How To Apply For Ireland Permanent Residency in 2023

You might have noticed an increase in Ireland’s international student population which is now at an astonishing 32,000. Enticed by the country’s beauty, culture and benefits, several of these students decide to settle in Ireland, for which they require an Ireland Permanent Residence Permit. If you too are interested in settling in Ireland, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about the benefits, process, and requirements of obtaining Ireland Permanent Residency, also known as Ireland PR. 

Who can apply for an Ireland PR?

You’re probably curious to know if you can even apply for Ireland Permanent Residency so let’s take a look at the eligibility criteria. You have to:

• Have legally resided in Ireland for at least 60 months which equals 5 years. Any time you might have spent outside Ireland during those 5 years would not count towards your ‘reckonable residence.’
• Have lived in the country with a work permit and have either a Stamp 1 or a Stamp 4 on your passport. 
• Have a valid residence permit at your time of application.
• Be employed at the time or plan on doing so in the future. 
• Are a spouse or dependant of a permanent Irish resident and have spent at least 60 months as a legal resident in Ireland. 

Who is not eligible for an Ireland PR?

Even if you have resided in Ireland for 60 months, you might not be eligible for Ireland permanent residency if you:

• Have resided in Ireland under a Student Visa.
• Have resided in Ireland as an Intra-Company Transferee.
• Are employed at a foreign embassy located in Ireland.
• Have Permission to Remain under the Working Holiday Visa scheme.
• Only hold a Green Card, a.k.a. an Employment permit.
• Are living in Ireland under Business Permission.
• Are residing in Ireland under the Turkish Agreement.
• Have permission to remain in Ireland under humanitarian grounds.
• Are residing in Ireland with Refugee Status.
• Have permission to remain in Ireland under the Irish Born Child schemes.

The Student Visa Route

If you wish to gain Ireland permanent residency starting off as a student. The stamps might seem a little confusing but they are quite important when determining the conditions of your stay. Here’s how to go about it:

Stage 1

First, you will need to get a Stamp 2 student visa, which requires you to be enrolled in a course for over 90 days, and typically lasts for 2 years, and needs to be renewed if your course duration is longer. You can also opt for Stamp 1G, which allows graduates to look for employment and is valid for a year. 

Stage 2

Once you’ve gotten a job, you need either a Critical Skills work permit or a General Work Permit for two years. For this, you will be granted Stamp 1 in your passport. You can find an employer who is willing to sponsor your work permit or opt to pay for it yourself. 

Stage 3

Next, you will apply for a Stamp 4 which will allow you to reside in Ireland and is quite similar to permanent residency, but imposes certain restrictions on the holder, such as they cannot stay out of state for more than 90 days. 

Stage 4

If you’ve completed your 5-year requirement, you can move on to the next step. Else, you need to apply for a Stamp 4 renewal. 

Stage 5

Once you’ve completed 5 years of residency in Ireland, you can apply for either either Stamp 5 (Permanent Residency) or Stamp 6 (Citizenship). 

The first step to getting an Ireland student visa requires you to have enrolled in a college course in Ireland. 

How to Apply for an Ireland PR?

Now that you’ve understood who is eligible to apply for Ireland permanent residency and the stages of getting one, here are the three simple steps you need to know when applying for Ireland Permanent Residency.

Step 1: Send a mail to INIS

The first step of applying for Ireland Permanent Residency is submitting an application via mail to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service’s Long Term Residency Division.

Step 2: Submit the required documents

Then, you will need to bring the required documents which the immigration officers will inspect before deciding whether you meet the requirements or not. If you don’t they will let you know within a week. If you do fulfil the criteria, your Ireland Permanent Residency application will then be processed.

Step 3: Wait for your application to get processed

On approval of your Ireland Permanent Residency, you will receive a letter of approval from INIS. Within the following 28 days, you must pay the Department of Justice and Equality’s Secretary General the Ireland Residency Permit Fee, currently €500, via a postal order or a bank draft. You will then receive Long Term Residency in Ireland on a Stamp 4 for 5 years. On visiting GNIB, you will be issued the immigration Stamp 4. GNIB will be informed of INIS’ decision and the type of stamp you have been cleared to receive via a letter.

Documents Checklist

Before submitting your application for Ireland permanent residency, make sure you include the following: 

• Copies of your work permits
• Copy of your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB Card
• Colored copies of your passport’s pages, including all Stamps you have received and your personal information

If you have recently received a new passport, make sure to include copies of your previous passport as well if it holds stamps from Irish authorities. 

Ireland PR Processing time

Your Irish Permanent Residency application might take around six to eight months to get processed, which is the usual Ireland Permanent Residency processing time. However, some applications do take longer, depending on the circumstances. Although undesirable, another outcome you can expect is your application getting rejected. 

Why get an Ireland PR?

Now that you’ve understood the steps and requirements, let’s take a look at the benefits of getting an Ireland PR after you’ve completed your study:

1. Easy to set up business 

If you’re interested in building your own business, you might need to conduct exchanges around Europe. You would need an Ireland PR for this. This would help you easily trade goods and services across 28 states of Ireland. 

2. Tax Perks

With one of Europe’s lowest tax rates, Ireland is an obvious choice for businesses and individuals. 

3. Frequent Visits

Holding an Ireland PR means there are no restrictions on returning back to the country unlike a Stamp 4 permit, which requires you to return in 90 days from your date of departure from Ireland.

4. Great salary

With a national average annual wage of just under €39,000, Ireland is no doubt a dream for those planning on working here. Not only is their average salary high, but the employers even provide their employees with health insurance and life insurance. 

5. Cost of living

Post Ireland’s late 2000s economic downturn, the country’s cost of living saw a significant decrease in comparison to other European countries. Ireland’s capital city, Dublin, is one of the best student cities with a low cost of living with amazing student accommodation. The same goes for Belfast which has impressive student life despite having a relatively low cost of living. 

6. Multicultural

Ireland is home to a large international population, including German, Spanish, and Polish workers who relocated to the country drawn by the large multinational corporations present here.

We hope we’ve cleared any confusion you might have had about Ireland Permanent Residency. Remember to keep track of your time in Ireland. Make sure you possess electricity bills or any other evidence of residing in Ireland for the five years that you are required to have spent here. You know your next step once you’ve made it to Ireland! Find student accommodation in Ireland’s top cities such as Cork, Galway, and Dublin.