Most first applications for an Irish employment permit cost €1,000 for up to 24 months (€500 for six months or less, where the permit type allows it), under the fee schedule of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE). Renewals are charged separately, at up to €1,500, and some permits, such as the Dependant/Partner/Spouse permit, carry no fee. Either you or your employer can make the application and pay that fee. In both cases, section 55 of the Employment Permits Act 2024 says an employer shall not deduct from your pay, or recover from you, any charge, fee or expense arising from the permit application or from recruiting you.
The permit fee is also only one of three payments. If your nationality needs a visa, you pay for that, and once you arrive you pay to register your immigration permission. This article sets out each cost from your side of the process.
Before you read on: fees and rules change, and your own case depends on the permit type, the employer and your nationality. This article summarises the official pages linked below as they stood on 1 October 2026. It is information, not legal or immigration advice.
What each employment permit costs
These are the fees DETE publishes for applications received on or after 1 October 2014, which is the schedule still in force.
| Permit type | First application | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| General Employment Permit | €1,000 up to 24 months, €500 for six months or less | €1,500 up to 36 months, €750 for six months or less |
| Critical Skills Employment Permit | €1,000 up to 24 months | Not applicable |
| Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit | €1,000 up to 24 months, €500 for six months or less | €1,500 up to 36 months, €1,000 up to 24 months, €500 for six months or less |
| Contract for Services, Reactivation, Sport and Cultural | €1,000 up to 24 months, €500 for six months or less | €1,500 up to 36 months, €750 for six months or less |
| Internship Employment Permit | €1,000 up to 12 months, €500 for six months or less | Not applicable |
| Dependant/Partner/Spouse, Exchange Agreement | No fee | No fee |
DETE waives the fee in three further cases: where the employer has charitable status confirmed by the Revenue Commissioners, where the non-EEA national is married to or in a civil partnership with an EEA national, and for General Employment Permit renewals of unlimited duration. The General Employment Permit page explains that an unlimited renewal, with no fee, is open to someone who has been in continuous employment with the same employer for five years or more.
Who is allowed to pay the fee
DETE's fees page says the fee "must be paid by the applicant, that is, the employer/employee/connected person or contractor, or their authorised agent." Section 12 of the Employment Permits Act 2024 allows an application to be made either by the person proposing to employ you or by you. For an Intra-Company Transfer permit, the Act requires the connected company to apply.
The law does not say the employer must pay. It does control what an employer may do once it has paid, which is the subject of section 55 below.
If the application fails
DETE refunds 90% of the fee when an application is unsuccessful. The General Employment Permit page adds that current policy sends the refund only to the applicant, "for example, if the applicant was an employee and the employer paid the fee, then the refund will still issue to the employee." If an employer pays a fee on an application made in your name, agree in writing what happens to that refund.
Can your employer make you pay it back?
No. Section 55(1) of the Employment Permits Act 2024 reads:
An employer shall not make any deductions from the remuneration of, or seek to recover from, the holder of the employment permit concerned any charge, fee or expense arising out of or concerning one or more of the following: (a) the application for the employment permit or a renewal of the permit or any matter relating to or concerning such an application or the grant or renewal of the permit; (b) the recruitment of the holder for the employment in respect of which the application was made; (c) any amount previously paid to the holder in respect of travelling expenses incurred by the holder in connection with taking up the employment in the State.
DETE's General Employment Permit page applies the same rule in plain terms: where the employer is the applicant, "the employer or an agent acting on their behalf may not make any deductions from the remuneration of, or seek to recover from, the holder of the employment permit concerned any charge, fee or expense related to the application."
Section 55 also covers costs other than the permit fee.
| Cost | What section 55 says |
|---|---|
| Permit fee paid by the employer, first application or renewal | Cannot be deducted from your pay or recovered from you |
| Recruitment costs, such as an agency's fee or advertising for the role | Cannot be deducted or recovered |
| Flights or other travel the employer paid for you to take up the job | Once paid to you, cannot be deducted or recovered |
| Your passport, bank documents, driving licence or qualification certificates | The employer, or anyone acting for it, cannot keep them (section 55(2)) |
Breaking section 55 is an offence. Under section 57, it carries a class A fine or up to 12 months' imprisonment on summary conviction, and up to €50,000 or five years' imprisonment on indictment.
