Stamp 4 after a Critical Skills permit: when and how to apply
In short: If you hold a Critical Skills Employment Permit, you can move from Stamp 1 to Stamp 4 once you've worked in Ireland on the permit for 21 months. You apply online to Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) as a renewal of your permission, up to 12 weeks before your IRP card expires, and the fee is €300. Stamp 4 lets you live and work in Ireland without an employment permit.
Who can move to Stamp 4, and when
ISD sets two timeframes, counted from when you started working in Ireland on the permit:
| You’ve been working on… | You can move to Stamp 4 after |
|---|---|
| A Critical Skills Employment Permit (also researchers on a hosting agreement, and non-consultant hospital doctors on a multi-site General Employment Permit) | 21 months |
| General Employment Permits or an Intra-Company Transfer permit | 57 months (four years and nine months) |
The two routes can’t be combined. Time on a General Employment Permit doesn’t count towards the 21 months for Critical Skills.
You need to be on a Stamp 1 (or Stamp 1H) permission and living in Ireland when you apply.
Why people talk about “Stamp 4 after 2 years”
A Critical Skills permit usually runs for two years, and so does your first Stamp 1 registration. You become eligible at 21 months, and ISD lets you apply up to 12 weeks before your IRP card expires. In practice that means you apply around the 21-month mark, three months before the two-year point, so Stamp 4 is in place by the time your Stamp 1 runs out. Applying early doesn’t cost you anything: the new permission starts from your current expiry date.
You no longer need a letter from the Department of Enterprise
Until November 2023, permit holders needed a “Stamp 4 support letter” from the Department of Enterprise. The Department stopped issuing them, and ISD now checks eligibility itself. You apply straight to ISD.
How to apply
- Check your start date. ISD counts your 21 months from when you started work, shown on your Employment Detail Summary in Revenue’s myAccount. If you started on another permission and then moved to Stamp 1, the start date is taken from the employment permit your Stamp 1 was registered on.
- Gather the documents (below).
- Apply online through ISD’s online renewals portal and choose the change to Stamp 4. You must be in Ireland when you apply.
- Pay the €300 fee.
- Wait for the decision and your new IRP card, which arrives by post.
Documents you’ll need
- A copy of the photo page of your current passport
- Copies of the front and back of your current IRP card
- Your employment permit documents
- Your most recent payslip
- A letter from your employer, dated within the last three months, confirming your job title, where you work and your dates of employment
- Your Employment Detail Summaries from Revenue’s myAccount for each year you’ve worked on the permit
- Proof of your address
How long it takes
ISD deals with renewals in date order, separately for each type of stamp. In its latest update, it was processing Stamp 1 renewals submitted on 24 August 2026, roughly two months earlier. The new IRP card can take up to 15 working days more to arrive. That’s why it makes sense to apply as soon as you’re eligible. Check ISD’s current processing dates before you apply.
Travelling while you wait: if you leave Ireland before the renewal is decided and you need a visa to enter, you’ll need to apply for an entry visa abroad to come back. If you don’t need a visa, carry proof that you’ve applied. ISD doesn’t expedite renewals for travel.
What Stamp 4 means for you
- You can work in Ireland without an employment permit, and change employer freely.
- Stamp 4 for this group is renewed every two years.
- Your family members renew their own permissions separately.
Common questions
Can I apply at exactly two years instead? Yes, but you’ll be waiting for a decision after your Stamp 1 has expired. Applying from 21 months avoids that.
I changed employer during my Critical Skills permit. Does that count? The 21 months is time employed in Ireland on Critical Skills Employment Permits, so a permitted change of employer on a Critical Skills permit still counts. Gaps between jobs are worth checking with us first.
I’m on a General Employment Permit. Can I switch to Critical Skills to get Stamp 4 sooner? Only if your job qualifies for a Critical Skills permit, and the 21 months would then start from your Critical Skills start date. General Employment time doesn’t carry across.
Do I need my employer’s agreement? You need an employer letter confirming your employment, but the application is yours.
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