Republic of Ireland vs Islamic Republic of Iran
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Republic of Ireland
Ireland operates an employment permits system administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), with immigration permissions separately issued by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD). The Critical Skills Employment Permit is the headline route for high-skill migration.
- Official portal
- Department of Justice (Ireland)
- Languages
- Irish, English
- Currency
- Euro
Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran publishes public non-immigrant visa guidance through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eVisa portal and the MFA traveller pages. The source-backed packet covers visa-waiver tourism entry, tourist, entry, pilgrimage, education, temporary work, transit, media, investment, marital and medical visa categories, while avoiding unsupported permanent-residence or citizenship claims.
- Official portal
- Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran
- Languages
- Persian
- Currency
- Iranian rial
How Republic of Ireland and Islamic Republic of Iran differ
| Dimension | Republic of Ireland | Islamic Republic of Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 11 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 4 | 5 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 6 | 0 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Arrival → Stamp 4 (2 years on CSEP, 5 on GEP) → citizenship (5 years reckonable, typically year 6–7 from arrival). | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | Critical Skills Employment Permit | Temporary Work Visa |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | €40,904/year | — |
| Skilled visa processing time | DETE publishes current processing dates weekly; Critical Skills Employment Permits are consistently prioritised over General permits, typically 3–6 weeks for trusted-partner employers. | — |
| Skilled visa government fees | A Critical Skills Employment Permit to Ireland costs around €1,300 in government fees for a single applicant — the CSEP fee is typically employer-borne, so the worker's out-of-pocket cost is closer to €300. | — |
| Official languages | Irish, English | Persian |
| Currency | Euro | Iranian rial |
| Primary regulator | Law Society | MFA |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 1 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Republic of Ireland
Critical Skills Employment Permit
- Salary minimum
- €40,904/year
- Government fees
- A Critical Skills Employment Permit to Ireland costs around €1,300 in government fees for a single applicant — the CSEP fee is typically employer-borne, so the worker's out-of-pocket cost is closer to €300.
- Processing time
- DETE publishes current processing dates weekly; Critical Skills Employment Permits are consistently prioritised over General permits, typically 3–6 weeks for trusted-partner employers.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Islamic Republic of Iran
Temporary Work Visa
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Recent policy activity
Last 6 months. Each entry links to its primary government source.
- 28 May 2026Republic of Ireland
Ireland announces employment-permit occupation list changes
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced occupation-list changes to support housing, health and transport needs, including additions to the Critical Skills Occupation List and removals from the Ineligible Occupations List.
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland)
Routes unique to Republic of Ireland
Visa routes side by side
Republic of Ireland (7)
Critical Skills Employment Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 2 years initially; leads to Stamp 4 permission and long-term residence after 2 years.
General Employment Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 2 years initially; renewable; longer-term residence possible after 5 years.
Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial 2-year permission; renewable; leads to Stamp 4 after 5 years.
Stamp 4 permission
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Typically issued for 1–5 years at a time; renewable.
Irish Student visa (Stamp 2)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 1 year at a time; renewable during studies.
Join Family (Irish national or EEA national)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Variable — usually 1–3 years at a time; leads to Stamp 4.
Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP — closed)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Closed to new applicants.
Islamic Republic of Iran (11)
Visa-Waiver Tourism Entry
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 15 days for the MFA-listed ordinary-passport tourism waiver; other bilateral waivers depend on the nationality-specific rule.
Tourist Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and permitted stay are shown on the issued visa; confirm the grant terms before travel.
Entry Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and permitted stay are shown on the issued visa or mission instruction.
Pilgrimage Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and stay length are shown on the issued pilgrimage visa.
Education Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and stay conditions are set by the issued visa and the Iranian academic or ministry approval.
Temporary Work Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and work conditions are set by the issued visa and the approved labour certificate.
Transit Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Transit-only permission; validity and transit stay are shown on the issued visa.
Media Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and conditions are shown on the issued media visa and permit.
Investment Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and conditions are shown on the issued visa and investment approval.
Marital Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and stay conditions are shown on the issued marital visa.
Medical Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and stay conditions are shown on the issued medical visa and treatment approval.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Ireland or Islamic Republic of Iran?+
Republic of Ireland’s Critical Skills Employment Permit requires a salary of at least €40,904/year; Islamic Republic of Iran’s Temporary Work Visa is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Which immigration system has changed more recently, Republic of Ireland or Islamic Republic of Iran?+
In the last 6 months: 1 logged policy change for Republic of Ireland, 0 for Islamic Republic of Iran. See the recent-policy section above for the details, each linked to its primary source.
Does Republic of Ireland or Islamic Republic of Iran have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Islamic Republic of Iran has more: 5 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 4 for Republic of Ireland. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.