Work Visas in Ireland

How to get a work permit and which routes actually exist

Non-EEA nationals generally need an employment permit issued by the Department of Enterprise before they can work, and separately an immigration permission from the Department of Justice before they can stay. The two permits that matter are the Critical Skills Employment Permit, aimed at listed shortage occupations and carrying the best conditions, and the General Employment Permit, which is open to a wider range of jobs but usually requires the employer to advertise the role first.

Two departments, two decisions

The most common misunderstanding about working in Ireland is that there is a single visa. There is not. The employment permit is granted by the Department of Enterprise and attaches to a job: an employer, a job title, and a salary. The immigration permission is granted by the Department of Justice after arrival, when the person registers and is issued an Irish Residence Permit card bearing a Stamp number.

Nationals of countries subject to visa requirements need a third document as well, an entry visa from an Irish embassy or consulate, obtained after the employment permit is granted and before travelling.

Each stage has its own processing queue. Employers who have run the process before manage it smoothly; employers doing it for the first time frequently underestimate how long the sequence takes end to end.

Critical Skills versus General

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is designed for occupations the state has decided are in short supply. Roles on the critical skills occupations list can qualify at a lower salary threshold, commonly cited at around EUR 38,000 a year, while occupations outside that list can still qualify if the salary is substantially higher, commonly around EUR 60,000. A relevant degree or equivalent experience is normally required.

The General Employment Permit covers a much wider range of jobs, with a lower general salary floor that has been rising in stages under a review of thresholds. In exchange it is more restrictive: a labour market needs test is normally required, meaning the employer must advertise the vacancy through the public employment service and in other media for a set period and show that no EEA candidate was suitable.

Certain occupations are on an ineligible list and cannot be the subject of any employment permit regardless of salary. Checking that list before negotiating an offer avoids a great deal of wasted effort.

What the Critical Skills permit gets you

• No labour market needs test, so the employer does not have to advertise the role first.
• Immediate family reunification: a spouse or partner and dependent children may join, rather than waiting a qualifying period.
• A spouse or partner of a Critical Skills permit holder is generally granted a Stamp 1G, which allows work without a separate employment permit.
• Eligibility to apply for Stamp 4 immigration permission after roughly two years, at which point the job tie disappears.
• Mobility after the first year: changing employer within the same occupation becomes possible with a new permit application.

Other permit types worth knowing

• Intra-Company Transfer. For staff moving from an overseas branch of the same group, normally after a qualifying period of employment abroad.
• Dependant, Partner or Spouse permit. For family members of certain permit holders, without a labour market needs test.
• Contract for Services. Where a foreign contractor is delivering a project for an Irish entity.
• Atypical Working Scheme. Short-term, specialist work of up to about ninety days, run by the Department of Justice rather than Enterprise.
• Working Holiday Authorisation. Reciprocal agreements with a small group of countries for young people, subject to annual quotas.

Approximate government charges

Official sources

• Employment permit types
• Critical skills and ineligible occupations lists
• Registering your immigration permission

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.

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