Ireland is tempting for a reason: an English-speaking economy inside the EU, full of multinational employers all hiring. But if you are a citizen of a country outside the EEA, you cannot simply arrive and start work.
You need an employment permit first, issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) — and for most people the choice comes down to two: the Critical Skills Employment Permit or the General Employment Permit. Which one fits you depends on your occupation, your qualifications and — above all — your salary.
The two permits lead very different lives. Critical Skills is the fast lane: no labour market test, family joins you straight away, and long-term residence in under two years. The General permit covers far more jobs, but your employer must first prove the vacancy could not be filled locally. This guide explains both, with the official 2026 salary thresholds.
Overview
Ireland runs its own national permit system — it sits outside schemes like the EU Blue Card. Critical Skills and General permits account for most approvals.
Some ground rules apply across both. The job must be with a genuine employer trading in Ireland and registered with the Revenue Commissioners, and the occupation must not appear on the Ineligible List of Occupations — jobs Ireland considers sufficiently supplied locally. Unusually, Ireland lets either the employer or the employee submit the application online, though most employers handle it.
The Two Main Permits
The Critical Skills Employment Permit exists to pull in people whose skills are in short supply. It is built around an official Critical Skills Occupations List — software developers, engineers, doctors, specialist nurses, scientists, ICT professionals and certain finance and construction roles — with the best terms in the system attached.
The General Employment Permit is the broader workhorse, covering most occupations not on the Ineligible List: trades, chefs, healthcare assistants, drivers, meat processors and more. The price of that breadth is extra scrutiny, below. If your job qualifies for Critical Skills, take that route instead.
Critical Skills Permit
There are two ways into this permit:
- The occupations list route. Your job is on the Critical Skills Occupations List, you hold a relevant degree (Level 8 or above, or its recognised equivalent), and the salary meets the list threshold.
- The high-earner route. Your job is not on the list but not on the Ineligible List either, and the salary clears a much steeper threshold — no specific degree is demanded.
Either way, the offer must be for at least two years, and the permit is issued for two years. The headline advantages:
- No Labour Market Needs Test — the employer need not advertise the job locally first
- No 50:50 workforce rule (explained below)
- Family can join you immediately, and your spouse or partner can get permission to work
- Stamp 4 after 21 months — residence with the right to work for any employer, without a permit
The application fee is €1,000, with 90% refunded if the application is refused. An employer who applies may not pass that fee on to you or deduct it from your pay.
General Employment Permit
The General permit usually starts with the Labour Market Needs Test. Before applying, your employer must advertise the vacancy for at least 28 days on the public employment services network (Jobs Ireland and the European EURES portal) plus another jobs platform, and show that no suitable Irish or EEA candidate came forward. Exemptions exist, but normally the advertising comes first.
The second hurdle is the 50:50 rule: at the time of application, at least half of the employer's workforce in Ireland must be EEA nationals. It can be waived for young start-up companies, but an established employer that fails it cannot get the permit granted.
The permit is normally issued for up to two years, renewable for up to three more. Fees: €1,000 for up to 24 months, €1,500 for the longer renewal. After 57 months on the permit you can apply for Stamp 4; Long Term Residency opens after 60 months.
Salary Thresholds
Ireland calls its salary floors Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR). These are the official DETE thresholds in force from 1 March 2026, published in the Department's salary threshold roadmap, and based on a standard 39-hour week.
- Critical Skills, occupation on the list, with a relevant degree: €40,904 a year
- Critical Skills, recent graduate (qualified in the last 12 months): €36,848
- Critical Skills, high-earner route (occupation not on the list): €68,911 a year
- General Employment Permit, standard: €36,605 a year
- General permit, recent graduates of Irish institutions: €34,009
- General permit, lower-paid essential sectors — meat processors, horticultural workers, healthcare assistants and home carers: €32,691
Only guaranteed pay counts: basic salary, plus certain fixed payments such as employer-paid health insurance with an Irish-registered insurer. Bonuses and overtime do not count. Nor are these numbers settled — the roadmap phases in further increases every year through to 2030, and renewals are indexed to average earnings; see the Department's roadmap review publication for the full schedule.
