Ireland Creates ‘Stamp 4 Transition Scheme’ to Give 70,000 Ukrainians a Long-Term Immigration Pathway

In a landmark decision on 26 May 2026, Ireland’s Cabinet approved a comprehensive “Temporary Protection Transition Scheme” that will allow roughly 70,000 Ukrainian nationals living in the State under the EU Temporary Protection Directive to move onto a renewable Stamp 4 residence permission. The new permission, unveiled by Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan and Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy, will be valid for two years at a time and—critically—count toward the five-year residency requirement for Irish naturalisation. To qualify, applicants must have spent at least one year in Ireland under temporary protection, have six months’ documented employment or self-employment earning at least €29,432, and must no longer rely on State-funded accommodation. The inclusion of the entire family unit under a single application is designed to minimise administrative burden and keep households together. Officials framed the move as the first national scheme in the EU to replace bloc-wide temporary-protection status ahead of its scheduled expiry on 4 March 2027.

From an employer’s perspective, Stamp 4 brings a major advantage: holders have full and immediate access to Ireland’s labour market without needing an employment permit. HR teams can therefore retain Ukrainian staff on standard contracts, streamline right-to-work checks, and avoid the salary thresholds and labour-market-needs testing attached to Critical Skills and General Employment Permits. For Ukrainian professionals and students, the guarantee that Stamp 4 years count toward citizenship offers a predictable route to permanent settlement—something multinationals have long requested so they can map talent pipelines beyond short-term humanitarian permissions. It also reduces visa-run risks for frequent business travellers who previously relied on the more restrictive Temporary Protection travel letter at the Schengen border.



If applicants or employers need hands-on assistance compiling these documents, VisaHQ can help. Through its Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/), the firm provides personalised checklists, document review and submission tracking for Stamp 4 and other Irish immigration permissions, ensuring that nothing—from proof of earnings to family-member evidence—is overlooked.

The Department says the online application portal will open in September 2026, giving HR and mobility teams a clear deadline to confirm work histories, tax records and private accommodation leases for eligible employees. Employers are advised to audit Ukrainian staff files now to ensure payslips, Revenue returns and updated addresses are on hand before the autumn filing window.