Work permits and visas in Ireland: an employer’s guide

If you’re hiring in Ireland or relocating an existing employee, you must make sure they have the relevant visa or work permit to live and work in the country. This can be a tricky process, especially if you have no prior knowledge of Irish labor laws. 

As an employer, you must ensure compliance with local labor and tax laws to avoid legal troubles and hefty fines and penalties. 

An employer of record (EOR) makes it quick and easy to hire in Ireland and beyond. From onboarding, benefits, and payroll to compliance with immigration laws, employment legislation, and tax practices, an EOR makes it simple. 

In this guide, we’ll explain the basics of work permits and visas in Ireland, and show you the various steps you may need to take to acquire them. We’ll also explain how an employer of record (EOR) like Remote can make international hiring simple and easy.

So let’s dive right in.

The importance of immigration compliance in Ireland

With an established tech sector and European Union (EU) membership, Ireland is a hugely attractive country for both workers and businesses to settle in. However, its work permit and visa requirements can be complex, and if you and your employee fail to comply with them, you may receive fines, penalties, ongoing scrutiny, and reputational damage.

These risks are only growing, too, especially as trends shift towards remote work and governments start to reassess their existing policies. For example, there are many instances of workers on tourist visas overstaying in countries. This can create issues for themselves and the companies they work for, and authorities are cracking down.

Therefore, both employers and employees need to be aware of the potential risks involved with international relocation and take steps to protect themselves and ensure legal compliance.

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Which workers need a right-to-work check in Ireland?

Irish citizens are, by default, eligible to work in Ireland (even if they currently live abroad), as are permanent residents. However, non-citizens may need a right-to-work check depending on their visa status and residency.

Citizens of EU and EEA member states can also live and work in Ireland without the need for a visa or work permit, as can citizens of Switzerland and the UK. The current EU and EEA member states are:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway

Nationals of other countries can also live and work in Ireland but they will require an employment permit. Depending on their background, they may also need a visa to enter Ireland. 

Work permits and visas for non-citizens of Ireland

If your employee requires a work permit, they will need to acquire one from the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment (DETE). As the employer, you may apply on your employee’s behalf.

There are several types of work permits in Ireland, which we will discuss in detail below.

Getting a work permit in Ireland

In most cases, you will need to obtain your employee’s work permit before they arrive in Ireland.

To do this, you will need to apply through the DETE’s online application portal. If you’re unsure which type of work permit is the most suitable for your employee, the DETE website provides a step-by-step guide. 

Types of work permits in Ireland

Officially, there are nine types of work permit in Ireland, each with its own eligibility requirements. The three most common are:

General Employment Permit

To be eligible for this permit, the role your employee will be doing:

• Must pay at least €30,000 per year

• Must not be on the Ineligible List of Occupations

You must also pass a Labour Market Needs Test to prove that the role can not be filled by an Irish or EEA national. You can see the requirements for passing this assessment here.

In addition, the DETE will not grant the permit if over 50% of your Ireland-based workforce are non-EEA nationals (although there are some exceptions). This is known as the ‘50:50’ rule.

The application fee for a General Employment Permit is €1,000, although you will get most of this back if the application is unsuccessful. 

You can learn more about this kind of permit here.

Critical Skills Employment Permit

To obtain this permit, your employee’s role must either:

• Be on the Critical Skills Occupation List and pay at least €32,000 per year;

Or

• Not be on the Ineligible List of Occupations and pay at least €64,00 per year.

Your employee must also have the relevant skills, qualifications, and experience for the job. You do not need to pass the Labour Market Needs Test to obtain this type of permit, but the 50:50 rule still applies. The application fee is €1,000.

Note that the Critical Skills Employment Permit lasts for two years, after which your employee may receive Stamp 4 permission. This enables the recipient to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit and is a stepping stone to Irish citizenship.

You can learn more about this kind of permit here.

Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit

If you are relocating an existing employee, then this permit may be suitable. Note that, for non-EEA nationals, your employee must be either:

1. A senior manager earning at least €40,000 per year

2. A “key” person (i.e. a subject matter expert) earning at least €40,000 per year

3. Participating in a detailed training program and earning at least €30,000 per yea

You can learn more about this permit here.

What about the EU Blue Card?

The EU Blue Card is a residence permit for skilled workers from outside the EU/EEA. It allows holders to live and work in the issuing country, and travel freely to other EU/EEA countries.

However, Ireland is one of two EU member states that does not take part in the Blue Card scheme (the other is Denmark). As a result, this kind of permit is not issued or valid in Ireland.

Getting a work visa in Ireland

As well as a work permit, your employee may also need a long-stay work visa to enter Ireland.

Note that these are separate documents. Employment permits are issued by the DETE, whereas employment visas are issued by the Department of Justice (DoJ). To obtain a work visa, your employee will already need to have acquired their employment permit.

Whether or not your employee needs a visa depends on their nationality. Currently, visa-free travel to Ireland is available for EU/EEA citizens and citizens of over 50 other countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US.

You can see a full list of who does and doesn’t need a visa here. If your employee does need a work visa, you can learn how to obtain one on the DoJ website.

What about the Schengen Visa?

Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area. As a result, the Schengen Visa — which allows for unrestricted short-stay travel between Schengen member states — is not applicable.

What are the visa requirements for digital nomads in Ireland?

Ireland currently does not offer a digital nomad visa. However, your employee can potentially work there on a Working Holiday Visa.

These visas are based on bilateral agreements with 10 other countries, each of which have their own eligibility requirements. In general, they are intended for young people between the ages of 18 and 30, although these thresholds differ for each country.

Currently, nationals of the following countries may potentially apply for one of these visas:

Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and the US

Is my organization eligible to hire in Ireland?

As outlined, your employee needs to be eligible to work in Ireland. However, don’t forget that you must also be able to compliantly employ them there.

This generally means that you must either own a legal entity in Ireland or use an employer of record (EOR). This is the case regardless of whether you’re hiring an Irish/EEA citizen, a permanent resident, or a temporary resident on a work visa. If your long-term recruitment strategy is to hire exclusively in Ireland, then the former may be worth your while. However, as a foreign business, this can be costly, time-consuming, and inefficient, especially if you later decide to start hiring in other countries too.

This is why it’s advisable to use a trusted, reliable EOR instead. To learn more about what EORs are and when to use one, check out our in-depth guide below.

Ireland —

13 min

How to use an Employer of Record in Ireland

Learn how to use an EOR in Ireland and find out how an employer of record platform like Remote can make it easy to hire globally with full compliance.

How Remote makes compliance in Ireland so much easier

As you can see, there’s plenty of administrative work to do if you want to hire a non-citizen or relocate an employee to Ireland. But relocating your remote employee to Ireland or any other country doesn't have to be complicated. 

As long as you have a reliable global employment partner on board. Remote is dedicated to ensuring that your international hiring process is as smooth and seamless as possible. As well as helping you manage employees’ onboarding, benefits, and payroll, Remote can help you remain in compliance with immigration laws, tax practices, and labor regulations. To learn about how you can manage international employee relocation for your global team, download Remote’s Relocation Guide. You can also contact our Mobility specialists if you have questions about relocating team members.

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