A healthcare assistant (HCA) who needs an employment permit (most non-EEA nationals; UK and Swiss citizens do not) can work in Ireland on a General Employment Permit if DETE grants one. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) handles the role under SOC 6145, the code it shares with home support workers. Since 1 March 2026 the job has to pay at least €32,691 a year for a 39-hour week, or €16.12 an hour, according to DETE's General Employment Permit page.
The employer has to advertise the job in Ireland first, the permit has to be in the name of the employer you actually work for, and DETE expects a QQI Level 5 qualification by the time you renew.
Before you read on: the rules below are DETE's published conditions as of 1 October 2026. They describe what a permit application needs. They do not mean a particular job or employer will be approved, and the employer names in this article come from permit history, which is not a vacancy. This article is information, not legal or immigration advice.
SOC 6145 and where healthcare assistants sit on DETE's lists
DETE decides permit eligibility by occupation code. Its General Employment Permit page groups "Health Care Assistant (HCA) & Home Support Worker (SOC 6145)" together and gives both the lower salary floor. SOC 6145 is titled "Care workers and home carers" in the SOC 2010 classification.
SOC 6145 is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List and not on the Ineligible Occupations List. That leaves the General Employment Permit as the route. Two neighbouring codes are treated differently, so check which one your job description matches.
| SOC code | Title | Status on DETE's lists, 1 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 6145 | Care workers and home carers (DETE: HCA and home support worker) | Eligible for a General Employment Permit at €32,691 |
| 6146 | Senior care workers | Ineligible, except in disability services |
| 6147 | Care escorts | Ineligible |
If you are not sure which code fits, the occupation permit check shows the list status for a job title.
What the permit application needs
DETE publishes a Health Care Assistant checklist and a separate checklist for care workers and home carers. Either you or the employer can make the application. The table sets out the main conditions.
| Condition | What DETE says |
|---|---|
| Minimum salary | €32,691 a year for 39 hours (€16.12 an hour); €33,529.60 for a 40-hour week |
| What counts as salary | Basic pay only. Guaranteed premium payments can count. Bonuses, shift allowances and overtime do not |
| Labour market needs test | The job must be advertised for 28 days on JobsIreland and on one other online job platform, and the application made within 90 days of the first advert |
| Where you work | Only at the locations named on the application and the permit |
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 more months for a new permit |
| Fee | €500 for a permit of 6 months or less, €1,000 for 6 to 24 months |
| Length | Up to 24 months at first, renewable for up to 3 more years |
The labour market needs test is explained step by step in our labour market needs test guide.
Agencies and the employer on the permit
DETE's policy on employment agencies says a permit cannot be granted to an agency when the worker is placed with another employer and works under that employer's direction. A nursing agency that supplies HCAs to hospitals and nursing homes therefore cannot hold your permit for that work. A home care company that employs you directly to visit its own clients is a different case, because it is your employer.
The 50:50 rule
In general, an employer can only receive employment permits if at least 50% of its employees are Irish, EEA, UK or Swiss nationals, with the exceptions DETE lists on its General Employment Permit page, such as certain start-ups supported by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland and an employer whose only employee will be the permit holder. On 28 May 2026 DETE announced that the Government had approved preparations to amend the Employment Permits Act 2024 for HCAs in nursing homes, disability care and home care. The amendment has not been made yet, so the 50% rule still applies in general, with the exceptions DETE lists.
The same announcement lists Home Support Services among the roles whose General Employment Permit quota was renewed. Quotas can fill during the year, so check DETE's latest employment permit notices before an application goes in.
QQI Level 5: when you need it
There are two separate questions here, the employer's requirement and the permit's.
For the HSE, a QQI Level 5 major award is "a requirement for entry to the role", according to the HSE Career Hub. Its home support requirements list Healthcare Support, Nursing Studies, Community Care, Health Service Skills and Community Health Services at Level 5. The award must be a full major award of at least 120 credits (8 modules), so a component certificate is not enough. The HSE also accepts an equivalent or comparable healthcare qualification under the QQI NARIC Ireland framework, which is the route to check if you qualified abroad. Private nursing homes and home care companies set their own entry requirements, so read each advert.
For the permit, DETE's checklist says an HCA should have a relevant QQI Level 5 qualification after two years of employment in Ireland, when the permit is renewed. A 2023 DETE notice adds an alternative for HCAs who hold a comparable health and social care qualification but not the QQI award. In that case the clinical lead, the employee and the employer complete a form certifying the person's ability and suitability, and submit it with the renewal.
