International Protection Rights

Following an application for International Protection, you may be granted one of the following:

• Refugee Status
• Subsidiary Protection
• Permission to Remain

Refugee Status and Subsidiary Protection are what are known as International Protection Statuses. Permission to remain is a discretionary status.

There are some unique advantages for those granted an International Protection status. These include family reunification rights, eligibility to access a travel document as well as naturalisation as an Irish citizen.

Please note, as of December 8th 2025, the rules around citizenship changed for refugees

Now, refugees applying for citizenship will have to wait 5 years from the date they received their Ministerial letter granting status. Previously, it was 3 years from the date of applying for asylum. If you applied for citizenship before December 8th, the 3 year rule will be applied. Full update here

The Government is also proposing that citizenship applicants will have to show they were not receiving certain long-term social welfare payments or owe a debt to the State for a defined period in advance of applying. Please read more here

The below video (which is also available in Arabic here) explains the rights and entitlements for people granted status through the international protection process:

Mainstream Rights

With Refugee Status, Subsidiary Protection, and Permission to Remain, you will be granted Stamp 4 permission and have access to the following:

Employment

People who are granted status after applying for International Protection can access the Irish labour market. You are required to register your immigration permission with the Immigration Service Delivery to obtain your Irish Residence Permit, and are required to notify your employer in respect of your changed circumstances.

Please note that if you were granted a labour market access permission whilst in the International Protection Process, this will no longer be valid. If you face difficulties with your employer in respect of delays in registering your permission, please contact our Information and Advocacy Service for advice.

Social Welfare:

If you require social welfare support, you should apply for a relevant payment as soon as you receive your Ministerial grant letter. If you are told you need to wait for your Irish Residence Permit to be issued before you can access a payment, we advise you contact your local citizen's information centre for advice and support.* For information on you social welfare entitlements and the relevant payments please see the citizens information webpage here.

Please note, you are no longer entitled to the daily expenses allowance and this might be stopped suddenly.

*In the Irish Supreme Court Sulaimon judgement (Sulaimon v Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform [2012] IESC 63) it was ruled that it is the letter of grant that establishes residency status and not the possession of a IRP card.

Social Housing Support:

If you need housing support, you may be eligible for Social Housing Support. You can apply for Social Housing Support through your Local Authority (or Council).

If your application for Social Housing Support is approved, you should become eligible for the Housing assistance payment (HAP).

To avail of HAP you will need to find somewhere to rent. Once you find somewhere, you should notify your Local Authority to arrange the HAP paperwork. This will include the details of your new home. Your new landlord will need to sign your HAP form.

You will need to work out how much your HAP rate is. This will depend on your family size and what part of the country you live in. Send an email to housing@irishrefugeecouncil.ie if you are unsure.

Please read our Social Housing page here for more information