Ireland is one of the most appealing countries in Europe for moving for personal and business reasons. Both categories of immigrants will benefit from an attractive taxation system, as well as employment and business opportunities in industries like IT and services. Below, you can find important information regarding residency matters in Ireland. Our lawyers can help you apply for an Irish residence permit.
Please mind that the residency requirements can vary based on the type of residence permit the foreigner obtained, and this implies that the rights of a person can also vary based on this main criterion – the type of residence permit.
For instance, if you want to apply in 2024 for a residence permit issued for studies, please mind that after graduation, you may be allowed to work in Ireland if you obtain a Stamp 1G.
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The main immigration options in Ireland in 2024
Foreigners arriving in Ireland can apply for various types of residence permits, which are issued based on the reason for which the person relocated here (family reasons, business, employment, etc.). Below, we invite you to read about the options at hand to relocate here and obtain Ireland permanent residency.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Temporary residence permit types | Stamp 0 issued for various purposes, such as training, academic visits, retirement, bringing dependent parents into Ireland. |
| Time needed to obtain the temporary residence permit (approx.) | Approximately 5-15 working days. |
|
Temporary residence permit validity in Ireland |
1-2 years, depending on the residence permit. |
| Documents for obtaining temporary residence |
Paying the processing fee, completing the application form, submitting personal identity and traveling documents, submitting documents that attest the purpose of stay (work, family reunification, enrollment in Ireland). |
| Mandatory registrations with state authorities (i.e. with the population/municipality register) | Immigration Service Delivery (working under the Deparmtent of Justice) or any local Garda stations outside Dublin, depending on where the person lives. |
| Dependents can join the temporary permit holder (Yes/No) |
Yes, in certain cases. Most of the options to bring dependents are available for Ireland permanent residency. |
| Temporary or permanent residency for investment purposes | Yes, temporary and Ireland permanent residency are available through investments. |
| Type of investments available for residency purposes | Investments in an innovative business idea that can qualify as a startup, investments in Approved Investment Funds, investments in Irish enterprises, investments in real estate investment trusts, endowments. |
| Minimum investment amount | EUR 50,000 |
| Minimum temporary residence before applying for permanent residence | Ireland permanent residency can be obtained after 5 years of living here. |
| Residency for individuals married to a citizen of the country | 5 years to Ireland permanent residency. |
| Documents for obtaining permanent residence | – the current residence permit; – the passport; – personal information; – documents that attest the purpose of stay (marriage documents, work documents, corporate documents, etc.); -the application form. |
| Naturalization requirements | Be a resident of at least 5 years in the last 9 years, and show evidence of continous residence of at least 1 year prior to the application. For those married with an Irish citizen, only 3 years of residency have to be proven. |
| Citizenship after permanent residence | After 3 or 5 years of permanent residence. |
| Dual citizenship permitted (Yes/No) | Yes |
| Fee for long-term residency permit | In order to obtain residency in Ireland on a long-term basis it is necessary to pay a processing fee of EUR 500. |
|
How are applicants notified on the residency permit decision? |
The notification is sent as a letter of approval, sent by the Immigration Service Delivery. |
|
Deadline to pay the residence permit fee |
28 days since the notification was sent. |
| What happens if a person fails to pay the permit fee? | The residency permit application will be stopped, but the applicant will have the right to resume the process at a later date. |
| Apply for a residency card (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Statutory limits to register for the residency card |
The residency card is known as the Irish Residence Permit (IRP) and those who want to obtain residency in Ireland must register for the issuance of the document in a period of maximum 90 days since the arrival in the country. |
| Appeals on the refusal of applications |
There aren’t any appeals for refusals (the refusal documents will clearly state the reasons for not granting residency). |
| Can long term residency be revoked? (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Reasons for revoking long term residency |
– on grounds of breaking the conditions of the permission to stay; – on grounds of character (such as criminal convictions); – on grounds of failing to register for permission to stay; – on grounds of providing untrue information to the Irish authorities. |
| Can the application for long term residency be done from overseas? | No. |
| Immigration documents that grant the right to long term residency |
Stamp 1 and Stamp 4. |
| Can a foreigner appoint a legal representative for immigration matters? |
Yes |
| Legal pathway to retire to Ireland |
A foreigner can obtain residency in Ireland as a retirement visa by applying for the D Reside visa and the Stamp 0. |
| Is it possible to extend the permission to stay? |
Yes |
| Can one change the permission to stay into a different document? | Yes, foreigners arriving under a type of visa and residency permit (known as permission to stay) can change their permits to other types of permits, but there are certain limitations in this sense. |
You can rely on our immigration lawyer in Ireland for assistance in moving to a country where one can find numerous opportunities. If you need more information on Ireland permanent residency, we can guide you. You can also call our lawyer in the case you need assistance on citizenship matters (permanent residents can qualify for citizenship if specific requirements are met).
