How to get a work permit in Ireland: a step-by-step guide

In short: To work in Ireland from outside the EEA, UK and Switzerland, you need a job offer from an Irish employer and an employment permit from the Department of Enterprise. The employer usually advertises the job for 28 days first, then the employer or you apply on the Employment Permits Online portal. Once the permit is issued, you apply for a visa if your nationality needs one, travel to Ireland, and register with immigration within 90 days to get your IRP card.

The steps at a glance

Step	Who does it	Typical time
1. Get a job offer and contract	You and the employer	Varies
2. Choose the right permit	Work Permit Consultants, with you and the employer	A few days
3. Advertise the job (Labour Market Needs Test)	The employer, with Work Permit Consultants drafting and checking the adverts	28 days, if needed
4. Apply on Employment Permits Online	Work Permit Consultants as your agent, or the employer or you	A few days to prepare
5. Wait for the decision	The Department	About 1 week (Critical Skills) to 5 weeks (General Employment) at the moment
6. Apply for a visa, if you need one	You	Allow about 8 weeks
7. Travel and register for your IRP card	You	Within 90 days of arriving

Step 1: Get a job offer from an Irish employer

You can’t apply for an Irish employment permit without a job. The offer must be from an employer registered with Revenue in Ireland, and you’ll need a contract of employment signed by you and the employer. The contract sets out the job title, duties, workplace, hours and pay, and these must match what goes in the application.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months for a new permit.

Step 2: Choose the right permit

Most people need one of two:

• Critical Skills Employment Permit for jobs on the Critical Skills Occupations List paying at least €40,904 with a relevant degree, or any eligible job paying €68,911 or more. No job advertising is needed, and you can move to Stamp 4 after 21 months.
• General Employment Permit for most other jobs paying at least €36,605, as long as the job isn’t on the Ineligible List of Occupations.

Staff moving from an overseas branch of the same group may need an Intra-Company Transfer permit instead. See all permit types.

Before going further, the employer should also check the 50:50 rule: when the application is made, at least half of its staff must be EEA nationals, with a few exceptions.

Where we come in: choosing the permit is where we specialise. We check the job, the salary, the occupation code and the 50:50 rule, and tell you which permit fits before any money is spent. Get a free assessment.

Step 3: Advertise the job (the Labour Market Needs Test)

For most General Employment Permits, the employer must first show the job couldn’t be filled from within the EEA. This is the Labour Market Needs Test:

• the job is advertised on JobsIreland (the Department of Social Protection’s EURES service) and on at least one other online jobs platform
• both adverts run for 28 days in a row, unchanged
• each advert gives the job description, the employer’s name, the location, the weekly hours and the minimum annual pay
• the permit application must then be made within 90 days of the advert first appearing

Critical Skills jobs don’t need the test, and nor do General Employment jobs paying €68,911 or more, among other exceptions. A mistake in the adverts usually means running them again, so it’s worth checking them before they go up.

Where we come in: we draft the adverts, check every required detail, and track the 28 and 90 days so the application is ready on day 29. More on the Labour Market Needs Test.

Step 4: Apply on Employment Permits Online

Every application goes through the Department’s Employment Permits Online portal. Either the employer or the employee can be the applicant, and the employer, the employee and any agent each need their own account.

The application asks for:

• the employer’s details: Revenue employer number, company number, the number of EEA and non-EEA staff, and any redundancies in the same role in the last six months
• your details: passport, qualifications, any previous permission or work in Ireland, and your PPS number if you have one
• the job: title, duties, location, start date, salary, hours and any deductions from pay

And these documents:

• a copy of your passport’s photo page
• a digital passport-style photo
• the employment contract, signed by both sides
• a recent Revenue statement or receipt for the employer’s monthly returns (from the last three months)
• the JobsIreland advert reference, if the Labour Market Needs Test applies
• any professional registration or licence the job needs
• your current Irish immigration stamp, if you’re already living here

Where we come in: as your agent on the portal, we prepare and check every section and document, make sure everyone signs, and follow the application up with the Department until a decision is made.

Everyone signs electronically, and then the fee is paid: €1,000 for most new permits of over six months, or €500 for six months or less. If the application is refused, 90% of the fee is refunded.

Step 5: Wait for the decision

The Department deals with applications in date order. On 23 October 2026 it was working on Critical Skills applications received on 16 October 2026 and new General Employment applications received on 20 September 2026. These dates move every week, so check the current processing dates.

If the Department needs more information, it emails everyone on the application and you reply through the portal. If the permit is refused, there is a review process, and we can advise on it.

Step 6: Apply for a visa, if you need one

If your nationality needs a visa to enter Ireland, you apply for a long-stay Employment (D) visa once the permit is issued:

• apply online through ISD’s visa system (AVATS) from the country where you live, up to three months before you travel
• send the signed summary form and your original documents within 30 days
• include the employment permit, your contract, a letter from the employer, evidence of your qualifications and experience, and six months of bank statements
• ISD aims to decide within about eight weeks, so don’t book flights until you have the decision

If you don’t need a visa to enter Ireland, you can travel once the permit is issued. At border control you need to show why you are coming, so carry your passport, permit and contract.

Step 7: Travel and register for your IRP card

Within 90 days of arriving, you must register with Immigration Service Delivery. You book an appointment online (booking is free), bring your passport, permit and other documents, and have your photo and fingerprints taken. The registration fee is up to €300, depending on your permission. Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card is posted to you, usually within 10 working days.

Most employment permit holders are given Stamp 1, which means you can work in Ireland for the employer named on your permit.

After you start work

• Renewals. A General Employment Permit is first issued for up to two years and can be renewed. Critical Skills holders usually move to Stamp 4 instead.
• Changing jobs. You’re normally expected to stay with your first employer for nine months. After that you can change employer on a new permit for the new job.
• Stamp 4. After 21 months on a Critical Skills permit or 57 months on General Employment permits, you can apply for Stamp 4 and work without a permit.

Common questions

Can I apply for a work permit myself? Yes, the employee can be the applicant, but you still need a job offer and the employer must take part in the application.

Can I come to Ireland first and look for work? You can’t work without a permit. Most people get the job offer and the permit while still abroad, and visa-required nationals apply for the employment visa from home.

How long does the whole process take? For a Critical Skills permit, often a few weeks for the permit plus any visa time. For a General Employment Permit, add the 28 days of advertising and a longer queue. If you need a visa, allow about eight more weeks.

Do I need a consultant? No, but a refusal costs time and 10% of the fee. Mistakes in the adverts, the salary or the documents are avoidable reasons for one.

Want us to handle it?

We check the job, the salary and the adverts before anything is submitted, prepare the application, and follow it up with the Department until a decision is made. Get a free assessment or send us a message.