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
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.