Persons who will apply for citizenship in Ireland must pay various fees. These fees are commonly charged in other European countries, for the processing of the application.
In Ireland, all applicants must pay a basic fee of EUR 175, while for those who will actually obtain the citizenship, the issuance of the certificate will cost EUR 950. The certificate will cost only EUR 200 for certain categories of persons.
When it comes to obtaining permanent residency in Ireland, foreign citizens have several legal pathways that they can choose from. When interested in immigration to Ireland, here are the most common reasons under which an Irish residence permit can be obtained:
- arriving here for the purpose of employment, in which case the foreigner must obtain an employment permit (necessary for persons who want to move to Ireland from outside the EU);
- short-term and long-term residence permits which also apply to non-EU citizens;
- arriving in Ireland for investment purposes and here, investors can obtain business visas or investment visas (also necessary only for citizens outside the EU);
- arriving in Ireland for visiting purposes – a visa can be necessary for both short-term stays, as well as for long-term stays;
- retirement residence permits available for foreign citizens who can support themselves.
EU citizens do not need to apply for a residence permit in order to immigrate to Ireland, however, they need to register with the immigration authorities once they arrive here. You can find out from our immigration lawyer in Ireland more information, if you want to arrive here for any of the above mentioned purposes and you also want to obtain permanent residency; our lawyer can present the steps you need to take for each situation that we have presented here.
Foreigners who have obtained a residence permit in Ireland and whose residence permit was about to expire between the period of 21st April 2021 and 20th September 2021 automatically received an extension on 20th September 2021; the regulation had been in force, as stipulated by the Department of Justice of Ireland, due to the measures taken as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, which restricted to a certain degree the possibility to move in and from Ireland.
If you want to apply for an Irish residence permit, you can rely on our immigration specialists.
New rules on the issuance of the residence permit in Ireland have been introduced in 2022. The procedure to obtain the document is the same, but starting with 1s of March 2022, the Irish Residence Permit Card has new elements, in accordance with the EU law.
If you want to obtain an Irish residence permit in 2024, you must pay a processing fee of EUR 300. However, certain categories of applicants are exempted from the payment of the fee, such as it is the case of refugees or asylum seekers. Please know that the processing of the application can be completed in a period of 9-10 weeks.
Upon the expiration of the permit, foreigners are required to renew the card if they want to maintain their residency in Ireland. The procedure can be completed online and those who will renew their residency cards in 2024 will be asked to pay a processing fee.
Those who want to apply for a renewal of the permit in 2024 must know that the procedure can be completed in a short period of time. According to the information provided by the Irish Department of Justice, after the decision to renew a document is taken, the authorities can issue a new permit in a period of 10 to 15 working days.
In the case of those who are not approved for the renewal, the Irish authorities will inform via e-mail on the legal basis as to why the application was denied. Additionally, unsuccessful applicants are entitled to receive the application fee for the renewal, which will be refunded following the decision to deny the application. Please mind that the renewal of the residence card costs EUR 300 also, but for certain categories of document renewals, there are many fee exemptions.
What are the rights of EEA citizens in Ireland?
The citizens of European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland have similar rights as the citizens of the EU. Please mind that the EEA is not the same with the EU. According to the law on immigration in Ireland, EEA citizens and Swiss citizens are entitled to live in this country for up to three months without any restrictions.
The same right is extended not only for the EEA/Swiss citizen who relocated to Ireland, but also to his or her close family members. Provided that the person wants to live in Ireland for a period longer than 3 months, other conditions must be met in order to maintain the eligibility of staying in this country.
For this, the person has to provide evidence on the fact that he or she is engaged in an economic activity (employed in a local company or working as a self-employed person) or offer evidence on the fact that there are sufficient financial funds in order to live here without engaging in an economic activity in Ireland that will provide a monthly income; if this is the case, the person must also provide evidence on having an appropriate insurance so that he or she will not become a burden on the Irish medical and financial systems.
As a EEA/Swiss citizen, one is also entitled to stay here for a period longer than 3 months if the person is engaged in a vocational trainee program or if he or she is enrolled as a student in the Irish educational system. Another option prescribed by the law on immigration in Ireland is to be a relative of a EU citizen.
With regards to residency regulations applicable to this category of citizens, upon the arrival, the same rules will apply as the ones available for EU citizens, meaning that they do not need to apply for a residence permit. You can request more details from our immigration lawyer in Ireland.
