lawful residence to apply. **Stamp 6** is simply an endorsement in a non-Irish passport confirming you are already an Irish citizen, so no registration or IRP is required. ## ★ Useful links - [ISD: immigration permission stamps](https://www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/information-on-registering/immigration-permission-stamps/) - [Citizens Information: registration of non-EEA nationals](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/moving-to-ireland/rights-of-residence-in-ireland/registration-of-non-eea-nationals-in-ireland/) - [ISD: options for working in Ireland](https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-work-in-ireland/what-are-my-options-for-working-in-ireland/) - [ISD: citizenship by naturalisation](https://www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/become-an-irish-citizen-by-naturalisation/) ![](https://www.movingtoireland.co/apple-touch-icon.png) You have read 27% of this guide ## Keep reading in the Moving to Ireland app The rest of **Irish immigration stamps explained: Stamp 0 to Stamp 6** — about 3 minutes more — is in the app, free to download, alongside 98 other guides and a checklist built around your own move. Still to come in this guide - Stamp 0: temporary and self-funded - Stamps 1, 1A, 1G and 1H: working permissions - Stamps 2 and 2A: study - Stamp 3: residence without work [Download free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261) iPhone and iPad · no account needed ## More on visas and permits [All 7 guides in this section](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/) - ### [Critical Skills Employment Permit: who qualifies and how to apply](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/critical-skills-employment-permit/) The Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) is Ireland's flagship work permit for skilled non-EEA professionals. It is the fastest route to a Stamp 4… 4 min read - ### [General Employment Permit explained](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/general-employment-permit/) The General Employment Permit (GEP) is the route for non-EEA workers whose job is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List but is not on the… 3 min read - ### [Stamp 4 and long-term residency](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/stamp-4-and-long-term-residency/) Stamp 4 is the permission most non-EEA residents in Ireland are working towards. It cuts the link between your right to live here and a single employer… 4 min read - ### [Irish citizenship by descent and the Foreign Births Register](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/visas-and-permits/irish-citizenship-by-descent/) If you have an Irish-born parent or grandparent, you may already be entitled to Irish citizenship, and with it an EU passport, without ever living in… 4 min read Keep going ## Get the full visa roadmap in the app Moving to Ireland turns 99 guides into a personal checklist. 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