How to Apply
- Get a genuine job offer from an employer based and trading in Ireland — at least two years for Critical Skills, at least one year for a first General permit.
- Check your occupation against both lists. On the Critical Skills list, aim for that permit; on the Ineligible List, no permit exists.
- For a General permit, the employer runs the Labour Market Needs Test — 28 days of advertising on Jobs Ireland/EURES and another platform — and keeps the evidence.
- Submit the application online through the Employment Permits Online System. Either you or the employer can file it; the €1,000 fee is paid with the application.
- Wait for the decision. Processing times vary; the Department publishes current processing dates — check those, not an agent's promise.
- If you need an entry visa, apply for it now — a long-stay employment (D) visa.
- Travel, start work and register. On arrival, register with Immigration Service Delivery (fee currently €300) for your Irish Residence Permit card — Stamp 1 while on the permit.
Documents
A typical application file includes:
- A valid passport, and a copy of the signed contract
- The job description: role, duties, hours and salary
- Degree certificate and transcripts for Critical Skills, with QQI recognition of a foreign qualification where needed
- Evidence of relevant experience, such as employer reference letters, for the high-earner route
- For a General permit: Labour Market Needs Test evidence — the advertisements and their dates
Family and Long-Term Residence
This is where the two permits diverge most sharply. On a Critical Skills permit, your spouse or partner and children can join you from the start, and a spouse or partner can receive Stamp 1G permission, letting them work for any employer without a permit of their own. After 21 months in the job you become eligible for Stamp 4 — the right to live and work in Ireland without any employment permit.
On a General permit, family reunification normally opens only after 12 months working in Ireland, and family members generally receive Stamp 3, which carries no right to work — a spouse who wants a job needs a permit of their own. Your own Stamp 4 comes after 57 months, or through Long Term Residency after five years. Family rules differ sharply between countries — compare our general work visa guide.
Common Mistakes
- Quoting last year's salary. Thresholds rose on 1 March 2026 and keep rising to 2030 — an offer written against the old figures fails.
- Counting bonuses toward the threshold. Only guaranteed remuneration counts; a package reaching €40,904 "with bonuses" does not qualify.
- Ignoring the 50:50 rule. If the employer's workforce is mostly non-EEA, the General permit cannot be granted — check it before the advertising starts.
- Assuming the spouse can work straight away on a General permit. Family joins later on this route, and Stamp 3 carries no work right.
- Paying an agent for a "guaranteed" permit. Employers are legally banned from recovering the permit fee from workers — guaranteed-permit offers are scams.
FAQ
How long does a Critical Skills permit last?
Two years, and the job offer behind it must also run for at least two years. Most holders then move to Stamp 4 at 21 months rather than renewing.
Does Ireland accept the EU Blue Card instead?
No. Ireland opted out of the Blue Card scheme and runs only its national permits — a Blue Card from another EU country gives no right to work in Ireland.
Can my family work in Ireland?
On Critical Skills, yes, quickly: your spouse or partner can get Stamp 1G and work for any employer. On a General permit the family normally joins after 12 months on Stamp 3, with no automatic work right.
What happens if I lose my job?
Tell the Department promptly. Workers made redundant get time to find a new job and apply for a new permit; since the 2024 Act you can also change employer after nine months within the same occupation type. Never start the new job before the new permit is issued.
Summary
Ireland's system rewards high skills: if your occupation is on the Critical Skills list and your salary clears €40,904, you skip the labour market test, bring your family immediately and qualify for Stamp 4 after 21 months.
Everyone else uses the General permit — €36,605, a 28-day advertising test, the 50:50 workforce rule and a slower road to settlement. Apply against the current official thresholds: the roadmap raises them every year until 2030, and the rules in force on the day your application lands are the ones that decide it.