Stamp 4 EUFAM Ireland

Due to Ireland’s position within the European Union, citizens of EU states can move to and reside in Ireland without needing a visa or residence permit for as long as they like. This could cause difficulties if they have a spouse or civil partner who is a visa-required national.

Stamp 4 EUFAM steps into the gap, allowing someone who is a dependent child of an EU citizen or with whom they are in a marriage or civil partnership to live and work in Ireland.

With Stamp 4, you won’t face the restrictions of a standard employment permit. Holders have the right to work in any profession without a permit, start or run a business, and access state funds and services.

Another advantage of Stamp 4 EUFAM is that you may be able to successfully apply if you are already in Ireland but have a deportation order. This sometimes makes it a suitable permission for those undocumented in Ireland.

Page Contents

• What is Stamp 4 EU FAM Ireland: Explained
• General Types of Residence Permission for Non-EEA Nationals
• Requirements for Stamp 4 EUFAM
• Required Documents Stamp 4 EUFAM
• How to Apply for Stamp 4 EUFAM?
• Fees and Processing Time
• Renewing your Stamp 4 EUFAM in Ireland
• Route to Citizenship with Stamp 4 EUFAM in Ireland
• How Can IAS Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Stamp 4 EUFAM is one of several types of residence permission that non-EEA nationals can obtain. If you realise that you will not be able to use the EUFAM pathway, the eligible programmes listed below could help:

• Employment permit holders. This is known as Stamp 1, and you can remain in Ireland for as long as your permit is valid.
• Immigration Investor Programme members. You will need to make an approved minimum investment of a million euros. These pathways closed to new applicants in February 2023.
• Start-up Entrepreneur Programme, requiring non-EEA nationals to start an Irish business with at least 50,000 euros of backing.
• Students can get Stamp 2, allowing for full-time study and part-time work.
• Third Level Graduate Scheme, allowing graduates of an Irish educational institution to remain in Ireland to seek work and a Critical Skills Employment permit.
• Non-EEA family members of an Irish national.

Before you begin the Stamp 4 application process, you should ensure that you are eligible under the EUFAM pathway. The main eligibility requirements are that you are:

• The legal spouse, civil partner, de facto or dependent children of an EU citizen.
• Physically present, alongside your EU relations, in Ireland.
• The EU relation is exercising their EU treaty rights to live in Ireland at the time of the application. They must either be employed, self-employed, studying, or living in Ireland under their own resources.

If you are applying based on being an EU citizen in Ireland based on a marriage or civil partnership, you need to prove that this status is recognised in the country. Provide the appropriate marriage certificate or civil partnership agreement, and ensure it is in English or has been certified translated. The same is the case for applications for dependent children, except they will need to provide a birth certificate.

An essential step of any Irish immigration stamp application is to gather any necessary documentation. For Stamp 4 EUFAM, this can be divided into documents required as standard for Stamp 4, and those needed for EUFAM specifically. Standard documentation needed is listed below:

• A copy of your valid passport’s biometric page. The same is needed from your EU citizen relative.
• A completed residence card application form. This must be signed by the applicant and the EU citizen sponsor.
• Copies of the front and back of your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) if you have one.
• Copies of any documentation relating to employment in Ireland, if you have it. This could include an employment permit, recent payslips, or a letter from your employer.
• Proof of private medical and travel insurance valid for at least a year.

On top of these standard documents needed for almost all Stamp 4 applications, you will also need to provide further documentation relating to your EU relative, including:

• Details on the EU relative’s activities in Ireland. Choose from the most relevant as detailed below, based on how they are exercising their treaty rights:
• Employed EU citizen: a letter from their employer, recent payslips, or an employment contract.
  • Self-employed EU citizen: documents relating to their business’s registration or tax returns.
  • Studying EU citizen: a letter confirming enrolment from the educational institution.
  • Self-sufficient EU citizen: bank statements proving sufficient income.
• Proof of a joint current address in Ireland with your spouse or civil partner.
• Proof of your relationship, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate.

It is a little more challenging to prove that you are in a de facto relationship with an EU citizen. You need to show that you have been living together for at least two years and that you have a genuine and sustaining relationship. Prove that this is the case through shared photos, letters or other communications, bank transfers to each other or joint accounts, and shared tenancy agreements or property deeds. A letter from a family member or friend attesting to the strength of your relationship can also help.

Your documents should be submitted as photocopies. Photocopies of your passport will need to be in colour. Irish immigration authorities reserve the right to request original copies if they believe it is necessary.

The current processing time can be up to six months, as is the case for all residence card applications. However, given this lengthy processing time, you may be issued an immigration stamp (temporary permission to remain). This will be valid while your application is being processed. Once your application has been processed, you will receive a residence card in the mail.

In order for your application to be processed, you would usually need to pay the standard Stamp 4 Irish Resident Permit fee of €300. However, EU citizens’ spouses or dependents don’t need to pay the fee. Other groups that have the fee waived include the following:

• Persons under 18.
• Spouses or civil partners of Irish citizens.
• Persons with refugee status.
• Persons granted permission to stay in Ireland.
• Family members joining refugees in Ireland.
• Persons with Subsidiary Protection.

This immigration stamp does not grant you permanent or indefinite residency in Ireland. The length of time you can stay in the country will usually be one to three years and will be clearly displayed on your residence card. Remaining in Ireland past this expiry date can lead to legal action against you, which could result in deportation and make it harder to successfully apply for Irish and European Union visas.

You can renew your Stamp 4 permission to remain at a local immigration office if you live outside Dublin. The renewal process is carried out online via the Immigration Service Delivery if you live in Dublin.

Standard required documents for an EUFAM stamp renewal include the following:

• Your current residence permit.
• A valid and undamaged passport.
• Proof of your address in Ireland. Your accommodation must be sufficient for yourself and the EU citizen family member living with you.
• Proof of your continued relationship with an EU citizen using their EU treaty rights to live in Ireland.

As with your initial registration, you will also need to provide a Department of Justice letter that remains relevant to your stay in Ireland, and a copy of your EU family member’s biometric page in their passport.

The Stamp 4 EUFAM pathway gives you a fast-track to what is often considered the final residence permission in Ireland. It is an excellent pathway to Irish citizenship by naturalisation. Achieving this will mean that both your family member and you will be citizens of an EU member state.

You will be able to apply to become an Irish citizen once you have lived in Ireland continuously for five years or longer. This is known as the reckonable residence period, and the first four years of it must have occurred within the last nine years before your application. The final year living in Ireland under a valid permission to remain needs to be the year before you make your application. During this final year, you can be outside of Ireland for just 70 days. Make sure to retain proof of residency throughout this time.

A central requirement for your citizenship application is that you can prove your identity. Do this by providing documentation that earns you a minimum of 150 points:

• A colour copy of your passport’s biometric page (150 points).
• A copy of your IRP (75 points).
• A copy of a different type of national identity document (50 points).
• A copy of a passport that has expired for more than 365 days (50 points).
• A copy of your Public Services Card (25 points).

Other requirements for citizenship by naturalisation include proving that you have been of good character in Ireland and attending a citizenship ceremony.