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Pathway

Ireland General Employment Permit

Ireland Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

A General Employment Permit lets a non-EEA worker take a qualifying Irish job. The occupation, pay, employer and recruitment process must meet the permit rules. It usually lasts up to two years initially, with renewal possible; eligible holders may later apply for Stamp 4.

Eligible job
An eligible Irish occupation meeting the permit's pay and recruitment requirements
Pay
Usually €36,605; lower published thresholds apply to specified roles and recent Irish graduates
Job offer required?
Yes; a Labor Market Needs Test usually applies

Summary

An eligible Irish job outside the Ineligible List can support a General Employment Permit. The role must meet the relevant pay threshold, and the employer usually needs to complete the required recruitment test before the foreign worker’s application can proceed.

Employer and recruitment checks come before the permit application
  1. Check the offered occupation and contract Confirm eligible duties, term, pay, and the applicable salary threshold.
  2. Document employer and recruitment compliance Complete the Labor Market Needs Test or establish its exemption and check workforce rules.
  3. Obtain the permit, then complete entry and registration Use an entry visa if required and register the appropriate Irish residence permission.

A permit is tied to a qualifying job. Renewal and a later Stamp 4 application have separate requirements.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

EEA means the EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

The main requirements include:

The Labor Market Needs Test normally requires the employer to advertise through DSP Employment Services/EURES and an additional online platform before the application. DETE lists exemptions, including a job on the Critical Skills Occupations List, an eligible offer at €68,911 or more, certain enterprise-agency recommendations and a narrow exceptional-care case.

The permit can cover a Critical Skills occupation too, but a worker who can meet CSEP's two-year offer and other requirements should compare the faster Critical Skills route to Stamp 4.

What This Route Allows

Once granted, the permit authorizes work for the named employer in the named occupation and locations. After any required long-stay employment visa, the worker enters Ireland and registers Stamp 1. The permit and residence permission are separate documents.

A GEP can normally be renewed for up to a further three years. Current ISD rules allow an eligible worker to seek a Stamp 4 upgrade after completing 57 months from commencement of employment in Ireland on the basis of General Employment Permits. DETE also states that a person may apply for employment-based Long Term Residency after five years, subject to ISD's separate rules.

Family members apply separately under the current family-reunification policy. GEP holders are Category C sponsors and face a waiting period, income and housing rules that differ from CSEP sponsorship.

What This Route Is Not

GEP is not a general job-search permission or open work authorization. An interview, interest from an employer or a plan to look for work is not a permit application. A job on the Ineligible List normally cannot qualify even when the salary is high.

The permit does not itself guarantee entry, residence renewal, Stamp 4, long-term residence or citizenship. Losing or changing the job can affect both the permit and immigration permission, and the current employer-change rules should be checked before moving roles.

Next Steps

  1. Check the exact occupation and duties against the current Ineligible and Critical Skills lists.
  2. Confirm the correct 2026 salary threshold, pay components, weekly hours and minimum 12-month contract.
  3. Have the employer document the Labor Market Needs Test or the precise exemption.
  4. Check the 50:50 workforce rule and any available waiver.
  5. Submit the permit application through Employment Permits Online at least 12 weeks before the planned start date.
  6. After grant, obtain an employment visa if required and register Stamp 1 after arrival.
  7. Retain every permit, IRP card, payslip and Revenue Employment Detail Summary for renewal and the 57-month Stamp 4 assessment.

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Discussed in these reports

Similar skilled work pathways in other destinations.

Sources