Long-Term Residency Ireland

Overview

To prove they meet the eligibility criteria for the Irish permanent residency application, applicants must provide the following documents:

• Completed application form.
• Full-colour copies of their past and current passport or IRP cards showing all their immigration stamps.
• A copy of their current Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) Card.
• A copy of their employment contract or a letter from their employer, detailing commencement and terms of employment.
• Full-colour copies of all employment permits issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment.
• Documentation that proves that they have been residing continuously in Ireland. This may include copies of tenancy agreements, bank statements, State issued documents, etc.

Approved Immigration Stamps

To be considered while applying, the immigration stamp(s) on applicants’ passport or valid IRP must be any of the following:

• Stamp 1– This is granted because the applicant held a valid work permit or critical skills permit issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment.
• Stamp 4– This is granted because the applicant held a valid green card/critical skills employment permit issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Unaccepted Immigration Stamps

The types of stamps that are not accepted for the long-term residency application include the following:

• Stamp 0.
• Holder of Contract for Services Employment Permit – Stamp 1.
• Permission to apply for a work permit – Stamp 1.
• Trainee Accountants – Stamp 1A.
• Immigrant Investor Programme – Stamp 4.
• Start-Up Entrepreneur Programme – Stamp 4.
• Atypical Working Scheme – Stamp 1.
• Permission granted by the Minister for Justice granting permission to work without the need for an employment permit – Stamp 1.
• Permission granted under the Policy for 5-year workers and redundant workers – Stamp 1/4.
• Student – Stamp 2 or Stamp 2A or Stamp 1G (student graduate conditions).
• Special Student scheme – Stamp 4S.
• 2004 Student Probationary extension – Stamp 4.
• Intra Company Transfer – Stamp 4.
• Spouse or dependent of an Intra Company Transfer – Stamp 3.
• Working Holiday Authorisation – Stamp 1.
• Spouse of Irish National – Stamp 4.
• Spouse or dependent of a non-EEA national in the State, who does not hold an employment permit – Stamp 3.
• EU Treaty Rights – Stamp 4 EUFAM.
• De Facto partner – Stamp 3/4.
• Parent of Irish Citizen Child – Stamp 4.
• Parent of Irish-Born Child (IBC 05 scheme) – Stamp 4.
• Self-Employed – Stamp 4.
• Business permission – Stamp 1.
• Investor /Entrepreneur permission– Stamp 4.
• Temporary Registered Doctors – Stamp 4.
• Missionary/Volunteer – Stamp 3.
• Temporary visitor’s permission granted at the port of entry.
• Permission granted under Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 – Stamp 1/3/4.
• Family Reunification – Stamp 4.
• Refugee Status – Stamp 4.
• Subsidiary protection – Stamp 4.
• International protection – Stamp 4.
• Permission granted under International Protection Act Family Reunification Scheme – Stamp 4.
• Student scheme – Stamp 4S.
• Cancelled stamps.
• Turkish Association – Stamp 1/4.
• Time spent as a Diplomat in the State.
• Permission under the Labour Market Access Scheme.
• Permission as a victim of human trafficking.
• Permission as the victim of domestic violence.
• Temporary stamp 1 permissions granted to applicants for them to apply for a new employment permit will not be counted towards their eligibility for this scheme.

Irish Descent or Irish Association

Section 16 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act allows the Minister to waive some conditions in certain circumstances including if the applicant is of Irish descent or Irish association.

Irish descent or association, in this case, means if the applicant is related through blood, affinity, or adoption to a person who is an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen, alive or deceased.

Applications under this Act must be supported with substantive documentation. Processing time for these applications is usually over 30 months.

Applicants may submit their permanent residency application through the mail to the Long Term Residency Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS).

Foreign Births Register

Applicants born outside of Ireland who have an Irish national grandparent born in Ireland are entitled to obtain Irish citizenship through registration in the Foreign Births Register which is maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Applicants born on the island of Ireland or whose parents were born there before 2005 are Irish citizens and can apply for an Irish passport without applying for Irish citizenship.

If the applicant or their parent were born on the island of Ireland on or after 1 January 2005, their right to citizenship would depend on the parent’s citizenship at the time of birth and the residency history of one of the parents before the birth.

An Irish citizen is recognised as a national of Ireland and a citizen of the European Union (EU). They can live and work in Ireland or the EU and can carry an Irish passport.

Irish Naturalisation

Applicants may be considered for Irish citizenship by naturalisation if they are living in the State or are living on the island of Ireland and married to an Irish citizen.

Successful applicants will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony where they will receive a Certificate of Naturalisation and make a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State.

Eligibility Requirements to apply for Naturalisation

Adults who apply must:

• Be aged 18 or over, or married if aged under 18.
• Meet the relevant conditions for residence.
• Intend to reside in the State or if they are spouse/civil partner of an Irish citizen who intends to reside on the island of Ireland.
• Be of good character.
• Attend a citizenship ceremony and make the declaration of fidelity.

Dependent young adults who apply must be between 18 and 23 years and have entered the State legally as part of a family.

In addition, they must be dependent on their parents, and be currently attending secondary school or have passed from secondary school into third-level education in the State.

Minors aged under 18 and married cannot make the application themselves. The application must be made by someone acting on their behalf such as a legal guardian or parents.

Non-EU, non-EEA nationals or non-Swiss nationals who wish to apply for citizenship by naturalisation must show proof that they have been and are currently legally resident in the state.

They must also have enough reckonable residence in the State (1825 or 1826 days of reckonable residence determined by their accumulated stamps and one full year of continuous residence before the date they make their application).