Understanding Ireland Employment Permits and Visas

This blog will explain the main differences between Irish employment permits and visas, their respective application processes, and why one does not necessarily guarantee the other.

The Courts in Ireland have recently considered the two-stage process of employment permit applications, which must be followed by an entry (employment visa) application for certain nationalities. There is considerable overlap in the processes and the documents and information required, but they are processed by different Government agencies, and the requirements need to be very carefully considered.

Here’s what you need to understand about Ireland’s employment permits and visas, including some of the latest developments from Aaron Flynn, the Director of Ireland Immigration Services at Envoy Globalthe Director of Ireland Immigration Services at Envoy Global.

A Brief Overview of Ireland Employment Permits and Visas

Ireland’s employment permit and visa system is designed to manage the entry and employment of non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals, ensuring that the country’s labour market needs are met while protecting the rights of both domestic and foreign workers.

For corporate immigration, this system typically involves a two-stage process: obtaining an employment permit followed by securing an entry visa (sometimes called a ‘Long Stay D Visa’ or ‘Employment Visa’). Only certain nationalities need visas. The Courts recently examined the two-stage process in Mushtaq v Minister for Justice [2025] IEHC 102.

Ireland Employment Permits

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) oversees the issuance of various employment permits. The most common types include:

Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit

This permit aims to attract highly skilled professionals in sectors experiencing labour shortages. Applicants must have a relevant degree or, in some cases, sufficient practical experience. Employers are required to offer at least a two-year employment contract. Salary requirements are €38,000 (relevant Degree) and €64,000 (relevant experience).

General Employment Permit

Intended for occupations not listed on the Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits. Most employers need to conduct a Labour Market Needs Test to demonstrate that an Irish or EEA citizen cannot fill the position before recruiting a non-EEA worker.

IDA Ireland or Enterprise Ireland-affiliated companies can seek exemption from the Labour Market Needs Test, and certain other exemptions, such as roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List, might apply. Generally, the salary requirements are €34,000 (relevant qualifications and/or experience). Certain job roles may qualify though the salary is less than €34,000.

Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit

This permit facilitates the transfer of senior management, key personnel or trainees from an overseas branch to an Irish branch of the same company. Applicants require tenure with a home entity before assignment to Ireland (usually six months, but one month for training). Salary requirements are €46,000 for senior management and key personnel and €34,000 for training. The Salary must meet Ireland minimum wage and be paid from the overseas branch (meaning the home employer outside Ireland). Board and lodging and health insurance can be paid by the Irish entity.

Most employment permits in Ireland allow immediate family reunification and the dependent will be granted an immigration permission that allows work without a separate employment permit. Waiting periods apply for the dependents of General Employment Permit holders.

Once DETE approves an employment permit, visa-required nationals must then apply for an entry/employment visa. This process, which looks straightforward, usually appears to be a ‘simple’ online application form and some documents. Unfortunately, that is not the case – the visa process is complicated, document-intensive, and, in most cases, completely unforgiving.

A mistake in terms of submitting the wrong document, including one for the visa type applied for, will lead to rejection of the visa (the visa decision will state ‘insufficient documentation.’ Each visa category has its own document-specific documentary requirement which must be met.

Ireland Visa Requirements

After securing an employment permit, non-EEA nationals from visa-required countries must apply for the long-stay (D) employment visa to enter Ireland. This application should be made up to three months before the intended travel date, though processing times can be lengthy in various Irish Embassies and Consulates worldwide.

Rationale for the Two-Stage Process

Ireland’s visa and employment permit policies have developed over time and are based on independence from the U.K., the creation of the Common Travel Area and the concept of ‘alien’ in immigration law.

Ireland joined the EEA (now the EU) in 1973, and further amendments to visa policies and immigration were made to comply with international treaties and EU law. Until relatively recently, Ireland was largely a country of emigration, save for these ‘aliens’, and initial employment permits/work visas were introduced in the early 2000s.

Ireland has retained a policy of visa-required countries, which are designated and changed over time (South Africa, for example, was recently re-designated as a visa-required country, though initially visa-free or non-alien as far back as 1935). This flexible visa policy operates with the employment permits system, which is separate but interrelated.

There are plans to combine the visa and employment permit into a ‘single permit’ to reduce the overlapping and repetitive processes. Ireland’s visa policy is largely reciprocal, but Ireland’s passport was recently recognised as the most powerful passport in the world, according to the Nomad Passport Index 2025.

For now, the two-stage process ensures:

Employment Permit application. By requiring employers to obtain an employment permit first, the system ensures that non-EEA nationals are filling genuine vacancies that cannot be occupied by local or EEA workers. In addition, ‘the employment permit process is focused on the regulation of the labour market and, in that context, is intended to ensure that foreign nationals should only be recruited where vacancies cannot otherwise be filled. The process is, at best, only incidentally concerned with whether a particular foreign national recruited to fill such a vacancy has the required knowledge, skills, qualifications or experience to do so’ [Luqman -v- Minister for Justice [2021] IEHC 496]

Immigration Control. The subsequent visa application allows Irish immigration authorities to assess the eligibility and intentions of the applicant, ensuring compliance with national immigration policies. The power of the Minister [for Justice] ‘to make Orders declaring that members of specified classes of non-nationals are required to be in possession of a valid visa emanates from s. 17 of the Immigration Act 2004 which states that the Minister may by order so declare:

“for the purposes of ensuring the integrity of the immigration system, the maintenance of national security, public order or public health or the orderly regulation of the labour market or for the purposes of reciprocal immigration arrangements with other states or for the promotion of tourism…”

Recent Developments and Legal Considerations:

There have been some recent developments that are important to be aware of. They are:

Employment Permits Act 2024: This Act introduced reforms to modernize the employment permit system, including establishing a seasonal employment permit and provisions allowing permit holders to change employers under certain conditions.

High Court Ruling on Employment Permits: In a notable case (Hossain—v—The Minister for Business Enterprise and Innovation [2021] IEHC 152]), the High Court ruled that the Minister was incorrect in refusing to exercise discretion to grant an employment permit to an applicant without valid immigration permission at the time of application. This underscores the importance of employers ensuring compliance with employment permit regulations to avoid legal disputes.

A Better Way to Navigate Irish Immigration Complexities

In summary, Ireland’s employment permit and visa system’s two-stage process is designed to balance the country’s economic needs with the protection of its labour market and adherence to immigration policies.

Recent legal cases and legislative reforms highlight the two processes, which, although related, are distinct. The complexity of each process should not be underestimated, and reliance on experts is essential for a successful outcome.

At Envoy Global, we’re here to help you navigate these complex processes. We bring together smart, friendly legal teams and smart, friendly technology to make immigration easier for companies and the global talent they depend on.