The short answer
- Yes, with Stamp 1G: partners of Critical Skills, General Employment and intra-company transfer permit holders, researchers and full-time hospital doctors. Any job, no permit, but no business of their own.
- Yes, with Stamp 4: partners of Irish citizens, investors and entrepreneurs, and refugees. Any job, and they can run a business.
- No: partners of PhD students (Stamp 2A), ministers of religion and some Stamp 4 and 5 holders (Stamp 3). They’d need an employment permit of their own.
- Not through you: most students and graduates on Stamp 1G can’t sponsor a partner.
Check your partner
Pick why you’re in Ireland, and whether your partner is abroad or already here.
Can my partner work?
The stamp your partner would hold through you, and what it lets them do.
How they apply
From ISD’s family reunification policy (Appendix C), its stamps, family and UK national pages, and DETE. ISD decides every application; your partner’s permission letter always takes priority.
Your partner’s stamp, by your permission
| You’re here as | Your partner gets | Can they work? |
|---|---|---|
| An Irish citizen | Stamp 4 | Yes, and run a business |
| An investor or entrepreneur | Stamp 4 | Yes, and run a business |
| A refugee or subsidiary protection holder | Stamp 4 | Yes, and run a business |
| A Critical Skills permit holder, researcher, intra-company transferee or full-time hospital doctor | Stamp 1G | Yes, any job, no permit |
| A General Employment permit holder | Stamp 1G | Yes, any job, no permit |
| A UK citizen (arrived after 2020) | Stamp 4D | Yes, no permit |
| An EU, EEA or Swiss citizen | Stamp 4 EU FAM | Yes |
| A PhD student | Stamp 2A | No |
| A minister of religion | Stamp 3 | No |
| On Stamp 4 or 5, not covered above | Stamp 3 | No |
| Another student, or a graduate on Stamp 1G | No family permission | Only with their own permission |
The table follows Appendix C of ISD’s 2026 family reunification policy, ISD’s scheme for family of UK citizens, and EU Treaty Rights.
What Stamp 1G lets your partner do
- Work in any job, without an employment permit.
- Study.
- Not set up a business or be self-employed.
- After 5 years as your dependant, or sooner if you become an Irish citizen, apply for Stamp 4 at their next online renewal.
Time on Stamp 1G as the partner of a Critical Skills permit holder or researcher counts towards citizenship. ISD’s citizenship guidance doesn’t name other Stamp 1G partners, so ask ISD.
If your partner can’t work on their stamp
On Stamp 3 or Stamp 2A, your partner can’t do paid work. To work, they’d need an employment permit of their own, with an employer applying as for anyone else. DETE’s FAQs say people on Stamps 1, 1A, 2, 2A and 3 can apply for a permit from inside Ireland. Once it’s granted, they register the change to Stamp 1.
If your partner is already in Ireland
If your partner is here on a permission of their own, they can usually switch while it’s still valid:
- Stamp 1, 2, 3 or 4 holders can apply online on ISD’s portal to change to your dependant, if you’re Irish, married to an Irish citizen, or on Stamp 1, 4 or 5 (€300 fee).
- Spouses and de facto partners of Irish citizens apply online for Stamp 4; de facto partners need 2 years or more living together.
- Visitors and working holiday makers usually can’t change from inside Ireland.
When your partner moves to Stamp 4
Your partner can apply for Stamp 4 after 5 years as your dependant, or sooner if you become an Irish citizen. When you move to Stamp 4, they don’t move with you: they need their own 5 years.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
Can my spouse work in Ireland if I have a Critical Skills permit?
Yes. Spouses, civil partners and de facto partners of Critical Skills permit holders get Stamp 1G, which lets them work in any job without an employment permit. They can join you straight away.
Can my partner work if I'm on a General Employment permit?
Under ISD's 2026 family reunification policy, yes. Partners of General permit holders get Stamp 1G and can work without a permit. You can bring them after 12 months here, earning over €30,000. DETE's General permit page still says partners need their own permit, so check their permission letter.
Can my partner run a business?
Not on Stamp 1G, which doesn't allow a business or self-employment. Partners of Irish citizens, investors and refugees get Stamp 4, which does.
My partner has Stamp 3. Can they work?
No. Stamp 3 doesn't allow paid work. To work, they'd need an employment permit of their own, which Stamp 3 holders can apply for from inside Ireland.
Can I bring my partner as a student?
Only as a PhD student, and they'd get Stamp 2A, which doesn't allow work. Other students and graduates on Stamp 1G can't sponsor a partner.
When can my partner get Stamp 4?
After 5 years as your dependant, or sooner if you become an Irish citizen. When you move to Stamp 4 yourself, they don't move with you.
My partner is already in Ireland on their own permission. Can they switch?
Usually, yes, while their permission is valid. Holders of Stamp 1, 2, 3 or 4 can apply online to change to your dependant, or as your spouse or de facto partner if you're Irish.
Sources
All sources checked on 3 Oct 2026.
- Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, 12 June 2026 (Appendix C)Immigration Service Delivery
- Immigration permission/stampsImmigration Service Delivery
- Family dependantsImmigration Service Delivery
- Joining your UK national family memberImmigration Service Delivery
- Policy document, non-EEA family of British citizens (2020)Immigration Service Delivery
- Family reunification of international protection holdersImmigration Service Delivery
- General Employment PermitDepartment of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
- Employment permits FAQs (PDF)Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment