Ireland: General and Critical Skills Employment Permits, with the 2026 minimums

Ireland is the country people in the UK understand least and should look at first. Same language, an economy that has been short of workers for years, and a permit system with no sponsor register: any employer can apply. The catch is that the employer has to want to, and that is what the government's company list tells you.

Two permits cover most people

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is for occupations Ireland has decided it needs: most engineering, IT, healthcare professions, some finance and construction roles. It comes with the best terms: family can join immediately, the permit holder can apply for Stamp 4 after two years, and no labour market test is needed.

The General Employment Permit covers everything else that is not on the ineligible list: chefs, healthcare assistants, drivers, hospitality, meat and horticulture, many trades. The employer normally has to advertise the job first to show no Irish or EU worker was available, the Labour Market Needs Test.

The 2026 minimum salaries, from DETE

Read from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment pages on 3 September 2026:

• General Employment Permit: €36,605 a year.
• General Employment Permit for healthcare assistants and home support workers, horticulture workers and meat processing operatives: €32,691 a year, and at least €16.12 an hour.
• General Employment Permit for someone with a relevant Irish degree from the last 12 months: €34,009.
• Critical Skills Employment Permit, occupation on the critical skills list, degree required: €40,904 a year (€36,848 for recent Irish graduates).
• Critical Skills Employment Permit for any eligible occupation not on the list: €68,911 a year. Above this figure the labour market test is also waived for general permits.

There is no sponsor register. There is something better.

Unlike the UK and the Netherlands, Ireland does not license employers. The employer applies to DETE for a specific person and a specific job. What DETE does publish, every month, is a spreadsheet of every company that was issued a permit, with the count. That is the list this site reads: this year's file and last year's, around 12,000 companies.

A company on that list has actually taken a non-EEA worker through the process, paid the €1,000 fee, and got a permit issued. That is stronger evidence than a licence. A company not on the list can still sponsor you, it just has not yet, and it is the listed companies whose HR teams know what to do with your email.

Care workers: the honest picture

Healthcare assistants and home support workers are eligible for a General Employment Permit at the lower €32,691 minimum. Irish nursing homes and home care agencies are on the DETE list in large numbers. You will usually need a QQI Level 5 in healthcare support or an equivalent, and some employers ask for it before they will apply. If you have UK care experience and a UK Level 2 or 3 diploma, ask the employer whether they accept it: many do, some want the Irish qualification. Do not pay anyone to arrange this.

Timeline and what happens after

The employer or you can apply online; the fee is €1,000 for a two-year permit, refundable at 90% if refused. Processing times move with the queue and are published on the DETE site; check them rather than trusting anyone's promise. You apply for the entry visa after the permit is granted, if your nationality needs one, and register with immigration on arrival for your Irish Residence Permit.

After two years on a Critical Skills permit you can apply for Stamp 4, which lets you work for any employer without a permit. After five years on general permits you can apply for a long-term permit. These are the routes that end in settlement, and they are why Ireland is worth the lower starting salary.