If you are a non-EU/EEA national who wants to work in Ireland, you will have to get permission to work from the Irish immigration authorities, ie. obtain an Ireland work permit. In addition, citizens of several countries also have to apply for an Ireland work visa so they can be allowed to enter Ireland in the first place.
Ireland work permits and work visas are issued by two different authority bodies in Ireland.
Before a visa-subject foreign national can apply for the Ireland work visa, they have to first find a job in Ireland and then apply for an Ireland work permit from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI).
Who Needs To Get an Ireland Work Permit?
Because Ireland is part of the EU, other EU/EEA/Swiss nationals can freely move to Ireland and take up employment, without the need of prior authorization.
If you are not a citizen of an EU or EEA member state or Switzerland, then you will most likely have to apply for an Ireland work permit. However, even in this case there are some exemptions.
You are exempt from an Ireland work permit (ie. you can work without an employment permit), if you fall under one of the following categories:
- You are an Ireland Student Visa holder.
- International students can only work up to 20 hours a week during the school year, and full time (40 hours) during the holidays.
- You are the foreign national spouse, civil partner or parent of an Irish citizen.
- You have received refugee status in Ireland.
- You have received permission to remain on humanitarian grounds.
- You are carrying out scientific research for an approved research organization.
- You are a postgraduate student and the employment is a required part of your course.
Types of Ireland Work Visas and Permits
There are about nine different types of Ireland employment permits, but the two most common ones are the Critical Skills Employment Permit and General Employment Permit.
Critical Skills Employment Permit
The Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit is available at highly-skilled international workers, aiming to encourage them to come to Ireland and fill skills shortages in certain high-skill eligible occupations.
According to the DBEI, you are eligible for the Critical Skills Employment permit, if you are a highly-skilled professional in the following fields/occupations:
- Natural and Social Science (chemists, biologists, biochemists, physicists, and medical laboratory scientists)
- Engineering
- Information and communications technology (ICT)
- Health (Medical practitioners, pharmacists, etc)
- Health and Social Services (Managers and Directors)
- Nursing and Midwifery
- Orthoptics
- Health Associate (prosthetists, orthotists)
- Teaching and Education (Academics with the equivalent of a NFQ level 10 (Doctoral degree))
- Business, Research and Administration
- Architecture (Town Planners and Surveyors)
- Quality and Regulatory
- Media (Art Director in 2D or 3D animation)
- Artistic, Literary and Media
- Design
- Sports and Fitness
- Sales, Marketing and Related Associate
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation has a list on their website listing all the eligible professions.
Irish employers who hire international workers eligible for the Critical Skills Permit do not have to take the Labour Markets Needs Test.
General Employment Permit
This Irish employment permit is issued to professions which do not qualify for the Critical Skills permit. There is no list of eligible occupations under the General Employment permit. You can apply for this type of Ireland employment permit under any profession, unless it is included in the list of “Ineligible Categories of Employment for Employment Permits”.
Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permits
These types of permits are issued to spouses, partners, or other dependents of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder.
If you receive an Ireland employment permit as the dependent, spouse, or partner of a Critical Skills Employment holder, you can work in any profession, even those on the ineligible occupations list, except as a domestic operative. Your application will also be free of charge.
Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit
The Ireland Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit is issued to foreign workers who want to transfer to the Irish branch of a company they are already employed in. It is available to senior management, key personnel or trainees.
Internship Employment Permit
The Ireland Internship Employment Permit allows full-time foreign students who are enrolled in a third level educational institution outside Ireland to come to Ireland and gain work experience.
An Internship employment permit is issued for only 12 months and it cannot be renewed.
Contract for Services Employment Permit
The Ireland Contract for Services Employment Permit is issued to foreign workers who are still employed by a foreign company, but who come to Ireland to work on behalf of their employer, who has been contracted by an Irish national.
Sport and Cultural Employment Permit
The Ireland Sport and Cultural Employment Permit is issued to foreign nationals whose qualifications, skills, experience or knowledge in the field of sports and culture can help the development of these fields in Ireland.
Exchange Agreement Employment Permit
The Ireland Exchange Agreement Employment Permit is available to foreign workers who are coming to Ireland to work under an international exchange agreement, to which Ireland is part of, such as The Fulbright Programme, The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE), or AIESEC.
Reactivation Employment Permit
The Ireland Reactivation Employment Permit is available to former Employment Permit holders who lost their right to work in Ireland, but not due to their own fault. For example, if it was due to workplace exploitation or abuse.
Ireland Work Permit Requirements
The requirements you have to fulfill to be eligible for an Ireland work permit are:
- You must have either a work contract or job offer from an Irish company.
- Unless you are applying for a Critical Skills Employment Permit, your employer has to pass the Labour Markets Needs Test, which is used to ensure that the Irish employer could not find an Irish or EU/EEA/Swiss citizen instead who would be suited for the job.
- If you are applying for a Critical Skills Employment Permit your minimum annual salary must be at least €30,000 or €80,000, depending on the occupation.
- If you are applying for a General Employment Permit, your minimum annual salary must be at least €30,000.
- For any other type of Ireland work permit, the annual minimum salary must meet the National Minimum Wage.
- At least 50% of the employers in the Irish company that is hiring you must be EU/EEA/Swiss nationals.
