Stamp 1 Ireland

What is Stamp 1 in Ireland?

Foreign nationals, except those from the UK, the EEA, and Switzerland, must obtain permission from Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) to stay in Ireland for more than 90 days. A stamp is basically your permission from ISD to live in Ireland for more than three months.

Depending on your purpose for coming to Ireland, e.g. to work, study or join family, you will receive an appropriate stamp. Foreign nationals, who are coming to work or run their own businesses in Ireland, will be required to obtain Stamp 1.

EEA/Swiss and UK citizens do not need any immigration permission to live, work and study in Ireland for any length of time. However, if you are a third-country citizen coming to Ireland from the UK intending to work in the country for more than three months, you will need to apply for Stamp 1.

Stamp 1 Employment Conditions in Ireland

To apply for a Stamp 1 permission, foreign nationals must hold either a valid employment permit in Ireland, or a letter from ISD allowing them to work in the country without an employment permit.

As per the Employment Permits Act 2006, there are nine employment permits issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) in Ireland:

• Critical Skills Employment Permit
• Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit
• Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit
• General Employment Permit
• Contract for Services Employment Permit
• Reactivation Employment Permit
• Internship Employment Permit
• Sport and Cultural Employment Permit
• Exchange Agreement Employment Permit

You or your employer will need to apply for and obtain one of the above permits before you start working in Ireland, unless your letter of permission from ISD clearly states you do not require an employment permit. If you are looking to engage in a profession or operate a business, your permission letter must state that you can be self-employed or establish a business in Ireland.

You may also be given Stamp 1 if you have permission to work in Ireland on the basis of a Working Holiday Authorisation, which is applicable only for citizens from certain countries (e.g. Argentina, Australia, the US, Canada etc.). However, permission to work in Ireland based on this authorisation is not renewable, and you will have to leave the country once your permit validity is over.

How to Register for Stamp 1 in Ireland?

After receiving your employment permit or ISD letter of permission, the first thing to check is whether you will need a visa to travel to Ireland. If yes, then you will have to apply at your local immigration office for a long stay (D) visa.

If you are a visa-exempt foreign national for Ireland, you may travel to the country once you have received your employment permit or ISD letter of permission. However, please note that even if you do not require a visa to travel to Ireland, your entry to the country will always be at the discretion of the immigration officer at your port of entry.

Next, you will have to schedule an appointment to register your permission with ISD or the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) within 90 days from the date of your arrival. It is advisable to register as soon as possible, since applicants seeking to register beyond a reasonable time limit may be refused permission, and issued with an intention to deport notice.

You may register with ISD or GNIB depending on your residential location in Ireland. If you are in Dublin, Kildare, Meath, or Wicklow, you have to register with ISD, and with the GNIB if elsewhere in the country.

After successfully registering with ISD/GNIB, your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card will be sent to you by post at the address you provided to ISD/GNIB. This card will have your stamp type listed as well as your permitted activities and length of stay in Ireland.

Required Documents for Ireland Stamp 1

For the first-time registration of your Stamp 1 permission, you will have to submit the following supporting documents:

• The biometric page of your current passport(s), which shows your photo, passport number and date of birth
• Your employment permit issued by DETE, or letter of permission from ISD
• Proof of your new employment (e.g. employment contract)

To subsequently renew your Stamp 1 permission, the required documents include:

• The biometric page of your current passport(s), which shows your photo, passport number and date of birth
• Front and back pages of your current IRP card
• Your employment permit
• Proof of your current employment (e.g. salary slips for last three months)
• Any other relevant information (e.g. documents proving the financial health of your business in Ireland or your future expansion plans)

Stamp 1 Renewal in Ireland

If you received your Stamp 1 permission on the basis of an employment permit in Ireland, your registration will usually be valid for 12 months, renewable thereafter if you continue to meet the eligibility conditions.

If registration was granted to you based on a letter of permission from ISD, your permit will be valid for the duration mentioned in the letter, renewable thereafter subject to fulfilling the conditions specified in the same.

Your IRP card will have the permit expiry date mentioned on it. To renew your permit, you will need to follow the same procedure as registering your permission.

How Can IAS Help?

A Stamp 1 permission allows non-UK/EEA/Swiss nationals to take up employment in Ireland, or set up and run their own businesses. The time spent in Ireland on Stamp 1 permission will be reckonable as residence if you are planning to eventually apply for Irish citizenship by naturalisation.

To be successful with your Stamp 1 application, you (or your employer) first have to obtain an appropriate employment permit from the DETE, and then convince ISD of the genuineness of your application. Any doubts on part of ISD that you are likely to breach your Stamp 1 terms and conditions after arriving in Ireland, may result in the refusal of your application. Your application may also be refused if you fail to submit all required documents.

IAS can help. Our team of sympathetic immigration lawyers have the required expertise to assist you with your Stamp 1 application, regardless of your personal circumstances or the complexity of your case.

If you are seeking overall advice with your application or you would like an immigration expert to complete the same on your behalf, we are here for you. We provide application services where our specialists can guide you through each stage of your application. We also offer document and application checking services if you just need a final check to confirm that your documents and application adhere to ISD regulations.

To know more about the services we provide and how we can help you, call us on +44 (0)333 414 9244 today to speak to our team of legal advisers.