A clear, evidence-first route to living in Ireland as a person of independent means or a retiree — built around your income, your savings and the documents that prove them. No guesswork.
Last updated: June 2026 — reviewed against Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) guidance for 2026.
Free Ireland Stamp 0 Assessment — check your income and lump-sum position against the published requirements, and find out whether this route fits your profile.
Get Assessment| Ireland Stamp 0 — Persons of Independent Means / Retiree Residence | |
|---|---|
| Governing authority | Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), Ireland |
| Income guideline | Approx. EUR 50,000/yr individual · approx. EUR 100,000/yr combined for a couple (minimum guideline, not a Cosmos fee) |
| Lump sum | Access to a reserve for major unforeseen costs — benchmarked against the price of an Irish home (commonly cited ~EUR 100,000, approximate) |
| Work rights | No work or business unless specifically authorised by ISD; passive income permitted |
| Permission length | Typically 1 year at a time, renewable annually; does not reckon toward citizenship or long-term residence |
| Processing | Approx. 4–6 months |
| As of | June 2026 |
We assist applicants based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama, as well as across India. Many people who ask about Stamp 0 are retirees or financially independent professionals who want a base in Ireland without needing to work there.
Our role is to turn the published rules into a clear, executable plan — and to be straight with you about whether your income and savings actually meet them before you spend a euro on the application.
Stamp 0 is a low-level Irish residence permission for people of independent means — including retirees — who can fully support themselves without working or drawing on State support. It is granted for a limited, fully self-sufficient stay, and the holder must rely entirely on their own income and savings. It is open as of June 2026, with criteria unchanged since the 2025 reconfirmation.
In plain terms, it fits someone with a pension, savings or other passive income who wants to live in Ireland and can prove they will not be a cost to the State. It is not a work route and not an investment scheme. Find out where you stand — free assessment.
As a guideline, Immigration Service Delivery looks for roughly EUR 50,000 a year in income for an individual, or about EUR 100,000 combined for a married couple, plus access to a lump sum for unforeseen major expenses. One spouse may provide most or all of the income — the split does not have to be even. These are published minimum guidelines, not fees we charge.
The lump sum is described by ISD as roughly the price of a home in Ireland rather than a single statutory number; the figure often quoted near EUR 100,000 is an approximation, and the exact amount is something we confirm with you at the assessment stage. Income must come from genuinely accessible sources such as pensions and savings — speculative investment income is generally not accepted. Message us on WhatsApp to talk through your numbers.
No — a Stamp 0 holder may not work or run any business, trade or profession in Ireland unless ISD has specifically authorised it in a letter of permission. Passive income, such as a pension or returns on savings, is permitted because it does not involve working. This is one of the defining limits of the permission.
Because of that limit, the route works best for people whose finances are already settled and self-sustaining. If your plan depends on earning in Ireland, Stamp 0 is the wrong door, and we will tell you so plainly rather than start a file that cannot succeed. Talk it through in a free assessment.
Visa-required nationals must first obtain a D long-stay visa, while non-visa nationals travel on a conditional letter of offer and then register in person with ISD for an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card. Financial evidence must be presented in tabular form, in euros, and verified by an Ireland-based accountant. Processing typically takes around four to six months.
The stages you control — clean financial records, the accountant's certification, full private medical insurance, and police clearances — set most of the timeline. Sequencing those early is the difference between a smooth submission and months of back-and-forth.
Cosmos Immigration holds no Irish immigration licence — Ireland sits outside the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand regulatory frameworks we are registered under. On this route we act as a facilitator: we coordinate eligibility, documentation and case management, while the application itself is prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated Irish legal practitioners (solicitors) in our network.
Stamp 0 is an income and lump-sum route, not investment migration — so there is no citizenship-by-investment renunciation or OCI concern attached to it. If you are moving funds from India to evidence your income or lump sum, keep the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme in mind: the limit is currently USD 250,000 per person per financial year, and Tax Collected at Source applies to outward remittances. This is a routine financial-planning point, not a restriction on the programme.
This is general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Remittances are governed by RBI regulations under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and your bank's compliance requirements — consult a qualified chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.
The honest note. Stamp 0 is a deliberately precarious permission. It is granted only one year at a time, and while it is renewable, renewal is discretionary — not automatic. It carries no right to work and no access to public services or benefits, and crucially it does not count toward Irish citizenship or long-term residence.
Your income must be genuinely accessible — pensions and savings qualify, while speculative investment income is generally rejected. If you are looking for a settled path to permanent residence or a passport, Stamp 0 is not that route, and we will say so in your first session rather than after you have committed. Every figure on this page carries its as-of date because ISD guidelines can be updated within a year.
← View all long-term residency routes on the residency hub page.
As a published guideline, Immigration Service Delivery looks for roughly EUR 50,000 a year for an individual, or about EUR 100,000 combined for a married couple, where one spouse may provide most or all of it. You also need access to a lump sum for major unforeseen costs. These are minimum guidelines, not fixed amounts, and we confirm the exact position at your assessment.
No. Stamp 0 is granted one year at a time and does not reckon toward naturalisation or long-term residence, according to ISD. It is a self-sufficient residence permission for people of independent means, not a settlement route. If a path to citizenship is your goal, this is not the right option.
No, unless ISD specifically authorises it in a letter of permission. Stamp 0 holders may not work or run a business. Passive income such as a pension or returns on savings is allowed, because it does not involve working. The permission is built around being fully self-supporting.
Processing is typically around four to six months. Visa-required nationals first obtain a D long-stay visa; non-visa nationals travel on a conditional letter of offer and then register in person with ISD for an Irish Residence Permit card. Preparing certified financial evidence early is the main way to keep the timeline on track.
Yes. Full private medical insurance is mandatory, and you must be fully self-sufficient. Stamp 0 holders may not use State benefits or publicly funded services such as public hospital treatment. This self-sufficiency requirement is central to how the permission is granted and renewed.
Cosmos Immigration is a regulated immigration consultancy founded in Dubai in 2014, working through CICC-, MARA- and IAA-registered professionals, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad and Oakville. Ireland sits outside those frameworks, so on this route we work as a facilitator — coordinating your eligibility, documentation and case management while the application is prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated Irish solicitors in our network. Verify Our Credentials
Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body. Program criteria and figures are set by the relevant governments and are subject to change; verified against official sources as of the date shown.
Start with a free assessment, not a sales pitch — or message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly whether Stamp 0 fits your situation — even if the answer is no.
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