Stamp 6 Ireland

The following are the conditions by which applicants are eligible for Stamp 6:

• Through their parents.
• Through their grandparents.
• By naturalisation or post-nuptial citizenship.
• Stamp 6 permission renewal.

Through Parents

If one of their parents was born in Ireland, they are eligible and therefore must provide the following documents:

• Mother’s or father’s long-form civil birth certificate.
• Mother’s civil marriage certificate if applying through the mother (as she may have changed her maiden name).
• Applicant’s long-form civil birth certificate.
• Applicant’s current passport.

Through Grandparents

Applicants must supply the following documents if either of their grandparents were born in Ireland or on the island of Ireland:

• Their foreign births registration certificate which is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs
• Their current passport.

By Post-nuptial Citizenship (PNC)

Applicants who have been naturalised as Irish citizens through this method are to provide their:

• Current passport.
• Original certificate of naturalisation, PNC certificate or current Irish passport

By renewing Stamp 6 Permission

To renew the Stamp 6 permission, applicants must provide their:

• Expired non-Irish passport bearing the Stamp 6 permission.
• Current non-Irish passport.
• Current Irish passport if they already hold one.

The areas where applicants should meet conditions are age, character, residence in the state, and future intentions.

Age

Applicants must be at least 18 years old if applying by themselves. Adults may apply for children. Children who may be eligible are:

• Those born in Ireland after 1 January 2005 but did not qualify for citizenship by birth.
• Those of Irish descent or Irish associations.
• Those whose parent is a citizen by naturalisation.

Character

Applicants must be of good character and will be asked on the form to declare actions and circumstances that may not reflect a good character. They will also be allowed to explain what led to the court or police actions.

The Minister receives information from Ireland’s National Police about applicant’s:

• Criminal records.
• Ongoing investigations.
• Pending criminal cases.
• Cautions or related warnings.
• Certain civil cases such as barring.
• Driving offences

Residence in the State

Reckonable residence means the period of stay in Ireland that counts toward becoming eligible

To be eligible, applicants must have had:

• A continuous reckonable residence in the state of one year (365 days) immediately before the date they apply for naturalisation.
• A total reckonable residence in the state of four years (1460 days) in the last eight years before the final one-year continuous residence.

Applicants can leave Ireland for up to 6 weeks (in total) per year and still be considered resident in that year. However, they may have to wait until the following year to apply if they spend over 6 weeks outside of Ireland in the year immediately before their application.

Young adults aged between 18 and 23 years and who entered Ireland legally with their family may use their parent’s reckonable residence if they do not have the required reckonable residence themselves.

They must be dependent on their parents and be in school or have gone straight to third-level college from school in Ireland.

Nationals of the EEA (the EU and Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein), the UK, and Switzerland do not need to calculate reckonable residence when applying. They only need to show evidence of their residential history in Ireland.

In addition, they do not need to register for an Irish permanent residence permit as all periods of their residence in the state are counted towards naturalisation.

The spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen is eligible to apply for naturalisation following three years of marriage or civil partnership and three years of reckonable residence in the state.

Persons granted refugee status are eligible to apply for Irish citizenship by naturalisation once they have three years of residence in the state calculated from the date of arrival.

Future Intentions

Successful applicants must continue to reside in the state after naturalisation and keep their Irish citizenship while they are residing abroad for a temporary period. Also, they must make a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State.

Finally, they must swear at a citizenship ceremony that they will observe the laws of Ireland and respect its democratic values.

The Minister for Justice can waive one or more of the conditions for naturalisation in the following circumstances if applicants:

• Are of Irish descent or Irish associations.
• Are a parent or guardian applying on behalf of a minor child of Irish descent or Irish associations.
• Are naturalised parents applying on behalf of a minor child.
• Are the spouse or civil partners of an Irish citizen or a naturalised person.
• Have been resident abroad in the public service.
• Are recognised as a refugee (under the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees) or a stateless person (under the 1954 UN Convention regarding Stateless Persons).

Applicants are to download the current versions of the application forms that are applicable to them on the immigration service delivery website.

The application forms online include the following:

• Form 8- For persons aged at least 18 years.
• Form 9- To be filled for the minor child of a naturalised Irish citizen.
• Form 10: To be completed online by parents of a minor child of Irish descent or Irish associations
• Form 11: To be completed online by a parent or guardian of a minor child born in Ireland and was not entitled to Irish citizenship at birth.

Applicants should read the notes attached to the forms carefully and put ‘N/A’ for questions not applicable to them. Also, they are allowed to use professional immigration lawyers if they desire.

Finally, they must find Irish citizens who know them well enough to give their opinion about the applicant’s character and act as a referee for them by submitting their details and signatures.

Applicants can find a full list of the documents they are required to submit on the application form. These documents are needed to identify them and to determine their residence history.

Along with other documents, they must send a full-colour photocopy of their passport which must have been certified by a solicitor, commissioner for oaths or a notary public. Other documents which must be certified as true copies include their:

• Birth certificate.
• Spouse’s birth certificate (if the application is based on marriage to an Irish citizen).
• Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate (if the application is based on marriage to an Irish citizen).
• Passport.

Adult applicants must apply for and send a tax clearance certificate along with their application form to prove there are no issues with their tax affairs. They may include a note explaining that they cannot provide a tax clearance certificate if they have never worked in Ireland.

Applicants are required to make a written statutory declaration swearing that the application form details and supporting documents are true.

