Stamp 2 to Stamp 1 in Ireland: How to Register Your IRP After a New Employment Permit

You finally have your employment permit, but the ISD portal's only option for registering it says "Applications for Registration Renewals." You are not renewing anything; it's your first Stamp 1. Here is the clear version.

Why ISD's Portal Calls This a "Renewal"

The ISD portal has one door for anyone updating their registration, whether that's a straightforward renewal or a genuine change of permission. ISD confirms this directly on their own site: cases where someone has "recently received or are now eligible for an alternative stamp category" go through the same renewal application. There is no separate flow for a permission change. The label on the button is misleading. The process behind it works, once you know what it's actually asking.

What Registering Stamp 1 Actually Gives You

Your employment permit approval letter proves DETE granted you permission to work for that employer. It does not update your IRP card, and this isn't just paperwork to get to when you have time. Registering your permission is a legal requirement under Section 9 of the Immigration Act 2004, not an optional formality, and not complying with it is an offence in its own right. In practice, it also means your card is the only thing that proves your status day to day, so until it reflects your real permission, you have no clean way to show you're covered if it's ever checked, at the airport on re-entry, opening certain accounts, or with an employer's own compliance checks. Registering properly closes that gap. Your card, your registration record, and your actual legal status all say the same thing.

From Stamp 2 to Stamp 1: How This Usually Happens

Most people reach this point the same way: Stamp 2 as a student, a General or Critical Skills Employment Permit offered once studies end or a job is secured, and now a Stamp 1 registration to make it official. That's the case this article walks through.

There's no fixed number of days you're given to register once your permit is approved. Submitting the application doesn't extend your current permission either, so sitting on the letter doesn't buy you time, it just delays the point where your card actually matches your real status. The practical approach is to apply as soon as your documents are ready, not to wait.

Here's exactly what that means for the application itself, step by step. Log into the ISD portal, irishimmigration.ie, using the same account from your Stamp 2 registration, then click "Applications for Registration Renewals," followed by "Begin Application."

What to select and write. ISD doesn't publish this level of detail anywhere. This is what has worked consistently, case after case:

Choose Stamp 1 as the permission type for renewal.

Choose the sub-category "I want to renew a General or Critical Skills Employment Permit," even though nothing is actually being renewed. It's the closest option ISD gives you, and it's the correct one.

In the Additional Details field, state plainly what happened: that you held Stamp 2, that you have been granted an employment permit, naming the permit type, and that you are therefore changing your immigration status from Stamp 2 to Stamp 1. One clear sentence is enough. Vague wording here is what actually causes a request for more information later, not too much detail.

Documents to have ready:

The portal only takes one file per upload field, so combine the front and back of your IRP card into a single PDF before you upload it. Keep each file under 5MB, or the upload will fail. If you're not sure how, this just means merging two files into one document, and there are free tools online that do it in a couple of clicks. iLovePDF is one that works well for this. No affiliation, just a straightforward option.

What People Get Wrong

"The portal is broken, or I'm in the wrong section." Neither. The renewal label is just how ISD's system handles every registration update, permission changes included.

"I should wait until this gets clearer, or contact ISD first." There's nothing to wait for. The process works as described, and a support query usually just adds delay for a question this guide already answers.

"Any explanation in Additional Details is fine, as long as it's honest." Honest isn't the same as clear. A vague sentence is more likely to trigger a request for further information than a specific one naming your permit and the change taking place.

"My documents are the same as when I first registered." Mostly, but not identical. Your employment permit approval letter is now central to the application in a way it wasn't before, and it needs to be uploaded alongside everything else.

"My payment won't go through." Usually the card, not the portal. Payment needs a card enrolled in 3D Secure, the extra verification step your bank sends by app or text. If it keeps failing, try a different card or check with your bank before assuming something's wrong with the application.

Quick Answers

Do I need a solicitor to move from Stamp 2 to Stamp 1?
No. This is a standard online application through the ISD portal. Legal advice matters more when a case is genuinely complicated, not for a straightforward employment permit conversion.

How long does registration take once submitted?
ISD processes applications in the order submitted, by stamp category, so there's no fixed number of weeks they publish. In practice, recent cases have taken roughly two to three months from submission to decision, and ISD states up to a further 15 business days by post once a card is approved.

What does registration cost?
€300, paid by card at submission. Some permission types don't require a fee; this is the standard registration fee for most.

What if ISD asks for more documents after I submit?
You'll get an email through the portal. Respond within the window given, generally two weeks, or the application is closed and you'd need to start again.

Once this Stamp 1 is registered, the next date that matters is its renewal, and that one really does run on a 12-week window. My free Renewal Timing Tool is worth bookmarking for when that day comes.

Read Next

• Stamp 4 Through the General Employment Permit
• Stamp 4 Through the Critical Skills Employment Permit
• IRP Renewal Ireland: Common Mistakes That Delay Your Application

Official source: Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), Renewing Your Registration Permission If You Live in the Republic of Ireland page, last updated 27 August 2026, accessed September 2026. Registration duty: Immigration Act 2004, Section 9.