MMigratalent

Country work-permit guide

Ireland work permit and immigration guide for non-EU workers

Ireland uses occupation lists and employment-permit categories — Critical Skills and General Employment Permits — rather than simple company caps. Occupation-specific controls may apply.

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Overview

Ireland uses occupation lists and employment-permit categories — Critical Skills and General Employment Permits — rather than simple company caps. Occupation-specific controls may apply.

Quotas, caps and ratios

  • Quota / cap: Not verified in this pass.
  • Employer quota/cap rules were not verified from current official sources in this pass. Treat any specific figure as requiring official confirmation before filing.

Employer eligibility and restrictions

  • Employer-side quota, fiscal-debt, social-security-debt and company-activity conditions were not verified from official sources in this pass.
  • No fabricated thresholds are published here — confirm requirements with the official authority before relying on them.

Main work-permit routes

  • Critical Skills Employment Permit
  • General Employment Permit
  • Intra-company transfer

Recent vacancies — Ireland

149+ recent vacancies aggregated from JobsIreland.ie, EURES. These vacancies are aggregated from public job boards and are time-sensitive — roles may be filled or expired. Always confirm the offer, employer and any fees directly with the source or employer before applying or paying anything.

Application process

  • Job offer & route check — Employer via Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Employment Permits Section): The Irish employer makes a job offer to the non-EEA worker and confirms the role qualifies for a permit type (Critical Skills, General Employment, or Intra-Company Transfer), checking salary thresholds and the eligible/ineligible occupations lists.
  • Labour Market Needs Test — Employer via Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Employment Permits Section): Where required (notably for the General Employment Permit), the employer advertises the vacancy via a EURES advertisement and in national/local media for at least 28 days before submitting the application. (Minimum 28-day advertising period before submission)
  • Employment permit application — Employer via Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Employment Permits Section): The employer (or the worker) submits the employment permit application with the signed contract of employment through the Employment Permits Online system (employmentpermits.enterprise.gov.ie), at least 12 weeks before the proposed start date. (EUR 1,000 first Critical Skills permit (up to 24 months); General Employment / Intra-Company Transfer EUR 1,000 (up to 24 months) or EUR 500 (6 months or less))
  • Permit decision — Authority via Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Employment Permits Section): The Department assesses the application and, if approved, issues the employment permit to the employer and employee. (As of 4 June 2026 the Department was deciding Critical Skills applications received 19 May 2026 and other-type new applications received 9 March 2026)
  • Long Stay (D) employment visa — Worker via Immigration Service Delivery (Department of Justice): Visa-required nationals apply online via AVATS for a Long Stay (D) employment visa once the permit is granted, then submit passport and supporting documents to the relevant Irish embassy/consulate or visa office. (EUR 60 single-entry; EUR 100 multi-entry)
  • Entry to Ireland — Authority via Border Management Unit / Immigration Service Delivery (Department of Justice): On arrival the worker presents the permit and visa to an immigration officer at the port of entry, who grants leave to land and the relevant immigration stamp.
  • Immigration registration (IRP) — Worker via Immigration Service Delivery (Department of Justice): The worker registers their immigration permission with Immigration Service Delivery and is issued an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card confirming their stamp and residence status. (EUR 300 registration fee)

Processing time and government fees

  • Overall processing time: No fixed statutory deadline; processing is queue-based. As of 4 June 2026 the Department was processing Critical Skills Employment Permit applications received 19 May 2026 and other new applications received 9 March 2026. Applications must be submitted at least 12 weeks before the intended start date.
  • Government fees: Employment permit (DETE): Critical Skills first permit EUR 1,000 (up to 24 months); General Employment / Intra-Company Transfer EUR 1,000 (up to 24 months) or EUR 500 (6 months or less); renewals EUR 1,500 (up to 36 months) or EUR 750 (6 months or less). Long Stay (D) visa: EUR 60 single-entry / EUR 100 multi-entry. IRP registration: EUR 300.
  • Permit types, applicant (employer), online system, fees and the 12-week/28-day timing rules were verified on the official DETE pages (enterprise.gov.ie); current processing dates verified on the DETE processing-dates page (4 June 2026). Visa and IRP fees are widely reported and the authority (Immigration Service Delivery) is correct, but the exact EUR 60/100 visa and EUR 300 IRP amounts should be re-confirmed directly on irishimmigration.ie as that official page could not be fully fetched. Operational guidance only, not legal advice.

Core documents

  • Valid passport meeting the destination validity rule
  • Signed work contract or binding job offer
  • Proof of qualifications / professional experience
  • Criminal-record certificate (apostille/legalisation where required)
  • Certified translations of foreign documents where required
  • Proof of health insurance and accommodation where required

Certified translators & interpreters — Chinese-Mandarin, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish <-> English

41 certified Ireland translators/interpreters from ATII Certified Legal Translators (PDF). Click any name to open their on-site Migratalent profile (with the original source listing linked there). Sworn/certified translation is typically required for diplomas, criminal-record certificates and civil documents in the work-permit file. Verify accreditation directly before engaging.

Common questions

Does Ireland cap or restrict non-EU work permits?

Specific employer quota, tax-debt and company-activity rules were not verified from current official sources in this pass. We do not publish unverified figures; requirements must be confirmed with the official authority before filing.

What can Migratalent help with for Ireland?

Route selection, document readiness, employer-workflow planning and official-rule verification. We organise the application and flag what must be checked against government sources — we do not guarantee approval.