No. Under section 7(2) of the Employment Agency Act 1971, an employment agency in Ireland "shall not charge any fee solely for agreeing to seek employment for another person". The agency is paid by the employer that hires you, and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), which licenses agencies, asks every applicant for a statement of fees showing that candidates are never charged.
The rule makes no exception by nationality. It protects a candidate from India, Nigeria, Brazil or the Philippines in the same way as an Irish candidate. This article explains where the rule comes from, how to check that an agency holds a licence, and what it means when someone asks you for money anyway.
Before you read on: this article explains the published rules on agency fees and licensing. It is general information, not legal or immigration advice. IrishTalents is not a licensed employment agency and does not select or submit candidates. If you have already paid money and want to recover it, contact the WRC or a solicitor about your own case.
What Irish law says about agency fees
Three pieces of law cover what an agency can charge you.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Employment Agency Act 1971, section 7(2) | An agency "shall not charge any fee solely for agreeing to seek employment for another person or solely for agreeing to seek persons who will give or accept employment." |
| Employment Agency Act 1971, section 7(1) | Any fees or expenses an agency charges must not exceed a scale approved by the Minister. |
| Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012, section 13 | An agency cannot charge you a fee for arranging for you to be hired directly by the company you were placed with, after your assignment ends. Breaking this rule is an offence carrying a class A fine. |
The WRC applies the 1971 rule when it licenses agencies. Its new licence application form asks for a statement of fees "to ensure that you do not charge the candidate/job-seeker a fee", and gives agencies sample wording: "We will never charge a job candidate a fee". The WRC's FAQ on employment agencies describes the same document as a statement "that you will never charge a candidate a fee."
Agencies set their prices with employers instead. The same form tells agencies they "can, of course, structure your client fees at any rate you choose", and gives the example of charging clients "between 10% and 20% of first year salary".
If you need an employment permit
A second rule protects you once an employer hires you on an employment permit. Section 55 of the Employment Permits Act 2024 says an employer shall not deduct from your pay, or try to recover from you, any charge, fee or expense arising from your recruitment for the job, or from the permit application. Doing so is an offence. Taken together, these rules stop both the agency that finds you and the employer that hires you from charging you for the cost of recruiting you. Our guide to who pays for an Irish work permit covers the employer rule in full.
Every agency in Ireland needs a WRC licence
The WRC's page on employment agencies states that an agency "must hold a licence if it is to carry on its business". The licence lasts one year and costs the agency €500 to renew. Before it is granted, the applicant has to pass Garda vetting and provide two character references, and the WRC FAQ says that an agency cannot start trading while it waits.
Running an agency without a licence is an offence. On summary conviction it carries a fine of up to €2,500, and up to €1,000 a day while the offence continues.
How to check a licence
The WRC publishes a list of licensed employment agencies as a PDF. The edition current on 1 October 2026 is dated 1 September 2026 and runs to 42 pages. It gives each agency's legal name, trading name, address and licence number.
- Ask the agency for its WRC licence number. Licence numbers on the list start with "EA" followed by digits, for example "EA 4373".
- Open the WRC list and search it (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) for the licence number, the company name and the trading name. The list is ordered by county, and it shows only one address for agencies with several offices.
- Check that the name and address match what the agency told you, and what appears on its website and email signature.
- If you cannot find the agency, email the WRC Licensing Section at [email protected] before you send any documents.
Our recruitment agency directory lets you search the same WRC list by agency name, city and county, and shows each agency's WRC licence reference on its own page.
What the list does not tell you
The licence attaches to agencies with premises in Ireland. A recruiter who works only from another country will not appear on the WRC list, and the list cannot tell you anything about them. If someone abroad says they represent an Irish employer, ask for the employer's name and contact the employer directly.
A licence tells you only that the agency is allowed to operate. It does not tell you whether a particular vacancy is real, whether the employer will apply for a permit for you, or whether you would qualify. Our article on recruitment agencies and visa sponsorship explains how agencies fit into the permit process and what to ask them.
Signs that a "recruitment agency" is not what it claims
These points relate to agencies specifically. For warning signs in the job offer itself (vague employers, missing contracts, salaries that do not fit the role), use our job offer legitimacy checklist.
| What you see | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A registration, processing, "visa assistance" or "placement" fee | Section 7(2) rules out charging you for seeking work for you, and licensed agencies have told the WRC they never charge candidates. |
| A paid extra presented as the condition for being put forward (training, a CV rewrite, a medical, "priority processing") | If you cannot be put forward without paying, the payment is working as a fee for finding you a job. Check with the WRC before you pay. |
| No licence number, or a number you cannot find on the WRC list | A business recruiting in Ireland without a licence is committing an offence. |
| Payment requested to a personal account, a money transfer service or cryptocurrency | A genuine agency invoices the employer, not you. |
| A promise that your visa or permit is guaranteed | Only the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment decides employment permit applications, and only after an employer or you apply. |
| Contact only through WhatsApp or Telegram, with no Irish address | You have no way to match the recruiter to a licensed business. |
Where you might still pay money, legitimately
Some costs in an international move are real and fall on you, but none of them is paid to a recruitment agency.
- Immigration fees. If your nationality needs an entry visa, Immigration Service Delivery charges €60 for a single entry visa and €100 for multi entry, according to its visa fees page. After you arrive, registering your permission usually costs €300.
- Professional registration. Nurses, doctors, engineers and other regulated professionals pay their Irish regulator directly, not an agency.
- Services you choose to buy. You might decide to pay a solicitor, a translator or a training provider. You buy these from the provider you pick, separately from anything a recruitment agency does for you.
If an agency gives you an invoice for any of these, ask why the payment is going through the agency rather than straight to the body that charges it.
Frequently asked questions
Can a recruitment agency in Ireland charge foreigners a fee?
No. Section 7(2) of the Employment Agency Act 1971 bars an agency from charging a fee for agreeing to seek employment for you, and it makes no exception by nationality. The WRC only licenses agencies whose statement of fees shows candidates are not charged.
Are recruitment agencies in Ireland free for job seekers?
Licensed agencies are. They are paid by the employers that hire through them. The WRC's licence form gives an example of agencies charging clients between 10% and 20% of first year salary, while telling them they will never charge a job candidate a fee.
How do I check if an Irish recruitment agency is licensed?
Ask for its licence number and search for it, and for the agency's name, in the WRC's list of licensed employment agencies. You can also search by name, city or county in the IrishTalents recruitment agency directory. If the agency is not listed, contact the WRC Licensing Section before you share documents.
What should I do if I already paid an agency?
Keep every receipt, message and bank record. Contact your bank straight away if the payment went by card or transfer, report the agency to the WRC Licensing Section, and report suspected fraud to An Garda Síochána. A solicitor can advise on recovering the money in your own case.
Where this information comes from
- Employment Agency Act 1971, section 7 (Irish Statute Book)
- Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012, section 13 (Irish Statute Book)
- Employment Permits Act 2024, section 55 (Irish Statute Book)
- Employment Agencies and Employment Agencies FAQ (Workplace Relations Commission)
- Employment Agency new licence application form (Workplace Relations Commission)
- List of licensed employment agencies, as at 1 September 2026 (Workplace Relations Commission)
- Agency workers (Citizens Information)
- Preclearance and entry visa fees (Immigration Service Delivery)
Checked on 1 October 2026.
Before you send a CV, a passport scan or any money, check that the agency appears on the WRC list. You can find licensed recruitment agencies by name, city or county, then contact the ones that recruit for your field.