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Employment Permits in Ireland

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) in Ireland processes all employment permit applications. The employment permit system was developed to allow non-EU/non-EEA nationals to work in Ireland in jobs with a labour shortage in the market and where an employer needs help finding an Irish or EU national to file for the role.

Non-EEA nationals currently in Ireland on a Working Holiday Authorisation or a Van Der Elst Transfer Permission cannot apply for an employment permit from within the State and must leave the State should they wish to apply for a permit.

Persons resident in the State on a valid visa (Stamp 1, 1G, 2, 2A or 3) may apply for an employment permit.

Fees for Employment Permits

The following are the fee requirements for all employment Permit types provided for in the Employment Permits Acts and associated Regulations:

€1,000 up to 24 months and
€500 for six months or less

€750 for six months or less
€1,500 up to 36 months 

€1,000 up to 24 month

N/A

€1,000 up to 24 months and
€500 for six months or less

€500 for six months or less
€1,000 up to 24 months
€1,500 up to 36 months

€1,000 up to 24 months and
€500 for six months or less

€750 for six months or less
€1,500 up to 36 months

€1,000 up to 24 months and
€500 for six months or less

€750 for six months or less
€1,500 up to 36 months

€1,000 up to 24 months and
€500 for six months or less

€750 for six months or less
€1,500 up to 36 months

€1,000 up to 12 months and
€500 for six months or less

N/A

Employment permit category

First application fee

Renewal fee

Occupation Lists

The Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment(DETE) issues two types of occupation lists.

Please note that there is no list of eligible occupations list which you can take up with the General Employment Permit. All occupations are considered eligible unless they are on the list of Ineligible Lists of Employment.

Types of Employment Permits

There are nine different types of employment permits in Ireland. The most common employment permits are:

1. Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP)

Critical Skills Employment Permit targets highly skilled people to encourage them to reside in Ireland permanently. Only the Occupations included on the Critical Skills Occupations List are catered under this type of employment permit.​ Learn more

2. General Employment Permit (GEP)

Critical Skills Employment Permit targets highly skilled people to encourage them to reside in Ireland permanently. Only the Occupations included on the Critical Skills Occupations List are catered under this type of employment permit.​ Learn more

The other employment permits are:

3. Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit

Spouses and de-facto partners of CSEP holders will be granted eligibility under this permit. The permit allows the holder to reside in Ireland under Stamp 1 Conditions, providing direct access to the labour market without needing an employment permit. Learn more

4. Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit

The Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit is designed to facilitate the transfer of senior management, key personnel or trainees who are foreign nationals from an overseas branch of a multinational corporation to its Irish branch. Learn more

5. Contract for Services Employment Permit

Contract for Services Employment Permit is designed for situations where a foreign undertaking (Contractor) has won a contract to provide services to an Irish company (Relevant Person) on a contract for services basis and to facilitate the transfer of their non-EEA employees to work on the Irish contract in Ireland. Learn more

6. Reactivation Employment Permit

A reactivation Employment Permit is designed to permit a non-EEA national who entered the State on a valid Employment Permit but fell out of the system through no fault of their own or who has been badly treated or exploited in the workplace to work legally again. Learn more

7. Internship Employment Permit

Internship Employment Permit is designed to facilitate employment in the State of non-EEA nationals who are full-time students studying in a discipline relevant to the occupations included on the Critical Skills Occupations List and enrolled at a third-level institution outside the State to gain work experience. Learn more

8. Sport and Cultural Employment Permit

The Sport and Cultural Employment Permit is designed to facilitate employment in the State of non-EEA nationals with the relevant qualifications, skills, experience or knowledge for the development, operation and capacity of sporting and cultural activities. Learn more

9. Exchange Agreement Employment Permit

The Exchange Agreement Employment Permit is designed to facilitate employment in the State of non-EEA nationals pursuant to prescribed agreements or other international agreements to which the State is a party. Learn more

Work Permits Ireland

Our consultancy services have secured hundreds of Employment Permits for individuals and organisations. We are committed to working closely with you throughout the application process to ensure compliance regarding the necessary steps.

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FAQ

All non-EEA nationals require a valid employment permit or relevant immigration permission from the Minister for Justice and Equality, which allows them to reside and work in the State without the requirement for an employment permit. The Irish State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of the European Union and other EEA states. However, where specific skills prove difficult to source within the EEA, an employment permit may be sought for a non-EEA national who possesses those skills.

The application procedures and timeline may vary depending on the type of employment permit you are looking for. Applicants could file an application online with their employer’s assistance or through our Future Direct Irish Immigration Services. 

Contact us now for immediate help & assistance with your situation. 

The answer is “Yes”, given that you have fulfilled all the requirements. However, you would require permission to access the labour market under a scheme administered by the Department of Justice. Please get in touch with us directly for further details and instructions on how to apply.

The application process time ranges from 5 to 6 weeks. However, it highly depends on the number of applications filed with the department.

You can track your employment permit application progress through the Online Status Update Enquiry.

No. All applications depend on a job offer from an employer based in Ireland and registered with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. The employment permit system is ordered by using occupation lists, which determine which type of employment permit one is eligible for.

The list of occupations ineligible for an employment permit can be found here. Generally, all occupations outside of this list are eligible for a General Employment Permit.

A critical skill employment permit may be eligible if one's occupation is on the Critical Skills Occupations List. This is usually for highly demanded and skilled professions, including professional positions in engineering, IT, sciences, finance, and senior management. The processing time for a CSEP is faster than that for other types of employment permits.

The cease of employment must be notified to the employment permits section by email at epms@enterprise.gov.ie. The original permit and the certified copy must be returned to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

You need to notify the Employment Permits Section by email at epms@enterprise.gov.ie. You may be eligible to apply for a new employment permit with a new employer if you have a job offer. You can also apply for a temporary visa to remain and work in the state by writing to the Department of Justice.

Normally, there is no restriction on a current employment permit holder changing employer after 12 months. A new employment permit is required before the commencement of employment with the new employer.

The Employment Permits Acts provide that the Minister may refuse to grant a new employment permit if a foreign national has not completed 12 months of employment with their employer on foot of their first employment permit in the State. This is more commonly known as the “12-month rule”.

If one wishes to change employer before completing the first 12 months with your current employer, written consent from the current employer is required.

You must notify the employment permits section of the DETE within four weeks of the redundancy by attaching the Redundancy Notification Form, and you may be granted a temporary visa for six months to remain in the State to secure new employment. Contact us here for more information.

The foreign national can only work for the employer and at the location(s) specified on the employment permit. If the foreign national will be working at a location other than that stated on their employment permit, then the Employment Permits Section must be notified by email at epms@enterprise.gov.ie.

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