Ireland
Ireland is an EU member state but is NOT part of the Schengen Area (it operates the Common Travel Area with the UK). Immigration is administered by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) within the Department of Justice, while employment permits are handled by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE). Common pathways include employment permits (Critical Skills and General), the post-study graduate stamp, family reunification, long-term residency, and naturalisation. The Immigrant Investor Programme (golden visa) closed to new applicants in February 2023. All fees are in EUR.
Immigration Pathways
(10) Last updated: Jun 19, 2026 · 1 months agoNo pathways match your search.
Permit for high-demand occupations (mostly ICT, engineering, healthcare). No Labour Market Needs Test required, and it offers a fast track to Stamp 4 after 2 years.
- Processing time
- Roughly 2-week queue (DETE was processing CSEP applications received 19 May 2026 as of early June 2026 - check live tracker)
- Validity
- Up to 24 months initially
- Language requirement
- None
- Documents
- 5 required
- Permanent residence
- Yes · Apply for Stamp 4 after 2 years (no employer support letter required since 30 Nov 2023)
- Citizenship
- Yes · 5 years reckonable residence out of the last 9 (Stamp 1 and Stamp 4 count)
Permits non-EEA nationals to work in Ireland in occupations not on the Ineligible Occupations List. Requires a Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT) in most cases and a minimum annual salary of EUR 36,605 (standard) or EUR 32,691 for specified lower-threshold sectors. New permits cost EUR 500 (up to 6 months) or EUR 1,000 (6–24 months); renewals cost EUR 750 (up to 6 months) or EUR 1,500 (up to 36 months). Governed by the Employment Permits Act 2024 in force from 2 September 2024.
- Processing time
- New (non-CSEP) applications being processed from 9 March 2026; renewals from 6 March 2026 (as of early June 2026 - check live tracker)
- Validity
- Up to 24 months initially; renewals up to 36 months
- Language requirement
- None
- Documents
- 5 required
- Permanent residence
- Yes · Long-Term Residency after 5 years (60 months) on employment-permit-based stamps
- Citizenship
- Yes · 5 years reckonable residence out of the last 9 (Stamp 1 from a work permit counts)
Permits non-EEA senior managers, key personnel, and trainees employed by a multinational to transfer temporarily from an overseas branch to an Irish entity of the same group. One of the nine permit types under the Employment Permits Act 2024. Does not accumulate toward permanent residency. Minimum salary EUR 49,523 for senior/key personnel, EUR 36,605 for trainees.
- Processing time
- Applications should be submitted approximately 12 weeks before the employment start date via the Employment Permits Online system. Standard processing is within weeks; no fixed SLA is published.
- Validity
- Up to 24 months initial; renewable to a maximum 5-year total stay
- Language requirement
- No statutory language requirement; business language is English
- Documents
- 6 required
Lets non-EEA graduates of Irish institutions stay to seek graduate-level employment and apply for an employment permit after completing their studies.
- Processing time
- Granted on registration
- Validity
- 12 months (Level 8) or up to 24 months (Level 9+); usable on a maximum of 2 separate occasions
- Language requirement
- None (study conducted in English)
- Documents
- 3 required
Permits non-EEA nationals to study full-time in Ireland on courses listed on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) for periods longer than 90 days. Issued as a long-stay 'D' visa with Stamp 2 immigration permission. Students may work up to 20 hours per week during term and 40 hours per week during holidays without a separate employment permit. Leads to the Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G) on completion of a Level 8+ degree.
- Processing time
- Applications should be submitted up to 3 months before the date of travel. Processing times vary by visa office; no single fixed timeframe is published.
- Validity
- Per course duration, typically 1 year; renewed annually while course continues. Stamp 2 is non-reckonable for long-term residency.
- Language requirement
- No standalone language test required for the visa itself; individual institutions set English-language entry requirements.
- Documents
- 7 required
Allows non-EEA nationals with an innovative high-potential start-up business proposal and minimum EUR 50,000 funding to obtain residency in Ireland and work full-time in their own business. Managed by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD). Proposals are evaluated quarterly by an Evaluation Committee. Leads to long-term residency after 5 years.
- Processing time
- Applications are evaluated on a quarterly basis by the Evaluation Committee. No fixed turnaround is published; ISD communicates the outcome in writing.
- Validity
- 2 years initial, renewable for 3 further years, then in 5-year instalments
- Language requirement
- No statutory language requirement; business plan and application must be submitted in English
- Documents
- 6 required
- Permanent residence
- Yes · Eligible to apply for long-term residency (Stamp 4) after 5 years of continuous residence under STEP
- Citizenship
- Yes · May apply for naturalisation under standard Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts after 5 years reckonable residence (no preferential access)
The Immigrant Investor Programme (Ireland's golden visa) closed to new applications on 15 February 2023. No active general investor residency route exists; intending investors should consider the Start-Up Entrepreneur Programme or business permission routes instead.
- Processing time
- Not applicable - no new applications accepted (applications on hand at closure continue to be processed)
- Validity
- Not applicable - closed
- Language requirement
- None
Routes for the spouse, civil partner, or de facto partner of an Irish national to reside in Ireland on Stamp 4. The Irish sponsor must meet an income requirement of EUR 40,000 earned over the prior 3 years.
- Processing time
- ISD reports high volumes and delays; no specific timeframe published
- Validity
- Stamp 4 (de facto: initial 1 year, renewable)
- Language requirement
- None
- Documents
- 8 required
- Permanent residence
- Yes · Stamp 4 (de facto initial 1 year, renewable; spouse route grants Stamp 4)
- Citizenship
- Yes · Spouse/civil partner of an Irish citizen: married/in civil partnership 3+ years plus 3 of last 5 years reckonable residence (including 12 continuous months before applying)
For non-EEA nationals who have spent 60 months (5 years) legally resident on qualifying employment-permit-based stamps. Grants a 5-year Stamp 4 allowing work without a permit.
- Processing time
- ISD reports very high volumes and delays; no specific timeframe published
- Validity
- Stamp 4, 5 years
- Language requirement
- None
- Documents
- 6 required
- Permanent residence
- Yes · This is the long-term residency status itself (5-year Stamp 4)
- Citizenship
- Yes · Stamp 4 counts toward the 5-years-in-9 reckonable residence requirement for naturalisation
Naturalisation for non-EEA nationals after 5 years of reckonable residence (or 3 years for spouses/civil partners of Irish citizens). Processed via an online portal with a points-based scorecard.
- Processing time
- The vast majority of applicants receive a decision within one year. Processing times have improved significantly: from 15 months in 2023 to approximately 8 months in 2024. No fixed guarantee is published; some complex applications take longer. ISD processes all applications on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
- Validity
- Permanent (citizenship)
- Language requirement
- None (no language test for Irish naturalisation)
- Documents
- 4 required
- Permanent residence
- Yes · Citizens hold full residence rights
- Citizenship
- Yes · General adult: 5 years out of the last 9 (1 year continuous immediately before applying plus 4 years in the prior 8). Spouse of Irish citizen: 3 of last 5 years plus 3 years married. Refugees/stateless: 5 years (applications received before 8 December 2025 processed under the previous 3-year rule)