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Stamp 6 (Irish Citizenship)

Immigration stamps enable non-EEA nationals to live, work, invest, do business, and study in Ireland. The stamps vary by number and are subject to conditions. Stamp 6 is also known as Irish Citizenship by naturalisation; having lived in Ireland legally for a specific period, you may be eligible if you meet all the requirements.

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Table of Content:

Introduction

Stamp 6 is the permission to remain in Ireland without condition if the holder has dual nationality or citizenship. Dual citizenship, in this case, denotes Irish citizenship and another. Those who qualify must hold or have the right to hold an Irish passport.

Who is eligible to apply for Stamp 6?

The following are the conditions by which applicants are eligible for Stamp 6:

Through their parents.
Through their grandparents.
By naturalisation or post-nuptial citizenship.
Stamp 6 permission renewal.

Through Parents

If one of their parents was born in Ireland, they are eligible and therefore must provide the following documents:

Mother’s or father’s long-form civil birth certificate.
Mother’s civil marriage certificate if applying through the mother (as she may have changed her maiden name).
Applicant’s long-form civil birth certificate.
Applicant’s current passport.

Through Grandparents

Applicants must supply the following documents if either of their grandparents were born in Ireland or on the island of Ireland:

Their foreign births registration certificate which is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs
Their current passport.

By Post-nuptial Citizenship (PNC)

Applicants who have been naturalised as Irish citizens through this method are to provide their:

Current passport.
Original certificate of naturalisation, PNC certificate or current Irish passport

By renewing Stamp 6 Permission

To renew the Stamp 6 permission, applicants must provide their:

Expired non-Irish passport bearing the Stamp 6 permission.
Current non-Irish passport.
Current Irish passport if they already hold one.

Steps to becoming an Irish citizen through Naturalisation

All applications to obtain Irish citizenship by naturalisation are decided by the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD). These decisions are made on behalf of the Minister of Justice who has absolute control as to whether to grant naturalisation or not.

Applicants should take the following steps for a successful application for naturalisation

Meet the Conditions
Fill out an Application form
Gather Supporting Documentation
Make a Declaration
Send the application and pay the fee

Conditions

The areas where applicants should meet conditions are age, character, residence in the state, and future intentions.

Age

Applicants must be at least 18 years old if applying by themselves. Adults may apply for children. Children who may be eligible are:

Those born in Ireland after 1 January 2005 but did not qualify for citizenship by birth.
Those of Irish descent or Irish associations.
Those whose parent is a citizen by naturalisation.

Character

Applicants must be of good character and will be asked on the form to declare actions and circumstances that may not reflect a good character. They will also be allowed to explain what led to the court or police actions.

The Minister receives information from Ireland’s National Police about applicant’s:

Criminal records.
Ongoing investigations.
Pending criminal cases.
Cautions or related warnings.
Certain civil cases such as barring.
Driving offences

Residence in the State

Reckonable residence means the period of stay in Ireland that counts toward becoming eligible

To be eligible, applicants must have had:

A continuous reckonable residence in the state of one year (365 days) immediately before the date they apply for naturalisation.
A total reckonable residence in the state of four years (1460 days) in the last eight years before the final one-year continuous residence.

Applicants can leave Ireland for up to 6 weeks (in total) per year and still be considered resident in that year. However, they may have to wait until the following year to apply if they spend over 6 weeks outside of Ireland in the year immediately before their application.

Young adults aged between 18 and 23 years and who entered Ireland legally with their family may use their parent’s reckonable residence if they do not have the required reckonable residence themselves.

They must be dependent on their parents and be in school or have gone straight to third-level college from school in Ireland.

Nationals of the EEA (the EU and Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein), the UK, and Switzerland do not need to calculate reckonable residence when applying. They only need to show evidence of their residential history in Ireland.

In addition, they do not need to register for an Irish permanent residence permit as all periods of their residence in the state are counted towards naturalisation.

The spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen is eligible to apply for naturalisation following three years of marriage or civil partnership and three years of reckonable residence in the state.

Persons granted refugee status are eligible to apply for Irish citizenship by naturalisation once they have three years of residence in the state calculated from the date of arrival.

Future Intentions

Successful applicants must continue to reside in the state after naturalisation and keep their Irish citizenship while they are residing abroad for a temporary period. Also, they must make a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State.