This written statement must be witnessed by an authorised person such as a lawyer, notary public, commissioner for oaths, or peace commissioner.

The spouse or civil partner who is an Irish citizen must also make a statutory declaration if the application is based on the applicant’s marriage or civil partnership with an Irish citizen.

Applicants are to submit two colour passport photos with the application form and the witness must put the date and their signature on the back of those photos.

Applicants should use the checklist attached to the form to ensure that they have added all required documents and filled the form correctly. They must also pay a non-refundable fee of €175 using a banker’s draft only.

The draft must be made out to the Secretary-General, Department of Justice. No other type of payment is accepted. The application must be sent to the address specified on the form.

Stamp 1

Stamp 1 indicates the permission to work or operate a business in Ireland. Applicants must hold an employment permit or a letter from ISD permitting them to work without permits.

Some of the conditions attached to this stamp say that applicants must:

• Must not begin a job or enter employment unless they or their employer has obtained an employment permit for them, or if their letter of permission to work clearly states they do not need an employment permit.
• Apply to renew their permit and registration before it expires if they wish to stay in Ireland beyond the specified period.

Scenarios, where a foreign national may be given a Stamp 1, include if they:

• Work in Ireland based on an employment permit.
• Operate a business there.
• Work there based on a Working Holiday Authorisation.

Stamp 1A

Stamp 1A implies permission to participate in full-time, paid accountancy training (in compliance with the immigration rules or regulated by the IAASA and with a training contract with a company based in Ireland) for a specified period.

Applicants must not plan to engage in any other business, trade or profession unless officially permitted by the ISD. They must complete their accountancy course within four years.

Stamps 1A are given to those who want to study accountancy as a trainee & be employed as a trainee accountant.

Stamp 1G

Stamp 1G is usually given to two categories of people. They are:

• Graduate students who currently hold a Stamp 2- Stamp 1G indicates that the applicants have permission to gain employment under the third-level graduate programme, having finished their studies in Ireland.
• Spouse/de facto partner of a Critical Skills Employment Permit holder or a Spouse/de facto partner of Researchers in the State on hosting agreement permission- Stamp 1G allows the holder to take up employment without the need to obtain an employment permit.
• Some of the conditions to fulfil, in this case, are that they are not permitted to be self-employed or to establish and operate a business. They are allowed to work or study.

Stamp 2

Stamp 2 gives applicants permission to study a full-time course on the official Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) for a specified period. Some of the conditions attached state that applicants:

• Cannot receive any benefits or use publicly funded services (e.g. public hospitals) unless through other means.
• Can work in casual employment for a maximum of 20 hours per week during school term and 40 hours per week during holidays.
• Can stay in Ireland for a maximum of seven years after which they must renew their permission and registrations.

Stamp 2A

Stamp 2A gives permission for full-time study in Ireland for a course that is not on the official Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), for a specified period. Holders cannot receive any benefits or use publicly funded services.

They must have private medical insurance and must not engage in any business, trade or profession. Applicants may receive stamp 2A if they plan to study at a private secondary school or complete a semester abroad in Ireland, or if they are spouses of financially independent students.

Stamp 3

Stamp 3 gives holders permission to stay in Ireland for a specified period but prevents them from engaging in any work or business until a work permit has been obtained.

Holders of Stamp 3 must renew their permission and registration if they wish to stay in Ireland past the stamp’s expiry date.

Examples of groups of eligible persons who can obtain a Stamp 3 are volunteers with a charity or non-profit organisation, ministers of religion, and persons who want to join their non-EEA/EU/Swiss spouse/civil partner or family member who is here based on a work permit.

Stamp 4

Stamp 4 allows holders to stay in Ireland for a specified period during which they can take up employment without the need for an employment permit.

Other conditions attached to the Stamp are that holders can work, establish and run a business, and access state funds and services they are eligible for.

Applicants may be given a Stamp 4 after they have obtained permission to work in Ireland:

• With a valid Critical Skills Employment Permit for 2 years.
• With a valid employment permit for 5 years.
• As a researcher (with a valid Hosting Agreement) for 2 years.

They may also obtain Stamp 4 if they have been granted permission:

• To join and reside with their Irish spouse, civil partner or de-facto partner.
• As a convention or programme refugee, or based on subsidiary protection.
• To join their family member who is a recognised refugee or has been granted subsidiary protection.
• To remain with their child who is an Irish citizen.
• Under the Investor and Entrepreneur Programme (including spouse/partner & eligible family member)
• For long-term residence.

Stamp 4D

This stamp applies to eligible non-EEA family members of Uk citizens who desire to reside in Ireland after 1 January 2021.

Eligible family members are spouse, civil partner or de-facto partner and dependent children of the sponsor, spouse, civil partner or de-facto partner who has reached 18 or is above 18 as at the time of application

Applicants must have been granted a long-stay family visa earlier if they are from a visa-required country. If they are from a non-visa required country, they must apply for preclearance to obtain a letter of approval before travelling to Ireland.

Stamp 5

Stamp 5 grants holders the permission to remain in Ireland without changes to conditions on the time they can remain there. Therefore, those who have been permitted to remain in Ireland Without Condition As To Time (WCATT) are eligible to receive stamp 5

Stamp 6

Stamp 6 gives holders permission to be Irish citizens with dual citizenship. Those who may receive Stamp 6 on their non-Irish passport must have applied to remain in Ireland without condition.