How to Get PR in Ireland?

Ireland PR brings you one step closer to obtaining citizenship, where PR stands for Permanent Residency. It is an initial move toward making Ireland your permanent residence. Individuals with Ireland PR can live and work in the country without being subject to immigration restrictions.

Those who have been in the nation for 5 years or longer on work or other visas are eligible for PR permits.

The following eligibility requirements must be met to get Ireland permanent residence from India.

• The applicant should be 18 years of age or above.

• To match Ireland's PR requirements, the applicant should have lived in the country for at least 5 years. The applicant should stay in Ireland or the northern part of the country for a continuous period of 12 months or more.

• If the applicant is married to an Irish national, then to get PR, they should be married for at least 3 years and equal.

• Further, when applying for PR, the applicant must have a job or plan on doing so in the future.

• Individuals need to meet the language proficiency test.

• There should not be any criminal record against the individual.

• Lastly, the applicant should have a good health and character certificate while applying for PR.

If you pass the eligibility criteria for Ireland PR requirements, you need to have the following documents.

• A valid passport or scanned copy of passport pages stamps with personal information.

• Further, a copy of your work permits.

• Besides this, you need to submit a copy of your GNIB card or Irish residency permit.

• A certification of registration copy needs to be submitted.

To acquire Ireland Permanent Residence for Indian nationals, the simple way is to live in the country for at least 5 years. But if you have a critical skill employment permit or tech permit, then there is flexibility to apply for Ireland PR after 2 years. There are some other different ways to get Ireland residency, some of which are listed below:

Family— Once you have landed a permanent residency in Ireland, your family can travel. However, they need a proper visa to travel from India. If your family has EU residence cards, they won't need a travel permit.

Applicants Having Sufficient Resources — Another way to stay in Ireland is if you have sufficient resources. The country allows stay for foreign nationals if they are financially stable to support themselves and their family. In that case, there is no particular requirement of earnings set for PR by Irish authorities. However, individuals need to have comprehensive health and travel insurance policies. It is specifically a requisite for those who are pensioners and want to stay in Ireland for the retirement period.

Student— If you are an aspirant or student who wants to live in Ireland, then you need to meet the following requirements:

Students need to be admitted to authorised Irish educational institutions.

Further, they should have a comprehensive health insurance or travel policy before entering the nation.

Moreover, they have enough financial resources to back up their stay in Ireland without the support of the Social Welfare System.

However, after completing the course, the residency right would be terminated. But if the applicant can land a job in Ireland, then it would continue.

Worker Status & Former Worker Status — EEA or Swiss citizens can stay in Ireland for up to 6 months for job hunting or if they just move to the country. Further, they can apply for unemployment benefits from their home country. As a part of unemployment benefits, Ireland will pay for 3 months to 6 months, depending on the situation.

EU workers are another category whose work is considered "genuine and effective" and paid directly by the employer or who directs or hires them. This category has no particular restriction for working hours and salary requirements. If your work falls in the "genuine and effective" category or you are self-employed, you are considered a legal resident of Ireland. However, you must complete 5 years in the country to get the PR permit.

Former Worker Status— Even if you have stopped working in Ireland, you can maintain the working status if you fall in any of the listed categories:

• If you have started vocational or any other training related to your work after leaving the job.

• You become unemployed involuntarily due to any reason. If you have worked for less than a year, you can keep the working status for 6 months. But if you have worked for over a year, you must find a new job while keeping your working status.

• Further, your work status will remain active if you are on paternity or maternity leave.

• Lastly, if you are suffering from illness or met with an accident.

• Critical Skill Employment Permit - This is for individuals whose profession is listed in a highly skilled occupation list. The Irish officials are searching for individuals working in programming, web designing, ICT-related jobs and more. However, before applying for a residential permit, they need to satisfy the Ireland PR requirements, which are:

• The applicant must have a job offer from the employer valid for at least 2 years.

• The yearly remuneration should be equal to €30,000 and

After qualifying for the Ireland eligibility criteria or gathering all the documents needed, you need to understand the Ireland PR process. Below are the **Steps required to acquire Ireland permanent residency.

Step 1: Meet the Eligibility Requirement — The very first Step for acquiring Ireland PR is to meet the eligibility criteria: staying in the country for at least 5 years or more. Other than this, there is a set of other criteria you need to follow, such as language and financial requirements.

Step 2: Gather Required Documents — Further, after meeting the criteria, you need to gather the necessary documents such as passport, address proof, employment proof and more.

Step 3: Send an email to INIS — To acquire Ireland PR, submit the application form with documents via email or post to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service's Long Term Residency Division.

Step 4: Pay the Fees — After submitting the application and documents, you must submit the application processing fees to officials within a restricted time limit via bank draft or postal order.