Section 55 does not oblige an employer to pay for your flights. It stops the employer taking back travel money it has already given you.
Repayment clauses in contracts
Section 55 makes no exception for leaving a job early. If a contract you are offered says you must repay the employer's permit or recruitment costs when you leave before a set date, ask the employer to remove it, and get advice from the Workplace Relations Commission or a solicitor before you sign.
Recruitment agencies have a parallel rule of their own. Section 7(2) of the Employment Agency Act 1971 bars them from charging you a fee for seeking work for you, which our article on whether you pay a recruitment agency in Ireland covers.
The fees you pay yourself
Two state fees are charged to you, not to the employer, by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), which is part of the Department of Justice. An employer can choose to reimburse them, but nothing in the fee schedules requires it.
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Entry visa, single entry | €60 | Before you travel, only if your nationality needs a visa |
| Entry visa, multi entry | €100 | As above |
| Immigration registration (Irish Residence Permit) | €300 per person | Within 90 days of arriving, at your registration appointment |
According to ISD's visa fees page, the visa fee "cannot be refunded if your application is refused or withdrawn", and visa offices may add their own charges for handling documents. Nationals of some countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Morocco and Uganda, are exempt from the visa fee.
ISD's registration page sets the registration fee at €300 per person, payable by credit or debit card only. Its fee table lists €300 for Stamp 1, Stamp 1G, Stamp 4 and most other categories, and waives it for some, including spouses and civil partners of Irish citizens. People aged 16 to 18 who must register pay no fee. A couple registering together, both on fee-paying stamps, would pay €600.
A worked example
Here is what the state fees add up to for one person from a visa-required country who takes a two-year General Employment Permit, with the employer making the application.
| Item | Paid by | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| General Employment Permit, up to 24 months | Employer (the applicant) | €1,000 |
| Single entry visa | You | €60 |
| Immigration registration | You | €300 |
| Your share of the state fees | €360 |
Your employer cannot recover any of its €1,000 from your wages. Your flights, your first weeks of rent and any professional registration are separate costs. Our employer guide to the cost of an employment permit hire sets out the other side of the same process.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a work permit cost in Ireland?
A first General or Critical Skills Employment Permit costs €1,000 for up to 24 months, according to DETE's fee schedule. A General Employment Permit of six months or less costs €500. Dependant/Partner/Spouse permits are issued free of charge.
Does the employer or the employee pay for an Irish work permit?
Either can. DETE says the fee is paid by the applicant, and the Employment Permits Act 2024 lets either the employer or the employee apply. If your employer applies and pays, section 55 of the Act prevents it from deducting that cost from your pay or recovering it from you.
Can my employer deduct the permit fee from my salary?
No. Section 55(1) of the Employment Permits Act 2024 bars an employer from deducting from your pay, or recovering from you, any fee arising from the permit application, its renewal or your recruitment. Doing so is an offence. If it has happened, contact the Workplace Relations Commission.
Do I get the permit fee back if the application is refused?
DETE refunds 90% of the fee when an application is unsuccessful, and sends the refund to the applicant even if someone else paid. Visa fees are different. ISD does not refund a visa fee if the application is refused or withdrawn.
Where this information comes from
- Fees for employment permits (DETE)
- General Employment Permit (DETE)
- Employment Permits Act 2024, sections 12, 55 and 57 (Irish Statute Book)
- Preclearance and entry visa fees (Immigration Service Delivery)
- Registering your immigration permission for the first time and required documents and fees (Immigration Service Delivery)
- Employment Agency Act 1971, section 7 (Irish Statute Book)
Checked on 1 October 2026.
The permit type decides which fees and rules apply to you, so start with your occupation and salary. Check your permit route to see whether your job points to a General or a Critical Skills Employment Permit before you discuss costs with an employer.