Ireland
General Employment Permit
(Ireland Work Permit)

An Irish Work Permit is an employment permit which allows a non-EU citizen to work legally in Ireland for an employer in a particular occupation. The permit is initially granted for two years.

To be eligible for an Ireland Work Permit, there needs to be a job offer from an employer registered and trading in Ireland. At least 50 % of the employees have to be EEA nationals, unless of the company is a start-up. There is a requirement to have a minimum number of EEA nationals employed with the Irish entity. Exemptions may apply for start-ups.

Either the employee or the employer can apply for this Ireland work visa, and the application will need to include evidence that it has not been possible to find an EEA or Swiss national to fill the position. Visit Am I Eligible for more information.

It is only possible to obtain a Work Permit for Ireland for certain occupations or salary levels:

• Work permits will be considered where the remuneration is above €30,000. In exceptional circumstances, work permits may also be considered where the remuneration is less than 30,000 from eligible non–EEA graduates and from applicants with a fluency in a non-EEA language, to companies with formal support from the State enterprise development agencies.
• There are a number of occupations for which work permit applications will not be considered - please see Am I Eligible for more information.

As well as your Irish Work Visa, Visa First can help you organise all the things you need to start working and living in Ireland.

Apply for your Ireland Work Permit today
Simply call our Ireland Visa desk on +353 1 878 3329 or fill out an online registration form.

UK: +44 207 659 9186
Dublin: +353 1 878 3355
Kilkenny: +353 56 777 0227
Australia Lo-Call: 1300 655094
Australia: +61 2 8297 6100
New Zealand +64 9 984 1996