Step 5: Attend Interview — Once the application is submitted, the INIS officials will ask you to come for an interview to verify your information.

Step 6: Wait for a decision — After verifying the application, you must wait for INIS to process your PR application. This usually takes 6 to 8 months.

Step 7: Maintain your PR — If your PR application gets approved by officials, a confirmation will be sent to the applicant stating their long-term residence in the country for 5 years on stamp 4. Further, if you have a spouse, visit the GNIB office to receive stamps 3 or 4.

The Ireland permanent residency processing time is 6 to 8 months after applying. However, it might take longer, depending on the applicant's circumstances.

To get Ireland permanent residency, you must submit a fee of €500. Based on the type of documents, you may incur additional charges such as certified translation for documents, etc. However, irrespective of the status, the fees may not be returned.

After rejecting Long Term Residency permission, there is no way to appeal. You have to apply for the Ireland PR again, keeping in mind the reason for refusal. Some of the primary reasons for rejection of PR are:

• If you have not lived for 5 years or more, the visa will automatically be rejected in the official screening process.

• Further, if you are in the country on a student visa with stamp 2 or 2A, you can't apply for PR while pursuing the course.

• Moreover, if you are not employed when submitting the PR request.

• You can't apply for Ireland PR if you are an EEA national.

• Besides this, if the applicant or individual works in a foreign embassy.

• Those who are residing in Ireland on refugee status.

• Individuals who are in the country for business permission only.

• Other than this, those individuals who are in the country under Turkish agreement.

• Those who have only a Green card or employment permit.

The reasons for refusals depend on the application review. These are just some of the causes; reasons for refusal may vary.

After getting the PR of Ireland for foreign nationals, there are numerous benefits in store. Some of them are listed below:

• After getting the PR, your children can get enrolled in Irish educational institutions, and their fees will be waived. The country is a global pioneer in higher education.

• Further, Ireland PR holders can travel to the UK without any visa requirements.

• With Ireland PR, individuals will have access to citizenship in 185 countries.

• Moreover, if you are a business owner, having PR will allow you to exchange goods in 28 states freely.

• Besides this, the country has the lowest tax rates, including the corporate tax, making it a suitable destination for business owners.

• If you have Irish PR, returning to the country is not restricted. A Stamp 4 permit allows individuals to return to the country within 90 days from departure. But Ireland PR imposes no such restrictions.

• The annual average wage in the country is €39,000; it is indeed a dream for individuals looking for work here. The salary here is high, with many perks like life and medical insurance.

• Ireland has a low living cost with reasonable accommodation.

• The country blends many ethnicities, such as German, Polish, and more.

There is no such requirement for having travel insurance while acquiring Ireland PR. However, individuals need to have proper health coverage while in the country. But if you are visiting the country to explore its beauty and for other reasons like meeting families, education, etc., you will need a travel insurance plan.

A travel insurance plan is important because, with little to no knowledge about the destination, you can’t do anything in case of an unfavourable situation. You may lose your baggage, medical face emergencies, etc. With travel insurance plans in order, you will get proper coverage.

With so many insurance companies' travel policies available, it is best to compare travel insurance plans before buying. You can also choose Tata AIG and its affordable international travel insurance schemes starting at ₹40.82* per day.

We at Tata AIG let you curate the coverage you need based on travelling destination, stay period, claim limit and more. Further, everything is digital, meaning you can see your plan from anywhere with zero hassles.

Here in this blog, we tried to answer the most asked query — “how to settle in Ireland from India”. If you have spent some time in Ireland, then acquiring Irish permanent residency is a way to go. Compared to other countries, Ireland has the most straightforward PR process. All you have to do is maintain the eligibility criteria for PR.

Can I apply for permanent residence in Ireland?

Yes, if you have been residing or living in Ireland for more than 5 years and all your documents are in order, you can easily apply for permanent residence in Ireland.

Who is eligible for PR in Ireland?

To acquire the PR in Ireland, eligibility criteria need to be passed. The most basic criterion is that the applicants must stay in the country for at least 5 years with a continuous stay of 12 months or more.

Is it easy to get permanent residency in Ireland?

The PR process in Ireland has a set of requirements that need to be followed. Further, there are programs like GEP, CSEP, etc., to ease the Ireland PR process.

Does Ireland give citizenship to Indians?

Yes, Indian nationals can obtain Irish citizenship by fulfilling the eligibility criteria.

How many years does it take to get PR in Ireland?

It depends on the applicant's document. Generally, the length of stay should be 5 years to get PR in Ireland. In some exceptional cases, individuals can apply after two years with a valid employment permit.

*Disclaimer: The premium for the travel insurance policy may vary based on the nature of the plan, its coverage, and tenure. It is advised to enquire before purchasing the plan.