As the holder of a residence permit in Ireland, a foreigner will have the right to travel outside this state, and to return here.
The residence permit does not represent an identity card, and it is simply a card that proves to any third party that the foreigner has the right to stay here. Having an Irish permit will not grant the foreigner with any particular benefits or state entitlements.
Long-term residence permits in Ireland
When considering Ireland as a way for permanent residency in Europe and the European Union (EU) you should know it is one of the best countries to take into account. A long-term residence permit can be applied for in order to gain permanent residence and then Irish citizenship.
The simplest way to immigrate to Ireland is by applying for a work permit, however, it is important to note that the Irish government issues various types of visas for employment purposes. Among these, non-EU citizens can obtain one of the following: general employment permits and employment permits under the Critical Skills Scheme.
The residence permit in Ireland offers many benefits to those who obtain it.
Below, you can watch a short presentation on Ireland permanent residency:
All permits are issued by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation in Ireland. Our lawyers can offer more information on the requirements for Ireland permanent residency. The following aspects need to be considered when targeting moving to Ireland and obtaining permanent residency:
- in order to obtain a general employment permit, a non-EU national must obtain a work contract with an annual salary of EUR 34,000 (starting with January 2024);
- non-EU students can also take on jobs with Irish companies provided that their annual remuneration is EUR 27,000, however, upon renewal, the threshold of EUR 34,000 annual salary must be obtained;
- the general employment permit is first issued for a period of 2 years;
- this type of residence permit can be renewed for another 3 years, following which the applicant is a viable candidate to Irish permanent residence.
When it comes to the Critical Skills Employment Permit Program, this is available for professionals in the following sectors: web design, web development, programming and other IT-related jobs. The annual salary requirements increased from EUR 30,000 to EUR 38,000 starting with January 2024, and the applicant is required to obtain a 2-year work contract.
Our immigration lawyer in Ireland can guide you through the legal requirements you need to meet in order to be eligible for a long-term residence permit and then Irish residence permit, issued on a permanent basis. Below, you can find information on the process of obtaining a permanent residence permit.
Who is not eligible for long-term residency in Ireland?
Although long-term residency can be obtained by foreigners in numerous legal scenarios, the legal framework which regulates immigration in Ireland also prescribes the categories of persons who are not entitled to obtaining long-term residency; our immigration lawyer in Ireland can offer an extensive information on this legal aspect, which can also be verified on the website of the Irish Department of Justice.
Below, we will present few of the legal situations that refer to this particular case; please mind that the list is extensive and this is why we highly recommend you to address to our immigration lawyer in Ireland, who can present all the scenarios prescribed by the law; some of them refer to the following:
- the applicant has arrived in Ireland for employment purposes but he or she has been made redundant, even though the employment permit was issued for a period of 5 years and was issued by the Ministry for Enterprise, Trade and Employment;
- the applicant has had permission to stay in Ireland under the Student Conditions Stamp 2 and Stamp 2A;
- the applicant received the right to move to Ireland under the Stamp 4 and was previously qualified for staying in Ireland under the 2004 Student Probationary Extension;
- the applicant received the right to stay in Ireland under the Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999;
- the applicant arrived in Ireland under the rules of International Protection Act 2015;
- the applicant arrived here under a Stamp 0 permit or under a Stamp 1 permit.
If you worked in Ireland and your job position has been redundant due to various reasons, please address our immigration lawyer for advice on what you should do regarding your right to stay in this country; our immigration lawyer in Ireland can present the most suitable options you can have in this case.
If you want to obtain a residence permit in Ireland by employment, you can rely on us.
The process for obtaining permanent residence in Ireland
If you are interested in immigration to Ireland and obtaining permanent residency, you should know that this country is one of the easiest to obtain not only residency but also Irish citizenship. You will be able to apply for permanent residence after living in Ireland for 5 years; however, for applicants arriving under the Critical Skills Employment Permit scheme, Ireland permanent residency is available after 2 years.
An important thing to keep in mind when coming to Ireland with the purpose of obtaining permanent residency is that your application for permanent residence will be considered from the moment you register with the immigration authorities and not from the date the work contract was signed.
Other ways of moving to Ireland and obtaining permanent residency
The Irish Golden Visa Scheme is one of the most popular residence by investment programs in Europe. Please mind that this program is addressed solely to persons who qualify as high net worth individuals and who are able to invest in the local economy EUR 1 million (in real estate properties).
Other investment options are also available. The investment must be maintained for at least 3 years and permanent residence can be obtained in 5 years. For complete information on the main routes to Ireland permanent residency, please contact our immigration lawyer, who can provide legal representation.