Finally, they must swear at a citizenship ceremony that they will observe the laws of Ireland and respect its democratic values.

The Minister for Justice can waive one or more of the conditions for naturalisation in the following circumstances if applicants:

Are of Irish descent or Irish associations.
Are a parent or guardian applying on behalf of a minor child of Irish descent or Irish associations.
Are naturalised parents applying on behalf of a minor child.
Are the spouse or civil partners of an Irish citizen or a naturalised person.
Have been resident abroad in the public service.
Are recognised as a refugee (under the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees) or a stateless person (under the 1954 UN Convention regarding Stateless Persons).

Fees

Applicants should use the checklist attached to the form to ensure that they have added all required documents and filled the form correctly. They must also pay a non-refundable fee of €175 using a banker’s draft only.

The draft must be made out to the Secretary-General, Department of Justice. No other type of payment is accepted. The application must be sent to the address specified on the form.

Processing time for Irish citizenship by Naturalisation

The Irish immigration system processes most applications within 12 months during which applicants may be asked to send more documentation for clarifications. Applicants will get an acknowledgement letter as well as an application number. They must, however, inform Immigration Service Delivery.

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FAQ

Yes, if you are currently outside Ireland you may be permitted to come to Ireland to work. You must check if you need immigration permission from the Department of Justice or an employment permit from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment to work before you travel or apply for a visa (if you are a visa required national).

In general, in order to come to Ireland to work a non-EEA national must hold a valid employment permit or immigration permission.

Employment permit
All first time applicants for employment permits must make their application while resident outside Ireland. The Irish employment permit system, including the processing of these applications, is operated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE). Detailed information regarding the employment permit system can be found at the following link (DETE Employment Permit Information). If you are required to have an employment permit you must obtain a permit before you apply for a visa (if you are a visa required national) in order to travel to Ireland.

Atypical Working Scheme
Immigration permission under the Atypical Working Scheme is issued by the Department of Justice. Information on who is covered can be found here.

Working Holiday Authorisation Programme
Information on the Working Holiday Authorisation Programme can be found here. This programme allows young people to fund an extended holiday through temporary work. Only certain nationalities may avail of this programme. These programmes are currently suspended due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

Trainee Accountant
If you intend to come to Ireland to take up a position as a trainee accountant. Please click here for full details.

Minister of Religion
If you intend to travel to Ireland to work as a Minister of Religion, you will need preclearance approval before you travel. This applies to all Non EEA nationals whether you require a visa or not. Please click here for full details.

Volunteering
If you intend to travel to Ireland to Volunteer with an eligible body in Ireland, you will need preclearance approval before travel. This applies to all Non EEA nationals whether you require a visa or not. Please click here for full details.

Start up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)
The start up entrepreneur programme (STEP) allows you to establish a business in Ireland and to work in the business on a full time basis. You are not permitted to be employed in any other capacity and you must not become a financial burden on the Irish State. You can find out more here.

Immigrant Investor Programme
The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) is open to non-EEA nationals who commit to an approved investment in Ireland. The IIP requires a minimum investment of €1 million, or €0.5 million (€500,000) if making an endowment, from applicant’s own resources and not financed through a loan or other such facility. You can find out more here.

A non-EEA national who is legally employed by a company in an EU country may be permitted to provide services on a temporary basis to a company in another EU country, including Ireland, on behalf of his/her employer without the need to obtain an employment permit.

This is permitted under the Van Der Elst process, for more information and conditions see here. You will still be subject to Irish immigration rules and may require a visa before coming to Ireland.

You may be permitted to come to Ireland to carry out a research project with an accredited research institution under the Scheme for Accreditation of Research Organisations (Hosting Agreement Scheme).

Detailed information on this scheme, including on how to apply and accredited organisations can be found via the following link (DETE Hosting Agreement Scheme).

The scheme allows for a period of between three months to five years, to carry out a research project with an accredited research institution. You do not require a separate employment permit under this scheme.

You must have successfully obtained a Hosting Agreement before you apply for a visa (if you are a visa required national) and undertake travel to Ireland.

If you are a visa required national you must apply for a visa before travelling to Ireland. Find out if you need a visa.

You can apply for all employment visa types up to 3 months before your date of travel to Ireland. You should apply for a visa as soon as possible after the granting of an employment permit/hosting agreement/immigration permission.