Does an Irish employer need to be approved before hiring outside the EEA?

There is no separate pre-approval status. Every employer sets up an Employment Permits Online portal account and provides revenue documentation and a CRO number to establish and maintain it. The Trusted Partner Initiative that once offered a lighter path was retired when that system launched.

Can the employee apply for the permit instead of the employer?

Yes. Either the employer or the prospective employee can make the application, and both need their own portal account. The permit still names the employer, the employee and the job.

Does a permit guarantee the person can enter and work in Ireland?

No. A permit is one of several permissions. Visa-required nationals still need a long stay employment visa, and everyone registers their immigration permission after arrival. Each is decided separately by the relevant authority.

What happens if the role is on the Ineligible List of Occupations?

That occupation cannot be filled through the employment permit system while it remains on the list. The list is set out in regulations and revised from time to time, so the current published wording is what matters, not a description of it.

How the system works

Hiring outside the EEA in Ireland: how the permit system works

The routes, the order they happen in, and the two decisions that cannot be undone later.

The short answer

Who needs a permit

Nationals from outside the EEA, Switzerland and the UK

EEA, Swiss and UK nationals do not need an employment permit to work in Ireland.

Who applies

The employer or the prospective employee, through one portal account

Applications run through Employment Permits Online. Both sides need their own account.

The two routes most employers meet

Critical Skills Employment Permit and General Employment Permit

Nine permit types exist. Which one applies depends on the occupation, the salary and the contract.

Decided by

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment

No employer, agency or platform can approve a permit or guarantee an outcome.

Checked against official guidance on 15 August 2026. See the sources.

When an employment permit applies

An employment permit is the permission that lets a named person do a named job for a named employer in Ireland. It is tied to all three. Change the employer, and in most cases a new permit is needed.

Nationals of the EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom do not need one. Everyone else does, unless they already hold an immigration permission that allows them to work without a permit, such as Stamp 4. Checking the candidate's current permission first is usually faster than starting with the permit route, because a candidate who already has unrestricted access to the labour market needs no permit at all.

The permit is separate from the visa. A permit says the person may hold the job. A visa, where the person's nationality requires one, is what lets them travel to Ireland. Registration with immigration after arrival is a third, separate step.

The usual sequence

The order matters, because two of these steps cannot be repaired retrospectively. Advertising that started too late, or a job offer signed before the occupation was checked, both mean starting again.

Check the occupation against both lists
Ireland runs two lists. The Critical Skills Occupations List names roles treated as in shortage. The Ineligible List of Occupations names roles that cannot be filled through the permit system at all. A role on neither list generally sits in the General Employment Permit space. This check comes first because it decides everything after it.
Set the salary against the route
Each route carries a minimum annual remuneration. The figure is a floor for the route, not a market rate, and the role has to genuinely pay it. A salary set below the threshold for the intended route rules that route out.
Run the Labour Market Needs Test if the route requires it
General Employment Permit applications usually require the vacancy to be advertised first, for a fixed period, in fixed places. Critical Skills applications do not. Running the test late is the most common avoidable delay.
Make the job offer and gather the documents
The application needs the signed contract or offer, the person's passport and qualifications, and the employer's own portal verification, including revenue documentation and a CRO number.
Apply through Employment Permits Online and pay the fee
Applications are submitted through the Department's portal. The fee depends on the permit type and the requested duration. Ninety per cent of the fee is refunded if the application is unsuccessful.
Visa, arrival and registration
If the person's nationality requires a visa, they apply for a long stay employment visa after the permit issues. After arriving they register their immigration permission and receive an Irish Residence Permit.

Which route fits the role

This is the shape of the decision, not a determination. The Department assesses the role, the salary, the qualifications and the employer together.

Role is on the Critical Skills Occupations List

Critical Skills Employment Permit is the route to look at first

No Labour Market Needs Test. Minimum annual remuneration from €40,904, with a degree requirement.

Role is on neither list, salary at or above the General threshold

General Employment Permit

Labour Market Needs Test usually required. Minimum annual remuneration from €36,605.

Role is on the Ineligible List of Occupations

No employment permit route

The list is revised by statutory instrument. Check the current wording for the exact role, not a summary of it.

Salary above €68,911 and the role is not ineligible

Critical Skills Employment Permit may apply without the list

Above this figure the occupation does not need to appear on the Critical Skills list.

What the employer has to be able to show

These are employer-side conditions, independent of the candidate.

A trading business registered in Ireland, registered with Revenue, and with a CRO number where applicable.
A verified Employment Permits Online portal account, kept current. The portal flags verification as pending renewal three months before it expires.
Compliance with the 50:50 rule, meaning at least half the employees are EEA nationals. Waivers exist for start-ups supported by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland, and where the permit holder would be the only employee.
A genuine vacancy at the stated salary, hours and location, matching what any required advertisement said.

Plan the calendar backwards from the start date

Where a Labour Market Needs Test applies, the advertising alone runs a minimum of 28 continuous days before the application can be made, and the application must follow within 90 days of first publication. Add processing, then the visa where one is needed, then registration after arrival. Employers who set a start date first and work forwards usually miss it.

Common questions

Does an Irish employer need to be approved before hiring outside the EEA?: There is no separate pre-approval status. Every employer sets up an Employment Permits Online portal account and provides revenue documentation and a CRO number to establish and maintain it. The Trusted Partner Initiative that once offered a lighter path was retired when that system launched.
Can the employee apply for the permit instead of the employer?: Yes. Either the employer or the prospective employee can make the application, and both need their own portal account. The permit still names the employer, the employee and the job.
Does a permit guarantee the person can enter and work in Ireland?: No. A permit is one of several permissions. Visa-required nationals still need a long stay employment visa, and everyone registers their immigration permission after arrival. Each is decided separately by the relevant authority.
What happens if the role is on the Ineligible List of Occupations?: That occupation cannot be filled through the employment permit system while it remains on the list. The list is set out in regulations and revised from time to time, so the current published wording is what matters, not a description of it.

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.

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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.

An occupation (SOC) code classifies the kind of work. It does not by itself determine permit eligibility, Critical Skills status, or sponsorship. Job duties, salary, employer and permit route also matter.

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. IrishTalents is not affiliated with the Irish government.