Ireland Work Visas

What is the Irish Work Visa?

To work legally in Ireland, most non-EU or non-EEA citizens need to obtain a valid employment permit and, in some cases, a visa before arriving.

If you are a citizen of a visa-required country, you have to apply for an Irish Work Visa from your home country, prior to arriving in Ireland. If you try to seek entry to Ireland without a valid entry visa, you will not be allowed in.

To be able to receive a work visa to Ireland you have to meet a number of eligibility requirements. If you are not sure whether you qualify for the Irish Work Visa, talk to our immigration experts. They will assess your eligibility and will help you submit your application.

Can I come to Ireland to work?

Before you come to Ireland to work, you have to know if you have the right to do so. The process of coming to Ireland to look for employment differs depending on your nationality.

If you are a UK national, you have the right to live and work in Ireland without any restrictions under the Common Travel Area agreement. That means that you do not have to meet any conditions or apply for an Ireland work permit before you move to Ireland, even if you want to stay there permanently.

If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA member state, or a citizen of Switzerland, you have the right to enter Ireland freely and stay there for up to 90 days without a visa. You have the right to work without an employment permit during this period. After the 90 days, you might be able to stay in Ireland longer and keep working if you can prove that you are employed or self-employed and have enough money to support yourself.

Finally, if you are a citizen of a non-EEA country, you have to apply for an employment visa before arriving in Ireland to be able to live and work there.

Options for working in Ireland

Ireland offers a variety of different work visas and permits to suit applicants in different industries, employment statuses and immigration situations.

The main employment permits to Ireland are the Critical Skills Employment Permit and the General Employment Permit.

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is intended for highly-skilled foreign workers coming to fill occupations that are in shortage in the Irish labour market and are critical to the Irish economy. This permit is highly sought-after as its holders can quickly acquire permanent residency in Ireland.

The General Employment Permit covers more occupations than the Critical Skills Employment Permit. In fact, almost all types of foreign workers can apply for it.

For either work permit you must have a job offer in Ireland. Jobs under the General Employment Permit are also subject to the Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT).

Since 2024, workers on general or critical skills employment permits can switch employers after 9 months.

In addition to these permits, depending on your skills and field of expertise you might be able to acquire one of the following employment permits to Ireland:

• Contract for Services Employment Permit
• Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit
• Reactivation Employment Permit
• Internship Employment Permit
• Sport & Cultural Employment Permit
• Dependent/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit
• Exchange Agreement Employment Permit.

Before you can apply for a Work visa to Ireland you need to obtain your employment permit. If you are not sure which employment permit is the right one for you, get in touch with our team and they will help you determine it.

How to apply for an Ireland Work Visa?

The specific steps to apply for an Irish work visa will vary based on which permission you are applying for, whether you a visa-required national or not, and your own personal circumstances.

However, the steps to apply for a work visa may generally look like the following:

1. Determine your eligibility for your chosen work permit or visa route.
2. Secure a job in Ireland (if necessary) that meets the minimum salary requirements and other eligibility criteria.
3. Apply for your chosen employment permit through the Employment Permits Online portal through the official DETE website. Ensure you have provided all the necessary supporting documentation needed for the online application
4. Wait for a decision on your employment permit. If you are a visa-exempt national for Ireland, you will be able to travel to Ireland and start working on the proviso that you are accepted into the country at the border and that you register your immigration permission after arriving.
5. If you are a visa-required national for Ireland, you must then apply for a visa. You must apply through the AVATS portal on the official ISD website.
6. Pay your visa application fees and submit your supporting documents.
7. If your application is refused, a visa will be placed in your passport and you can travel to Ireland. You must register your permission after arriving in Ireland.

What documents are required for an Irish Work Visa?

To prove your eligibility for an Irish Work Visa, you have to submit the following supporting documents:

• Valid passport
• Two passport size photographs
• Signed letter of application in which you include your personal details and state the reason for you wanting to come to Ireland
• Confirmation of you having obtained a relevant employment permit
• Details of your job offer or an employment contract
• Letter from your prospective employer in Ireland
• Proof confirming your qualifications and work experience
• Evidence of having enough finances to support yourself after you arrive in Ireland
• Details of any previous visas to Ireland.

How much do Irish Work Visas cost?

How much you will have to pay for an Irish Work Visa depends on which employment permit you have. Usually, the total cost of applying for an Irish Work Visa covers a fee for the employment permit and a fee for the actual Work Visa. The price of an Irish Work Visa also depends on how long you intend to stay in Ireland.

The Irish employment fees you might have to pay are:

• €1,000 for a for a General, Critical Skills, Intra-Company Transfer, Contract for Services, Reactivation, Sport and Cultural and Internship Permits if you want to spend up to 24 months in Ireland
• €500 for the permits mentioned above if you want to spend up to 6 months in Ireland
• €1,500 to renew your employment permit from 6 up to 36 months.

Additionally, you will have to pay the following fees for the visa to Ireland:

• €60 for a single-entry visa to Ireland
• €100 for a multiple-entry visa to Ireland.

If you want to apply for the Exchange Agreement Permit coming to Ireland to work under an international agreement for up to 2 years, you will not have to pay a fee for the permit.

What do I need to do after arriving in Ireland on Work visa?

Upon arriving in Ireland on a valid work visa, you must show your valid passport, visa, employment permit and all other necessary official documentation to the immigration officer at the port of entry.

You may be refused entry into the country even if you have all of the above documents; the officer must be satisfied that your reasons for entering Ireland are genuine.

If you are granted entry into the country, the officer will place a temporary landing stamp in your passport. This stamp will normally give you 3 months’ worth of permission to reside in Ireland.

You must then register your immigration permission at the Dublin Registration Office in Burgh Quay before your landing stamp expires. You will then be authorised to stay and work in Ireland long-term.

How can IAS help?

Applying for Irish Work Visas can be a complex process, especially if you do not have thorough knowledge of Irish immigration law and the visa application process. Luckily our highly-qualified consultants can guide you through each step from start to finish and can explain to you in detail what documents you need to submit.

At IAS, we are committed to helping our clients relocate to Ireland and work there.  We will assess your qualifications and skills to help you decide which employment permit you should choose. We will be around to answer all your questions, making the whole process clear and stress-free.

Thanks to our teams’ assistance and expert advice you can maximise the chances of your application being accepted.

Get in touch by calling +44 (0)333 414 9244 or +353 (0) 61 518 025 to find out more about how we can help.