Document Checklist for Ireland Work Permit Application
You also have to attach several documents to the online application system when applying for your Ireland work permit. The documents change depending on the permit you are applying for, but include:
- A copy of your passport, which shows your picture, signature, and personal details.
- Passport-size picture in line with Ireland photo requirements.
- A copy of the work contract signed by you and the employer.
- If you are a resident in Ireland at the time of application, a copy of your current immigration stamp.
- Details of a contact person: name, position in company, phone number and email address.
- Relevant Registration/Pin or License number of the company issued by the appropriate Irish Regulatory bodies or Government Ministers.
- Copy of the letter of support by IDA/Enterprise Ireland, if applicable.
- Details of your employer, such as company registration number, address, name, and relevant certificates from authorized bodies.
- Details of your employment, such as your salary, work responsibilities, duties, and duration.
Applying for an Ireland Work Permit
The application for an Irish work permit can be submitted by either you (the foreign employee) or your employer. You need to apply online through EPOS, the Employment Permits Online System.
Starting the application
When you start an online application, you will receive a number, known as MyWork-ID, which allows you to pause the application and resume it later where you left off. However, once you start an Ireland work permit application, you will have to complete it within 28 days, since after that, your data will be lost.
You will then be asked for which type of work permit you are applying for (see the types of Irish work permits below), so you can be redirected to the appropriate application form. If you are an experienced user, you can simply select the form yourself. If this is the first time you are applying, however, you will receive assistance, should you select the option“Help me choose Employment Permit Application Form”.
Completing the form
Once you are directed to the appropriate application form, you have to enter all the information that is required. The form is divided into the following sections:
- You will receive a short description about the type of Irish work permit you are applying for, and you have to enter your personal information as well as whether an Agent is helping you complete the form.
- Registration details.
- Details of foreign national.
- Details of redundancy.
- Details of employment.
- Details of remuneration.
- Final details.
Throughout the application process, you can complete any section you like and save your progress up to there. You can also go back and re-edit the information you entered.
If you are transferring from a foreign company to the Irish branch of that company (intra-company transfer), your employer in your home country can submit the application on your behalf as well.
Attaching the documents
You will have to attach the required documents on the application form electronically (see a checklist below). There is a drop down box which lists the required documents. You have to select the document you are attaching and upload it. This means you have to have access to a scanner.
Your electronic documents can be in the following formats: PDF, PNG or JPEG/JPG and no larger than 10MB.
In addition, once you complete sections of the application form, you will have to print them and sign them, or send them to a relevant authority to sign them, as required.
After the documents have been signed, you will have to scan them and upload them to the online system again.
Paying the fee
Before you complete the application form, you will have to pay the Ireland work permit processing fee. You will have to pay it online, via a credit or debit card.
Waiting for Processing
The Ireland employment permit processing time is about 13 weeks.
After Receiving the Work Permit
If the immigration officers grant you permission to enter Ireland, they will put a stamp on your passport which states the number of days you are permitted to stay in the country. Before those days are up, you have to register at the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) and receive your Ireland residence permit.
Everyone who has to live in Ireland for longer than 90 days has to register at GNIB and receive a residence permit.
Here’s how to get an Irish residence permit.
What Are the Irish Work Permit Fees?
| Type of Ireland Employment Permit | Application Fee | Renewal Fee |
|---|---|---|
| General Employment Permit | If the permit is up to six months: €500 If the permit is for 2 years: €1,000 |
If the renewal is for up to six months: €750 If the renewal is for three years: €1,500 |
| Critical Skills Employment Permit | €1,000 | Non-applicable |
| Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit | Free of charge | Free of charge |
| Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit | If the permit is up to six months: €500 If the permit is for 2 years: €1,000 |
If the renewal is for up to six months: €500 If the renewal is for two years: €1,000 If the renewal is for three years: €1,500 |
| Reactivation Employment Permit | If the permit is up to six months: €500 If the permit is for 2 years: €1,000 |
If the renewal is for up to six months: €750 If the renewal is for three years: €1,500 |
| Sport and Cultural Employment Permit | If the permit is up to six months: €500 If the permit is for 2 years: €1,000 |
If the renewal is for up to six months: €750 If the renewal is for three years: €1,500 |
| Contract for Services Employment Permit | If the permit is up to six months: €500 If the permit is for 2 years: €1,000 |
If the renewal is for up to six months: €750 If the renewal is for three years: €1,500 |
| Exchange Agreement Employment Permit | Free of charge | Non-applicable |
| Internship Employment Permit | If the permit is up to six months: €500 If the permit is for 2 years: €1,000 |
Non-applicable |
Exemptions from Ireland Employment Permit fees
You are exempt from paying a fee for an Ireland Employment Permit in the following cases:
- If your employer or connected person has charitable status by the Revenue Commissioners. You must include an official letter from the Revenue Commissioners which confirms this.
- If you are the spouse/civil partner of an EU/EEA citizen. You must show the following documents to prove this:
- Colored photocopies of the pages of your spouse/civil partner’s passport, which shows their name, picture, signature, and the passport’s expiry date.
- A copy of your marriage certificate.
Can I Change Employers in Ireland?
You can change employers only after you have worked for your initial employer for at least 12 months. After that, you can find a new job and apply for another permit, granted that the new position is similar to your current one or you will be working in another eligible employment sector.
Can I Bring Family Members to Ireland?
You can bring your family members (spouse/partner and dependents) with you through the Family Reunification visa only after you have lived in Ireland legally for a year.