Republic of Ireland · Processing time
Stamp 4 permission: how long does it take?
By Sam Parks · Last checked:
Stamp 4 is granted on arrival or at registration for eligible permit-holders; there is no separate consular decision period.
How long does the Stamp 4 permission take to process in Ireland?
Irish Immigration Service — Registration Office does not publish a central processing time for this route. Check the specific pathway (e.g. after 21 months on a Critical Skills permit) for the immigration permission rules that apply.
Verified against Irish Immigration Service — Registration Office on 1 June 2026.
Typical wait
Not centrally published
from complete application
Government fees
Registration fee €300.
Last checked
1 June 2026
Reality vs official timing
- Official clock
- No central processing clock
- Delay trigger
- No fixed delay point - use route guidance
- Source checked
- 1 June 2026
Irish Immigration Service — Registration Office does not publish a central processing time. Check the specific pathway (e.g. after 21 months on a Critical Skills permit) for the immigration permission rules that apply.
What is the Stamp 4 permission?
Long-term residence permission allowing unrestricted work in Ireland.
Stamp 4 is not itself a visa but an immigration permission granted after qualifying routes — most commonly 2 years on a Critical Skills Employment Permit, or 5 years on General Employment Permit. It allows work without a permit and is a step toward citizenship after 5 years of reckonable residence.
- Sponsorship: No job offer or employer sponsor is required.
- Settlement: This route can lead to permanent residence.
- Typical permit length: Typically issued for 1–5 years at a time; renewable.
- Indicative government fees: Registration fee €300.
Official source
Irish Immigration Service — Registration Office
https://www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Stamp 4 permission processing time dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/ireland/stamp-4. Last verified 1 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times
Primary source (1)
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Stamp 4 permission take to process?+
Irish Immigration Service — Registration Office does not publish a central processing time for this route. Check the specific pathway (e.g. after 21 months on a Critical Skills permit) for the immigration permission rules that apply.
When does the Not centrally published clock start?+
Because no central processing time is published, there is no fixed start point. Contact the relevant authority once your application is submitted.
Is there a way to speed up the decision?+
Some Ireland routes offer a priority or premium service for an additional fee. Check the linked primary source for current options — availability changes and varies by consular post.
What makes an application take longer than expected?+
The most common reasons for delays beyond the published window are: missing or incorrect documents, a request for more information (which pauses the clock until you reply), background or medical checks, and consular appointment backlogs in your country. Submitting a complete, well-organised application on day one is the single biggest thing you can do to stay inside the published window.
When should I treat my Stamp 4 permission application as delayed?+
Because no central processing time is published for this route, there is no fixed point at which it counts as late. If your wait runs well beyond comparable cases, a single polite status enquiry through the official channel is reasonable. Duplicate chasing tends to slow a case rather than speed it up.
Next steps
Reviewed by Sam Parks, Editor and lead researcher.