Given made his debut for his country on March 27, 1996 against Russia and went on to represent the Republic a record 125 times before deciding to hang up his gloves.
Football Association of Ireland (FAI) official twitter feed said: "Shay Given has just announced his international retirement."
Shay Given: "This has been an extremely difficult decision for me to make.
"I have dedicated 16 years of my life to my country, and I have a great affinity with Giovanni Trapattoni's squad.
"I'd like to thank the Giovanni, (assistant) Marco (Tardelli) and Alan Kelly for their support during my time with the team. I will continue to be Ireland's biggest fan, and wish the lads well as they embark upon their new campaign."