The short answer
- 21 months of employment on a Critical Skills permit, a hosting agreement as a researcher, or a multi-site NCHD permit.
- 57 months on a General Employment or Intra-Company Transfer permit.
- Then you renew online on Stamp 4 conditions: no employment permit, and you can run a business.
- Timing: ISD only processes it if you’ve reached the months by the date your current card expires. If not, renew on Stamp 1 and upgrade next time.
Plan your upgrade
Enter when you started work on your permit and when your current card expires.
Stamp 4 upgrade planner
When you can move from Stamp 1 to Stamp 4, and at which renewal.
What you’ll need
- The biometric page of your passport
- The front and back of your current IRP card
- Your employment permit(s) or hosting agreement(s)
- Your most recent payslip
- A letter from your employer, dated in the last 3 months, with your job title, where you work and your dates of employment
- Revenue’s Employment Detail Summary for each year on the permit (from myAccount)
Worked out in your browser: nothing you enter is sent to us or saved. Based on ISD’s Stamp 4 upgrades page and required documents; ISD decides each application.
Who qualifies
ISD’s Stamp 4 upgrades page:
| Permit | Months of employment | Stamp 4 usually lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Skills Employment Permit | 21 | 24 months |
| Hosting agreement as a researcher | 21 | 24 months |
| Multi-site General Employment Permit as an NCHD (Stamp 1H) | 21 | 24 months |
| General Employment Permit | 57 | 12 months |
| Intra-Company Transfer | 57 | 12 months |
The months count from when you started work on the permit, as shown on Revenue’s Employment Detail Summary. If you started work on another permission, such as Stamp 1G, and moved to Stamp 1 later, ISD uses the validity dates of the employment permit.
The two counts can’t be added together. Time on a General Employment permit doesn’t count towards the 21 months.
When to apply
You renew online, choosing Stamp 4 conditions. Like any renewal, you can apply up to 12 weeks before your current card expires. But ISD’s required documents page adds:
If your card expires while your Stamp 4 application is in the queue, ISD’s notice to employers says you can keep working without an employment permit, as long as you were eligible when you applied. If your permission expired before you applied, you’re out of permission.
What to send
DETE stopped issuing Stamp 4 support letters on 30 November 2023. ISD now asks for:
- the biometric page of your passport;
- the front and back of your current IRP card;
- your employment permit(s) or hosting agreement(s);
- your most recent payslip;
- a letter from your employer, dated in the last 3 months, with your job title, where you work and your dates of employment;
- Revenue’s Employment Detail Summary for each year on the permit, from myAccount.
After the upgrade
- Work and business: any job without an employment permit, and you can be self-employed or run a business.
- Renewal: usually every 2 years after a Critical Skills permit, and every year after a General Employment permit.
- Your family: your partner on Stamp 1G doesn’t move to Stamp 4 with you.
- Long term: Stamp 4 counts towards citizenship and towards the 8 years for Stamp 5. Time on Stamp 1 on an Intra-Company Transfer permit doesn’t count for Stamp 5.
Common mix-ups
Common questions
When can I get Stamp 4 after a Critical Skills permit?
After 21 months of employment in Ireland on a Critical Skills permit, a hosting agreement as a researcher, or a multi-site General Employment Permit as a non-consultant hospital doctor. You then renew online on Stamp 4 conditions.
When can I get Stamp 4 after a General Employment permit?
After 57 months of employment on a General Employment or Intra-Company Transfer permit. Time on these permits can't be added to time on a Critical Skills permit, or the other way round.
Can I apply before I reach 21 months?
You can apply up to 12 weeks before your current card expires, but ISD says it only processes Stamp 4 applications that meet the 21 months by the time your card expires. If you won't reach it by then, renew on Stamp 1 and upgrade at the next renewal.
How does ISD count my months?
From when you started work on the permit, shown by Revenue's Employment Detail Summary. If you started work on another permission, such as Stamp 1G, and moved to Stamp 1 later, ISD uses the dates on the employment permit.
Do I still need a Stamp 4 support letter from DETE?
No. DETE stopped taking applications for support letters from 30 November 2023. You send your permits, a recent payslip, an employer letter and your Employment Detail Summaries instead.
How long is Stamp 4 for?
ISD says it's usually 24 months after a Critical Skills permit, hosting agreement or multi-site NCHD permit, and 12 months after a General Employment permit. You renew it each time.
Does my partner get Stamp 4 too?
Not automatically. ISD's family reunification policy keeps their permission type as it was: as a partner on Stamp 1G, they can apply for Stamp 4 after their own 5 years as a dependant.
Sources
All sources checked on 3 Oct 2026.
- Information on Stamp 4 upgradesImmigration Service Delivery
- Required documents (Stamp 4 after an employment permit or hosting agreement)Immigration Service Delivery
- Notice regarding Stamp 4 support letters issued by DETEImmigration Service Delivery
- Notice to employers regarding employees awaiting renewal of their IRP cardImmigration Service Delivery
- Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, 12 June 2026 (section 6.6)Immigration Service Delivery