What an employment permit hire costs, from fee to start date
The published state fees, who normally pays which one, and the costs that never appear on a fee schedule.
The short answer
- Employment permit fee
€1,000 for up to 24 months
€500 for six months or less. Most permit types follow this pattern.
- Refund if the application fails
90 per cent of the permit fee
The remainder is retained as an administration charge.
- Entry visa, where the nationality requires one
€60 single journey, €100 multi journey
Not refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn.
- Immigration registration on arrival
€300 per person
The Irish Residence Permit registration fee, paid by the person registering.
Checked against official guidance on 15 August 2026. See the sources.
The shape of the cost
Three separate authorities charge three separate fees, at three different points, and they are not a single bill. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment charges for the permit. Immigration Service Delivery charges for the entry visa where the person's nationality requires one, and again for registration after arrival. Nothing is refunded because a later step fails.
The published fees are the small part. For most employers the real cost sits in the calendar: a 28 day advertising period where the Labour Market Needs Test applies, then processing, then a visa, then registration. Budgeting the fees and not the elapsed time is the usual mistake.
Employment permit fees by type
Published by the Department. First application and renewal are charged separately.
- General Employment Permit
€500 for six months or less, €1,000 up to 24 months
Renewal: €750 for six months or less, €1,500 up to 36 months.
- Critical Skills Employment Permit
€1,000 up to 24 months
The route runs to Stamp 4 rather than renewal through the Employment Permits Section.
- Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit
€500 for six months or less, €1,000 up to 24 months
Renewal: €500, €1,000 or €1,500 depending on the duration requested.
- Contract for Services, Reactivation, Sport and Cultural
€500 for six months or less, €1,000 up to 24 months
Renewal: €750 for six months or less, €1,500 up to 36 months.
- Internship Employment Permit
€500 for six months or less, €1,000 up to 12 months
- Dependant, Partner or Spouse, and Exchange Agreement
No fee
Currently issued free of charge.
Visa and registration fees
Charged by Immigration Service Delivery, separately from the permit, and normally paid by the person moving rather than the employer.
- Entry visa, single journey
€60
Only for nationalities that require a visa to travel to Ireland.
- Entry visa, multi journey
€100
- Transit visa
€25
- Irish Residence Permit registration
€300 per person
Paid on registering the immigration permission after arrival. Some categories are exempt.
The costs that are not fees
None of these appear on a published schedule, and together they are usually larger than the fees.
- Advertising the vacancy where the Labour Market Needs Test applies, on JobsIreland and one additional online platform.
- The salary floor itself. A route with a €40,904 or €68,911 threshold prices the role, whatever the market would otherwise pay.
- Elapsed time to start date: 28 days of advertising, then processing, then visa, then registration.
- Recruitment fees where a licensed agency sources the candidate, agreed with the agency directly.
- Internal time to assemble and maintain the Employment Permits Online portal account, including revenue documentation and CRO number.
- Relocation support, where the employer chooses to offer it. Nothing in the permit system requires it.
Who pays, and what cannot be recovered
Employment permit fees are commonly paid by the employer, and visa and registration fees by the person moving, but the fee schedules do not assign them. Agree this in writing before the application, alongside what happens to the 10 per cent that is not refunded if the application is unsuccessful.
Common questions
- How much does an Irish employment permit cost?
- €1,000 for a permit of up to 24 months, or €500 for six months or less, for most permit types. Renewals are charged separately, at €750 for six months or less and €1,500 for up to 36 months on the General Employment Permit. Dependant, Partner or Spouse and Exchange Agreement permits are currently issued free of charge.
- Is the permit fee refunded if the application is refused?
- Ninety per cent of the fee is refunded where the application is unsuccessful. The remainder is retained. Visa fees are not refunded if a visa application is refused or withdrawn.
- Does the employer have to pay the employee's visa and registration fees?
- The published fee schedules do not assign who pays. In practice employers commonly cover the permit fee and the person moving covers the visa and the €300 registration fee, but that is a matter for the offer, so it is worth putting in writing.
- What is the biggest cost in an employment permit hire?
- For most employers it is not a fee. It is the salary floor the chosen permit route sets, and the elapsed time before a start date, particularly where a 28 day Labour Market Needs Test applies.
Official sources
Figures and rules on this page were read from these pages on 15 August 2026. Salary thresholds, fees and the occupation lists are revised, so confirm the current figure on the official page before relying on it.
Find a licensed agency for the role
Ireland’s recruitment agencies hold employment agency licences issued by the Workplace Relations Commission. The directory carries that register, so you can check an agency before you contact it.
Related surfaces
The Labour Market Needs Test: 28 days, two places
The 28 day advertising step that drives most of the elapsed time.
The General Employment Permit: the standard route
Salary thresholds, fees, duration and the 50:50 rule.
Employment permit directory
Issued-permit records by period, employer and occupation.
Licensed recruitment agency directory
Agencies on the WRC employment agency licence register.
More guides
Neutral explainers that survive being forwarded, because they name no agency and sell nothing.
- Hiring outside the EEA in Ireland: how the permit system works
- The General Employment Permit: Ireland's standard work permit route
- The Critical Skills Employment Permit: the shortage route
- The Labour Market Needs Test: 28 days, two places, one window
- The Trusted Partner Initiative: retired, and what replaced it
Important
IrishTalents is not a licensed employment agency and does not select or submit candidates. Any agency information reflects the wording found on agency websites only, not vacancies, sponsorship, or suitability.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. IrishTalents is not affiliated with the Irish government.