If you plan a five-year stay, budget time in your first two years to complete the Level 5 award or document its equivalent.
Pay
The permit floor is the minimum basic pay a permit job can offer, and it is the number to compare against any offer.
| Weekly hours | Minimum annual basic pay | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | €32,691 | €16.12 |
| 40 | €33,529.60 | €16.12 |
When an offer quotes a weekly or hourly figure, work out the basic rate without shift premiums, night allowances or overtime, because DETE does not count those. DETE announced in December 2025 that the lower thresholds for roles such as healthcare assistants will be phased out by 2030, with further increases along the way.
Care employers with recorded employment permit activity
DETE publishes how many permits each employer received, but not the occupation of each permit. The totals below therefore include nurses, managers and other staff as well as HCAs. They show which home care and nursing home groups have had employment permits issued before.
| Employer (name as DETE records it) | Permits issued in 2025 |
|---|---|
| Redwood Extended Care Facility UC | 237 |
| Mowlam Healthcare Services Unlimited Company | 129 |
| Resilience Healthcare Limited | 117 |
| TLC Health Services Limited | 86 |
| Knockrobin Nursing Home Limited | 81 |
| Platinum Home Care Limited | 75 |
| InisCare Limited | 73 |
| Danu Home Care | 67 |
| Nua Healthcare Services | 61 |
| CV Homecare Solutions Ltd | 58 |
| CareChoice Swords Two Limited | 55 |
| Bluebird Care Dublin South Limited | 51 |
| Cuala Senior Care Limited | 45 |
Source: IrishTalents permit records, built from DETE's published files. In 2026, InisCare Limited had 127 permits issued between January and September, and Cuala Senior Care Limited had 50.
DETE lists the registered company name, which is often different from the brand on a care company's website or van. If you searched for a provider by its trading name and cannot find it, look up its registered name and search the companies directory for that. A care company with no entry in the permit files may never have applied for a permit. Its absence from the files tells you nothing about a job it advertises.
What the live HCA job ads say
On 1 October 2026, 84 open roles on IrishTalents had "healthcare assistant" in the job title. Of the most recent ads we read that day, one asked for an existing right to work in Ireland and another recruited only EU citizens. Read the eligibility line of each advert before you apply, and ask the employer directly whether it will apply for a General Employment Permit for the role.
If you are a nurse, read the nursing guide instead
Nurses need registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), and their permit route and pay are different. Our guide to nursing in Ireland covers NMBI registration, adaptation and working as an HCA while you register. The healthcare and social care sector page lists employers across hospitals, nursing homes and community care.
Frequently asked questions
Can a healthcare assistant get a Critical Skills Employment Permit?
Not at a typical HCA salary. SOC 6145 is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List, so the route is the General Employment Permit. DETE's Critical Skills page does open that permit to any occupation not on the Ineligible Occupations List with a salary "over €68,911", which is roughly twice the HCA floor of €32,691.
Do I need QQI Level 5 before I arrive in Ireland?
The permit itself expects QQI Level 5, or a certified comparable qualification, when you renew after two years in Ireland. Employers can ask for it from the start. The HSE, for example, requires a Level 5 major award or an equivalent recognised under QQI NARIC Ireland for entry to the role.
Can a nursing agency apply for my permit?
Not when the agency places you to work under the direction of a hospital or nursing home. DETE's agency policy says a permit cannot be granted to an agency in that situation. The permit has to be held by the employer you work for.
What is SOC 6145?
SOC 6145 is the SOC 2010 code for "Care workers and home carers". DETE uses it for healthcare assistants and home support workers when it applies the €32,691 General Employment Permit threshold.
Where this information comes from
- General Employment Permit, DETE
- Health Care Assistant General Employment Permit Checklist, DETE
- Care Workers and Home Carers General Employment Permit Checklist, DETE
- Renewal of an Employment Permit: Health Care Assistant, DETE, July 2023
- Critical Skills Occupations List and Ineligible Occupations List, DETE
- Employment agencies and agency workers, DETE
- Announcement of 28 May 2026 on the occupations lists and the 50:50 rule, DETE
- Salary threshold roadmap, 2 December 2025, DETE
- Health Care Assistant pathway and HCA home support qualifications, HSE Career Hub
- Employer permit counts: IrishTalents permit records, built from DETE's published files. Job ad count: IrishTalents job search, 1 October 2026.
Checked on 1 October 2026.
When you have checked the salary, the employer and the QQI question for a role, the next step is the adverts themselves. Browse healthcare assistant jobs and read each one's eligibility line before you apply.